Snagging fly balls in the outfield or stroking a base hit, Cole Brake is excited about being on the softball diamond.
The 13-year-old Meadows native will play in his first softball tournament this weekend in Codroy Valley as the game begins to rebound in pockets on western Newfoundland this summer.
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Brake is a member of the Corner Brook entry in the four-team event that will also feature two teams from Port aux Basques and a single entry from nearby Isle aux Morts.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic about it. It’s the first tournament of the year,” Brake said.
Softball is a game that Brake loves to play because it allows him an outlet to keep physically active and hang out with his friends during summer vacation.
A group of volunteers from throughout the western region have working together to bring fast-pitch softball back to life in this neck of the woods.
Brake is happy to see the sport coming to life and he would like to see the game grow even bigger so there’s more chances to play games and travel to other centres.
It’s all about being on the field. He’s not concerned about what the scoreboard says at the end of the day as long as he gets to strut his stuff and learn the game as he goes.
“I don’t think winning is going to be important at the start. I think it’s just about learning and getting a feel for the game,” Brake said.
The team, which features players from the north shore of the Bay of Islands and Corner Brook, has been only together for a few weeks but Brake believes his squad has come a long way so he’s excited about seeing how well they can do against other teams in the same boat basically.
“There’s a little bit of a learning curve. But I think we’re going to do good. I see potential,” he said.
The tournament opens today with the two Port aux Basques teams playing their round-robin matchup in Port aux Basques and then the action shifts to Valley Field for the remainder of the schedule on Saturday.
Schedule:
FRIDAY, JULY 20
At Port aux Basques
5 p.m. — Port aux Basques 1 vs Port aux Basques 2
SATURDAY, JULY 21
at Valley Field in Codroy Valley
8 a.m. — Corner Brook vs Port aux Basques 2
10:30 a.m. — Corner Brook vs Isle aux Morts
11:45 a.m. — Port aux Basques 2 vs Isle aux Morts
1 p.m. — Corner Brook vs Port aux Basques I
2:15 p.m. — 1st place vs 4th place
3:30 p.m. — 2nd place vs 3rd place
4:45 p.m. — Bronze-medal game
6 p.m. — Gold-medal game
