Teenagers tend to stick with their friends when it comes to things to do for fun.
If one is eager to play a certain sport the others tend to come on board because it gives them an opportunity to have fun with familiar faces doing something fresh.
It’s tough saying no and sometimes there is somebody who really catches the bug when they say yes.
This summer, Shelby Gallant of John’s Beach added baseball to her list of things she likes to do when she’s not in school.
She still plays soccer with the Corner Brook 18U female soccer squad and is still active on the volleyball court, but being on the diamond kicking up dust is proving to be a great choice for the 15-year-old Corner Brook High student.
A lot of her friends either play the game or coach it, so when they prodded her about joining them she really didn’t waste any time deciding she would give it a go.
She’s having fun and she’s excited about playing in her first provincial tournament when she suits up with the Corner Brook Barons at the provincial 16U female baseball championship this weekend in St. John’s.
“It’s an exciting game that keeps you on your toes,” Gallant said before a team practice Thursday at Jubilee Field. “Sometimes it can get boring standing around, but you have to be ready at all times to make the plays.”
Female baseball has grown exponentially in the province over the past four years so Gallant is happy to be one of the new faces on the field.
“It’s really exciting. This is a new sport so it’s exciting,” she said.
The Barons will tangle with Grand Falls-Windsor and the St. John’s Capitals in a double round-robin tournament format that gets underway today with the Capitals playing Grand Falls-Windsor 5 p.m. in the opening game at Airport Heights Field.
The Barons open the tournament 8 p.m. tonight when they clash with the Capitals.
