The FSIN Youth Softball Championships are set to kick off Friday (City of Prince Albert)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

FSIN Softball

P.A. welcomes softball teams from across the province

Aug 9, 2019 | 10:03 AM

Softball players representing First Nations from all over Saskatchewan are in Prince Albert this week.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Youth Softball Championships will see around 800 players along with 150 coaches and managers compete in divisions ranging from under 10 to under 18. Kevin Roberts, director of sports and recreation for Lac La Ronge Indian Band, who is taking the lead in organizing the tournament, said the event is major one.

“We’re using ten diamonds in the city and all the hotels are booked,” he said.

Besides the contingent of players and coaches, Roberts said they expect to see a large turnout of fans along with friends and family.

Games are set to get underway Friday morning and the tournament is expected to be wrapped up by Sunday. The games will be going at Kinsmen Park, Max Power Ball Parks and Crescent Acres Park.

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Roberts said they have 60 teams competing, with one coming from as far north as Black Lake, while another is travelling from Ochapowace First Nation in the south.

Ochapowace has generally be one of the communities where softball is strong, along with a number of other communities.

“You’ll have roughly a quarter of the teams that are fairly good that have experienced players, guys that play in leagues all over,” said Roberts.

For Roberts brining the tournament to P.A. was a no brainer given that the city has enough diamonds to accommodate the championship, along with the fields at Prime Minister’s Park, which Roberts called world class.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids to play in a top notch facility,” he said.

Speaking about why a tournament like this is positive Roberts explained it brings together people from communities all across the province to promote softball, which is a core sport in the First Nations summer games program along with the North American Indigenous Games.

“That’s the key to try to keep this game going,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn