In light of having four teams qualify for national championships this summer, Greg Timm, the president of the White Rock Renegades Girls Fastpitch Club, said it is “a very strong year for us.”
And while he made the remarks Monday morning, the script could have just as easily been lifted from last year, the year before or the year before that.
The Renegades, as sports fans on the Semiahmoo Peninsula are no doubt aware, have been doing this for a long time.
And though we’re smack in the middle of summer – one of the sunniest on record, too – and those who play, coach, manage or just watch local sports tend take a bit of a breather as the calendar flips into August, the pace of action has not waned a bit this year.
In fact, it’s as busy as it’s ever been – and the Renegades are far from alone when it comes to making noise on the ball field.
Across town, the Surrey Storm – another one of the country’s premier girls fastpitch organizations – are sending three teams to nationals, and one would be remiss not to mention the South Surrey-White Rock Thunder, who’ve had a presence at both provincial tournaments and the Canadian Open this summer; notable, too, is the fact that many current Renegades began playing ball with the Thunder organization before moving up the ranks.
Not to be outdone on the ball diamond, White Rock’s team of 11- and 12-year-old baseball all-stars have also been making noise this month, and on Sunday qualified for national Little League Championships in Nova Scotia – just one step away from the Little League World Series, at which White Rock teams have made two previous appearances.
In 2007 and 2008, White Rock represented Canada at the prestigious international tournament, which is staged annually in Williamsport, Penn.
The team leaves July 30 for the next step in their journey, and while it remains to be seen if a third trip to Williamsport is in the offing, it’s possible that, if successful, the Boys of Summer might play right until the end of it; the World Series doesn’t wrap up until the last week of August.
Dog days of summer?
Not really. Not here, anyway.