There are four teams consisting of LLRIB members at the championships. (submitted photo/City of Prince Albert)

By Derek Cornet

busy weekend

LLRIB hosting Youth Softball Championships in Prince Albert

Aug 9, 2019 | 12:00 PM

First Nations from across the province are gathering in Prince Albert this weekend as the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) hosts the 2019 Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Youth Softball Championships.

The event is scheduled for Aug. 9 to 11 and it includes approximately 800 athletes in 60 teams and nine divisions. It’s also taking place at multiple locations through the city such as the Max Power Ball Parks, Crescent Acres Park and Kinsmen Park. According to event organizer and Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre (JRMCC) Director of Sports and Recreation Kevin Roberts, there are about 50 LLRIB members participating in four teams (U-10 Co-ed, U-14 Boys, U-14 Girls and U-16 Boys).

“Our U-10 team won the whole thing last year out of 17 teams, so that’s a good sign,” he said. “That shows us we have some really good ball players and at a really young age.”

Roberts mentioned the band was unable to host such a large event in the tri-communities as the facilities needed aren’t available. For instance, there needed to be a minimum of 10 softball diamonds for the championships and only the diamond suitable is the one behind JRMCC. There’s also the challenge of accommodating so many guests and La Ronge lacks the number of hotel rooms needed.

Hosting such an event, however, will have a benefit for the band as a whole. Roberts stated it shows the LLRIB is able to host provincial-calibre events on a large-scale and they can do so successfully. He noted all the event sponsors are based in Prince Albert and support was so strong they beat their own expectations.

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“We did extremely well with the local businesses in Prince Albert,” Roberts said. “We smashed our projections out of the park financially.”

The main goal of the Youth Softball Championships is to develop the sport among First Nations communities in Saskatchewan. Especially with the younger teams, Roberts added organizers focus on healthy competition and a memorable experience.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno