A photo taken in Plant City of the Canadian Northern Ice team that was competing there in 2005.

YOUTH CUP JUST OVER TWO WEEKS AWAY
2010-12-14

In just 16 days the Easton Foundation Youth World Cup (16-and-under girls’ fastpitch) will get underway at the ISF world headquarters in Plant City, Florida. A total of 23 teams from eight countries will compete for seven days in Plant City Stadium and the adjacent Randy L. Larson Softball Fourplex.

Two of the teams will be from Manitoba, Canada, and Howard Kitchen says that bringing his girls down south is almost a natural, being that this will be far from the first time he will do such.

“We come back because the experience we had in 2001 was unbelievable,” he explains. “We took 12 players and we were mostly two years younger than all the others and we were told by many we would get killed by the American teams. Well we not only could play at their level but we were amazed that we actually won some games against them.

“In the playoffs we won against the Philippines national youth team, 3-2, in a very exciting game that we still talk about today. We played the Czech Republic, the Philippines, and Chinese Taipei as well as the teams from the USA. After most games the players all took pictures together, whether we won or lost. We became better players, coaches and teams because of the experience, and we (players and parents) all had a great time. If we can duplicate this again for new players, even if it is close to the same as 2001 then it is worth it.”

What will make 2010 even more memorable for Kitchen is the fact that he will have his daughter, Holly, coaching with the team – some nine years after she played in the tournament in Plant City.

“Playing the international teams such as Chinese Taipei and Philippines are both very memorable games for me,” the now 24-year old says. “Playing against these teams was so exciting and something that I will never forget. It inspired me as a ballplayer to push myself to be the best player I could be and strive to also one day represent my country on the ball field.”

It’s no stretch for her to imply players who competed at an ISF tournament in Plant City going on to big things in softball. According to her father, “We have had a few top players from our original Canadian Northern Ice team go on to play at a higher level – Katy Van Deveire and Ashley Falk played on the Canadian National Jr. team in 2003 and Ashley and Holly Kitchen went on to play at FIU in Miami. Several of the other players also played college ball at various levels. In 2005 we had Jill Lafrance and she went onto pitch for the Canadian National Jr. team in 2007 and played college ball at West Florida. Also, the other Manitoba team in 2001 had Katie Rosentrater and Ashley Lanz pitching for them and both have gone on to pitch with Canada’s national team along with College successes also.”

So, there is certainly a lot to be said for the tournaments that the ISF hosts at its complex.

Howard Kitchen sums it up by saying, “But I think the best part of it is just the overall atmosphere of being in Plant City. Playing and competing against teams from all over the USA and the world is just an awesome feeling. For young players from the prairies of Canada you cannot get that feeling anywhere else.”

See you once again on the 30th, Howard (and Holly)!