ATHABASCA – A local 17-year-old will get the opportunity to continue playing the sport she loves when she attends college, thanks to a scholarship offer from a junior college in North Dakota.
Avery Kamelchuk is “pretty excited” to play for the Lake Region State College Royals next year when she continues her softball journey in a new country, and in a recent interview, she took the time to thank some of the people that had guided her.
“I just want to say thanks to my mum and my dad for supporting me, and helping me get to where I am. One of my first coaches, Justine Berube, worked with me a lot in Calahoo. She had to fix my swing every year because I grew so much, so that’s become our inside joke.”
The self-described “utility player” spends most of her on-field time split between shortstop and second base.
Kamelchuk started off in Athabasca, where she says she’s been playing t-ball since Kindergarten.
From there, her path took her down to Calahoo for U-10, where she stayed until her U16 season. After her team folded one season, she moved to the St. Albert Angels performance program. From there, her next stop was Sherwood Park for the 2022 season, until they also folded.
Her final stop before needing her passport was with the U19 River City Hornets, located in Edmonton.
Each stop along the way brought new teammates, and a new jersey, but Kamelchuk said that the camaraderie and the bonds between teammates are exactly what made her fall in love with the sport.
“I really like the community with the team that you get. We usually bond so well, and I love that it’s not a one-person game. It’s just the best, everyone does their part to win. I fell in love with it.”
COVID years
Like many young athletes, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into Kamelchuk’s experience. She spent those two years with the St. Albert Angels, as part of their performance program, which she made full use of.
“We did a lot of working out by ourselves at home, and then we had limited practices as a teams, with half the girls at a time,” she said.
The Angels were lucky enough to be able to continue with in-person games, playing as part of a five-team cohort, but the most impactful part of her experience with the team was when they brought in Division I athletes from the U.S. to walk them through what it takes to be mentally prepared for the season, Kamelchuk said.
Between the talks and some extra baseball-related book study, the girls felt ready to play when the time came.
Nationals
Kamelchuk spent part of her Grade 11 summer taking a trip to Montreal to compete in the 2022 U19 Women’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championship with the St. Albert Storm, after they finished second in the province to earn their ticket.
“It was amazing, it was the top couple teams for each province, so you’re up against the best teams in Canada, and it’s just a great experience,” said Kamelchuk.
“We played seven or eight games over the course of the week, and it was just phenomenal. Our team was so lucky to be there.”