Softball Canada Men's Development Team gets ready for AAU Tournament

from Softball Canada

The 2011 Softball Canada Men's Development arrived in Kissimmee, Florida this past weekend for a few days of team preparations prior to competing at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) International Men's Fast Pitch tournament. The event will begin on Thursday, January 20th and will conclude on Sunday, January 23rd at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

Softball Canada is pleased to announce that Ballpark Radio (www.BallparkRadio.com) will have a live internet audio broadcast of at least a pair of its games, including the preliminary round game between the Softball Canada Development Team vs. Maccabi USA at 11:00am EST on Friday, January 21st. The Softball Canada Development Team's first playoff game on Saturday, January 22nd (time to be determined) will also be broadcasted live by Ballpark Radio. In addition, one of the Semi-Final games and the Championship game will both air live on Sunday, January 23rd.

The athletes who will represent Softball Canada as members of the Men's Developmental Team at the event are:

1. Tyson Barkman (Abbotsford, BC)
2. Ryan Boland (St. John's, NL)
3. Trevor Boutilier (Halifax, NS)
4. Brad Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL)
5. Ian Fehrman (Townsend, ON)
6. Calem Gardner (Squamish, BC)
7. Joran Graham (Micksburg, ON)
8. Jason Hill (St. John's, NL)
9. Rowan Lam (Glencoe, ON)
10. Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC)
11. Brennan Pokoyoway (Saskatoon, SK)
12. Mathieu Roy (Saint-Gervais, QC)
13. Andy Skelton (Scarborough, ON)
14. Jeremy Tracy (Waterville, NB)
15. Ryan Wolfe (Melbourne, ON)

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Don Bates (Saskatoon, SK)
Assistant Coach: Les Howey (Saskatoon, SK)
Assistant Coach: John Stuart (Vancouver, BC)
Athletic Therapist: Adam Davies (Ottawa, ON)

Ian Fehrman, Derek Mayson, and Ryan Wolfe are veterans of the Men's National Team program, and helped Canada win the Bronze medal at the 2009 ISF Men's World Championship in Saskatoon, SK. In addition, Tyson Barkman and Mathieu Roy are former Junior Men's National Team members, each earning a Bronze medal at the 2005 ISF Junior Men's World Championship in Summerside, PEI. Joran Graham was a member of the Junior Men's National Team that won a Silver medal at the 2008 ISF Junior Men's World Championship in Whitehorse, YK.

'This Developmental Team roster features five 23 year olds, one 22 year old, and one 21 year old, so we are taking a young team to expose them to our program and a high level of play' said Don Bates, Men's National Team Head Coach. 'Men's National Team captain Ryan Wolfe, along with other experienced National Team players Ian Fehrman and Derek Mayson, will provide some veteran leadership to the team.'

AAU Tournament - Canadian Development Team Schedule
January 20: Canada vs. Lanzeros (Venezuela) - 3:00pm EST
January 21: Canada vs. Maccabi (USA) - 11:00am EST - Live on Ballpark Radio
January 21: Canada vs. Ohio Battery - 3:00pm EST
January 22: Playoff Round (Time TBD - Live on Ballpark Radio)
January 23: Playoff Round

Visit www.softball.ca
for game reports following each Softball Canada Development Team game.


For more information, please contact:

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