What a debut.
South Surrey White Rock Minor Softball Association (SSWRMSA)'s first-ever team in the Lower Mainland U11 Rep Softball League had an astounding season, achieving an impeccable 23-0 win record, and winning the championship trophy in a July 1 tournament.
Following a restructuring of the association's long-term player development program, the Thunder 2013 U11 Rep team enjoyed such an extraordinary season in the 22-team Lower Mainland U11 Rep Softball League, led by head coach Stefan Durston, SSWRMSA president Thomas Bell said in an email.
The Thunder team medalled in every tournament they entered, securing three gold medals and one silver medal, concluding the season with an impressive 45-1 overall win record, Bell noted. The Thunder capped off their remarkable season by clinching the championship at the Canada Day Classic U11 Championship in Burnaby, an event that featured 24 U11 teams from the Greater Vancouver region, Vancouver Island, and Interior.
Durston could barely contain his immense pride in his team's performance.
"The entire team contributed to this victory, including over-the-fence home runs from Paisley Angus and Summer Harris-Johnson at the Canada Day Classic. Phenomenal defensive play from Eliana Velazquez, clutch hitting from Kiara Dhaliwal, Elise Paccagnan, Liv Paul, and Kaitlyn Durston, elite pitching from Larissa Rondpre, and key hits from Anwin Mills, Ellen Stevens, Lily 'Tiny Man' Carpenter, Samaya Sangha, and Sara Halliburton," he said.
Durston emphasized the collective effort and support that led to the team's success.
"This is an amazing group of selfless young athletes and parents. It takes a village to build a team as special as this one. I can't thank the players' parents enough for their support. Our success was 100 per cent a result of the parents' buy-in, and for that, I want to say thank you!"
He also thanked coaches Mickey Rondpre, Jeff Paul, Breanne Dhaliwal, and Andy Angus for their countless volunteer hours, and thanked Bell and the association for believing in him.
Bell echoed Durston's sentiments, highlighting the association's commitment to developing all players.
"We were hesitant at first to enter a team in the U11 Rep league because we wanted to develop all of our players, not just a select few on the rep team. Stefan Durston and his assistant coaches, along with our player development instructors and house team coaches, all worked together to provide development opportunities for all of our young athletes, no matter which team they were on. As a result, we have seen tremendous growth in the skill level across all our teams," he said in the email.
He added that the SSWRMSA is looking forward to seeing the Thunder 2013 players continue to develop, as well as those young athletes who are following in their footsteps.
"We could not be prouder of the accomplishments we have seen this season, and we look forward to a very bright future for softball in South Surrey as we continue to grow the sport."
Learn more at sswrmsa.ca
