The boys of summer have been busy in Surrey, with the Whalley Little League Major Allstars – who recently won the provincial championship in Victoria – arriving in Kingston, Ont. at the beginning of the week for the Canadian Little League Championship.
A competition that stretches over the next nine days, the national championship tournament will pit the Whalley-based squad against the best teams from across the country, but they're ready for it.
"Our boys have prepared well. ... I think they have high expectations of themselves to have some good success here this week," head coach Steve Young said Monday (July 29) from Kingston.
With the team being selected June 1, they only had about a month to practise together before battling the top teams from each district in the province, he noted, in a July long weekend tournament that saw Whalley compete against Langley and Coquitlam to advance to represent their district at provincials July 19-21.
At the provincial championship, the Allstars battled against six different teams from across B.C. to win the provincial title and earn their way to the nationals in Ontario, Young said.
'They've put a lot of hard work into it. ... Now we’re representing the province of B.C. here."
All seven teams – more than 120 players – are staying at Queen's University for the nine-day event, Young added, commending Little League Kingston for being great hosts.
"The boys are able to connect with other teams and make some friendships. ... It's about more than baseball. These are 12-year-old boys, and something like this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and often, a first," he said.
While he hopes the team has a great time, their goal is of course, to win, and have the chance to represent their entire country at the Little League World Series, held in Williamsport, Pa. each year.
"That’s the end goal. That’s why we’re doing this, to have that opportunity... the boys put all that work in," Youn said. "I think they have that hope and that expectation of themselves, to reach that goal – just come here and put it all on the field."
