Sara Driedger
Lakeside Leader

The Slave Lake Heat U11 baseball team showed determination throughout its home tournament, despite coming up short in all three of its games.

The Heat opened the tournament with a narrow 9-7 loss to the Peace River Stampeders on July 4 before falling 13-2 to the South Jasper Jays July 5.
Slave Lake’s final game of the weekend was another close contest, with the Dawson Creek Devils taking the Heat 7-6.

While the results were not what the team had hoped for, coach Ryan Norman says the tournament was a success in many other ways.

Norman says visiting teams had positive things to say about their experience in Slave Lake, with many complimenting both the tournament and the facilities.

“Slave Lake is fortunate to have such excellent facilities,” he says.
Hosting tournaments takes significant effort from volunteers, organizers, coaches and families, but Norman says the community’s facilities help make the town an attractive destination for visiting teams.

Beyond the games themselves, Norman says several aspects of the tournament helped create a memorable atmosphere for players and spectators alike.
Among those contributing to the experience were the two gentlemen who handled announcements throughout the weekend.

Norman says their work added to the overall enjoyment of the event and helped create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone in attendance.

The tournament brought together teams from across the region for a weekend of competition, sportsmanship and community involvement.

Although the Heat were unable to secure a victory, the close games against Peace River and Dawson Creek demonstrated the team’s competitiveness.
“Having Harry Bartlett and Dave LaFrance do the announcing made the whole weekend a wonderful experience for everyone,” he says.