With no batting cage, no stacked roster, and no paid coaching staff, the U17B Central Saanich Extreme walked into Regina and left with a Western Canadian championship banner.
Fresh off a provincial title in July, Central Saanich opened the tournament with a 5-0 win over Calgary before dropping their only loss of the weekend – a 9-2 setback to Manitoba’s Central Energy.
From there, the B.C. champions reeled off six straight victories, including a pair over the same Central Energy squad in the finals, 13-12 and 6-5.
Head coach Kirk Van Helvoirt called it nothing short of a Cinderella story.
“We’re this little team from Central Saanich with no batting cage, going against these titans from other provinces with paid coaching staffs and players pulled from all over,” Van Helvoirt said. “We’ve got local girls from Central Saanich, Oak Bay, and the West Shore who just bought into playing for each other – that’s what made the difference.”
Van Helvoirt said Western Canadian competition is fierce, with top-tier A-calibre squads from other provinces often fielding deep, experienced rosters.
But his team relied on resilience, especially in a wild extra-innings win over Central Energy to force the final.
“They tied it 8-8, then had runners on second and third to win it – and our girls shut it down,” he said. “They never quit. They just kept finding a way.”
It was a theme that ran all season.
The team began with tryouts last September with the goal of winning provincials, focusing not on the scoreboard, but on process and effort.
“One of our sayings is, ‘Be your best – whatever your best is that day.’ They did that every time,” Van Helvoirt said. “Other teams had better players, but nobody played together better than we did.”
Van Helvoirt said the gold medal was the product of months of buy-in and belief.
“We started playing in October, and from day one the girls set their sights high,” Van Helvoirt said. “But it wasn’t about chasing a banner – it was about playing for each other, one inning at a time. That’s how championships are won.”
As far as Van Helvoirt can tell, no Island team has won gold at Western Canadians in at least the past six years.
“It still brings tears to my eyes,” he said. “Watching them sing ‘We Are the Champions’ back at the hotel – that joy is why you coach.”
