FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2011

Softball Canada Announces Roster for the 2011 ISF IX Junior Women's World Championship

(Ottawa, ON) Softball Canada is pleased to announce the seventeen (17) players who have been selected to represent Canada at the 2011 ISF IX Junior Women's World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa from December 6-17, 2011.

'The selection process was difficult' said Junior Women's National Team head coach Tony Foti. 'We started three years ago with a pool of over 100 athletes and over time and competitions, we narrowed it down to 24 this year. We have been scouting and evaluating at every major event over the last three years.'

Softball Canada held open evaluation camps in 2009 and again earlier this summer, and selected 19 players to compete at the Canadian Open Fastpitch Futures Gold (U19) International Championship in July. Canada won a silver medal at the tournament, which was held in Surrey, BC.

'The final 17 was a tough process, but I am extremely pleased and excited with the group we have' continued Foti. 'It has been a huge bonus for us to have had major camps and competitions leading up to the Worlds. The nucleus of this team has participated in the U16 World Cup, the 2010 Junior Women's Pan American Championship and this year's ScotiaBank Canadian Open Fastpitch tournament along with three 10-day camps, so we have been able to work and prepare this group like no other before.'

The athletes who have been selected by the coaching staff to represent Canada at the 2011 ISF IX Junior Women's World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa from December 6-17 are:

Athletes
Jaycee Affeldt (Maple Ridge, BC)
Brigitte Aizprua (Terrebonne, QC)
Taylor Beck (Vancouver, BC)
Natalie Becker (Waterloo, ON)
Jocelyn Cater (Delta, BC)
Shannon Davidson (Whitby, ON)
Larissa Franklin (Maple Ridge, BC)
Jennifer Gilbert (Saskatoon, SK)
Kirsten Grant (Oakville, ON)
Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON)
Karissa Hovinga (Edmonton, AB)
Tessa Loewen (Abbotsford, BC)
Kristy Noble (Uxbridge, ON)
Erika Polidori (Brantford, ON)
Madison Schreyer (Winnipeg, MB)
Carey-Leigh Thomas (Oshweken, ON)
Natalie Wideman (Mississauga, ON)

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Tony Foti (Winnipeg, MB)
Assistant Coach: Shan McDonald (Scarborough, ON)
Assistant Coach: Alison Bradley (Pinkerton, ON)
Assistant Coach: Glenn Boles (St. Catharines, ON)
Athletic Therapist: Darren Wharrie (Toronto, ON)
Operations Manager: Harvey Stevenson (Saanichton, BC)

'Softball Canada's support has been the driving force behind this project' added Foti. 'We feel we have a group in place with collegiate experience and various international competitions under their belts, giving us the most experienced team we've ever had at the junior level. We showed in the last two years that we can compete with any team in the world and I expect us to continue this success at the world championship in South Africa. This team has great chemistry and a great blend of speed and power, along with very strong pitching.'


For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca