Loading...
The Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-05-18, Page 26Serving over 25,000 homes in Listowel, Wingham, Mount Forest, Milverton, Elmira, Palmerston, Harriston, Brussels, Atwood, Monkton, Millbank, Newton, Clifford, Wallenstein, Drayton, Moorefield and Arthur. Wednesday, May 18, 1983 Follow that dream! Last January three members of the Mil - Dor Twins Senior Ladies' Fastball team. began doing just that. Lori Sippel, Kitty Grant and Shelley Maxwell are very dif- ferent types of ball players, yet in one way or another, they all shared the same dream; a dream of making the Canadian National Women's Softball team and competing in the Pan -Am Games this August in Caracas, Venezuela. Mil -Dor Twins are the combination of two small towns roughly equal in size, Milverton and Dorchester. The team formed in 1981 and one year later had captured the Ontario Championship, representing Ontario at the National Tournament held m Newfound- , land. It was at that tournament Softball Canada officials and opposing coaches had a chance to see Lori Sippel and Kitty Grant, and jot their names down somewhere for future reference. Shelley Maxwell, on the other hand, was still playing junior with the Kitchener - Waterloo Civitans last year. She had already made a name for herself at the 1981 Junior Canadian Championships as a pick- up with the Milverton Millwrights, and in 1982 dominated the National Tournament held in Kitchener. Kitty remembers the day she was asked to try out for the National team very well. "I was shocked, I don't know why they asked me, I'm just average," the 26 -year- old speedster says modestly. Always a competitor, Kitty is sometimes invisible on the field with her ability to make difficult plays look easy. However, it is her bat that has come to be feared in senior ladies' fastball circles. She fixtisired:tbeeseason._baiting --- average last season, the best on the powerful kTwins team. She also had five home runs, an unusual amount in women's softball In addition she also led the team in runs scored with' 28, hits with 62, runs batted in with 26 and set a record in stolen bases with 19. At the Ontario Championship last year in which the Mil -Dor Twins staged the Cin- derella story of the year, Kitty batted .385, hit two home runs and batted in four more runs while playing flawlessly in the field. Despite ail the statistics to prove other- wise, Kitty still feels she is doing the same job as anyone else, perhaps that is why she is able to excel at the game so effortlessly. "It was just a dream," she says, "three years ago I never dreamt I'd even be playing senior ball." Since being selected for the try -out Kitty has taken what may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance very seriously. The statuesque wife of Dorchester Stinger's catcher Bill Grant has been attending the YWCA twice a week and has given up smoking. Those attempts at going into camp in better shape have paid off, at spring training this year she was able to shave nearly one second off her best time last year for running the bases. "I feel I'm a lot stronger and faster than I was at this time last season," Grant says. The Civitans' star, Shelley Maxwell, has joined the Twins this year in the Senior loop and says she was genuinely surprised at being selected for the try -out that will take place in Newark, New Jersey from June third to tenth. Shelley said it came as a surprise because she had been playing junior ball. "I was probably picked for my batting," Shelley says realistically, "I batted well at the Canadians (Canadian Junior Ladies' Softball Championships) last year." "Batted well" may be an understatement for the powerful Shelley. At 21 she is one of the hardest hitters in the country with amazing upper -body strength. She also offers the National team a bona fide left- handed slugger, a much needed item on the team. Last year she batted .392 and the year before Shelley chipped in with an average of more than .400. Shelley hasn't been doing any special training to keep in shape for the try -out, but she is a member of the Kitchener Debs ringette team which is provincially com- petitive. Another point in Shelley's favor when she attends camp in New Jersey will be her ability to play more than one position. She is a capable first baseman and outfielder, and in the last two seasons especially, she has developed into a promising pitcher. At spring training this year softball clinician Herb Dudley worked with Shelley and she was able to develop an assortment of pitches to accompany her speed. "I think my chances are as good as anyone else's, but it will be harder for an infielder than an outfielder (to make the team)." After winning the top pitcher awards at the Ontario Senior Elimination Cham- pionships, and the International Classic Tournament, .and then winning the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year -=;t�iivar-d-fi3rt -tlie=t�iFth>iio= ladies--Segiie� Softy- _ ball League, you would think there would be very little that could knock Lori Sippel off stride. However, this self-effacing 18 -year- old (she turned 18 on May 16) was surprised to be picked as one of the 27 women vying for 18 spots on the National team. "It was my first year of senior ball, that's why I was surprised," Lori says. One of the most sought after pitchers in Canada by American Universities, Lori has already attended one World's Cham- pionship. That Championship was the World Youth Championship held in Edmonton Alberta in 1981. Lori was picked up by .Chingacousy Midgets to accompany them to the tournament. Lori's exceptional year in 1982 made her a sure bet to be at "least asked for a try -out with the National team. She compiled an 18- 8 record on the year with an earned run average of 0.74 and a record-setting 198 strike -outs with the Twins! Lori also chipped in with a .313 batting average in the league. As a 17 -year-old rookie last year, making the jump from midget to senior, the high point of the season was at the Ontario Championships in St. Clements. In semi- final action the six foot two'flame-thrower pitched a perfect game against the Kit- chener Kieswetters, the only perfect game PWSA representatives could ever remember being pitched at the Ontario Championships. Lori isn't overly optimistic about her chances with the National team, but that isn't stopping her from gearing up for the June try -out. She has been working hard all winter and showed that hard work has paid off during spring training. Lori won three games in the spring training stint against no losses, including a five and one-third inning relief spot where she struck out 11 batters, did not allow a hit and helped her own cause with a towering home run over the 235 -foot mark in left field and an RBI single in extra innings. "I don't think my chances are really that good," Lori says weighing the pros and cons. However, she says "If they (the coaches) go for a younger team, than I'll have a better chance, but I think they should just pick the best." Lori feels the competition is stiff. Some of those vying for spots are veterans Rosemary Fuller, Brenda Staniforth, Shan MacDonald and Patty Polych. Fuller and Polych both pitch with British Columbia while Staniforth is with the Lashburn Bluebirds and MacDonald with the Saskatoon Harmony Centres. However, some of those selected have dropped out, like Agincourt pitcher Claire Reed who was in an automobile accident earlier this year. There are others selected for the team who can pitch, one of those is Debby Power from Newfoundland who is an excellent all- around player as well. Although Lori has played in a World's tournament, the Pan -Am Games offer a new challenge. "The Pan -Ams have more of a name, and the Youth Games were the first ever held," she says. "Making the team is my number one priority. I really want to make it, but if I don't I'll change priorities." Having dope_ so_muchata__y..ou _ __ srrlput-a-=damper ca Loris enthusiastic _- . "I'm very excited, if it loses the ex- citement, or you're not enjoying yourself it's time to quit. You always have to prove yourself every game you play," she says. Playing as a team is important, and has been a problem at International events because of players coming from diverse teams. Lori believes all players must respect each other's abilities to be suc- cessful. "That's one of the main things, being a unit, it's a team effort, that's why we (The Mil -Dor Twins) won last year," she says. "I find it hard to' pitch if I know .a teanr�.r mate doesn't approve. It's like having a knife in your back, it's very easyto piteh well when everybody gets along." If Lori is selected, what will be the main reason? . "I think it will be because they need a pitcher, but I can't say that until it happens; I'm going to try and do my best and I'll leave it up to them' to decide." Kitty Grant knows where her competition will come from; they are Tracey Huclack and Debby Power specifically. She believes she must be as strong as they are at their strong points and stronger at the points where she excels. r "Inexperience may hurt me. I can't try to psych myself out, if I don't stay loose I'll lose my mind," she laughs. "If I make it it will be for my batting and base -running. I think we're all starting out even and you have to work for whatever you get." Always a free spirit, what is the one thing Kitty will be able to count on? "My mother," she says. Shelley Maxwell also knows what she must do if she is to make the National team. She knows she must hit well during the June training stint. "My bat is pretty consistent, and I can play more than one spot," Shelley says when asked what her strong points will be. "It's my goal this year, I always wished I would get picked and it's a real honor thing," she says. Shelley says she will be giving it her best shot at try -outs in New Jersey, and that may just be good enough to earn her a spot on the National squad. Losing the three players for more than a month is a big chunk out of the Mil -Dor Twins' ( who play their league games in Milverton) line-up. However, the three players will be with the team for all im- portant tournaments and the majority of league games. Beginning on June 24th and ending on July 3rd, these three Mil -Dor Twins hope to make what once were dreams become the sweetest reality of all. KITTY GRANT, LORI SIPPEL AND SHELLEY MAXWELL—They could be playing for the Cana- dian National Women's Softball team at the Pan - Am games this August in Caracas, Venezuela. LINDA GREER of Mannheim helps daughter Amy with her metal detector at the Golden Triangle Metal Detector Club's May meeting which included a hunt for cash buried underground by the club. Behind them is Steven Greer. Metal detecting is a fast growing hobby that attracts people of all ages and backgrounds. Golden Triangle Metal Detecting Club is only 3 years old Hobby is growing. by leaps and bounds by Kim Dadson "There's a bit of treasure hunter in all of us," the man says and that's the lure of a unique hobby which is growing quickly in popularity. It combines exercise, fresh air, camaraderie, mystery, fun and according to one mother a way to keep 14 year olds "off the streets". Metal detecting is a hobby that many may not have considered to be a hobby yet the Golden Triangle Metal Detecting Club at- tracts an average of 65 people to its monthly meetings. And members drive from as far as Hamilton and Toronto to meet in the Roseville Community Centre, a small hall located several miles southwest of Kitch- ener. At the club's May meeting the average number plus a few turn out for a special hunt. Club president, Jim Ironside of Ayr, has hidden $200 worth of coins in the lawn and with their detectors beeping and hum- ming, the members go treasure hunting, or a preferred phrase according to Jim, coin shooting. Members vary in age From grandfather to school children. And their backgrounds are diverse; "There are some here who can hardly afford their detectors," comments Jim and others drive up in expensive cars and own the newest in detector equipment. Jim Ironside and his wife Ruby are also dealers and distributors for the metal detec- tor's main piece of equipment, which can range in price from $250 to '.t00. Some people also use earphones and something for digging is also needed. The Ironsides have been metal detecting for about 12 years. They met someone from State side who introduced them to the hob- by. "We would be out detecting and people would ask us to bring them back a detector. I decided there was -a market here for them," says Jim. The Ironsides also have participated in competitions in the United States and have won trophies in Texas, Alabama and North Carolina. It's the places one.goes and the people met that attracts member Bernice Astley of Kitchener. "I've learned a lot about his- tory," the mother adds. During one excur- sion on the battlefields of the Plains of Abra- ham she found an officer's coat button which is probably from the late 1700s. It was through her 14 -year-old son that Mrs. Astley became interested in the hobby. What started as a method to keep a young teenager busy and "off the streets" turned into a family hobby which still involves everyone four years later. Her husband had gotten a detector with their son and they encouraged mother to join. "I found five pennies and I was hooked," she laughs. Members find anything from pennies to diamond rings but Jim cautions, "If you plan to get rich, this is the wrong hobby. Some people go out for an afterndon and find a few pennies and they are happy." Ruby and Angela Beker of St. Jacobs found metal detecting through another hob- by, archery. They often lost expensive ar- rows and dczided a metal detector would be worth it to find them. They had no trouble finding the arrows plus a few other bonuses and they, too, were lured by the mystery of never knowing just what you might find. The Golden Triangle Metal Detecting Club is only three years old but has grown by leaps and bounds in that time. It even has members who live so far away that they never attend a meeting but they are includ- ed in a newsletter which keeps members up to date on new developments. It all started in the basement of Jim's home. At the monthly meetings, which continue all year round, members discuss such problems as community relations. Part of the equipment includes something for dig- ging when the detector beeps that a metal is under ground. Members are encouraged, like golf players, to repair any land that has been dug. Speakers are invited to meetings and they provide a social get-together. Jim says the club attracts people from such a wide area because it has few rules and members are "just here for a good time." An enthusiastic 'member from Guelph, Ritha 'Brethelsen. owns eight different metal detectors. At home she stopped count- ing the pennies she found after 5,000. "I got tired of counting." she comments in her dis- tinct accent. Ritha started metal detecting in her na- tive Denmark when she was 10 years old — "with my eyes and the sun," she adds. Hunting usually takes place in the warmer season but Jim says he has found articles for people in winter, During the warmer weather. "we spend every Sunday at it." A special 2 -day hunt sponsored by the club is being held June 11 and 12 at the University of Waterloo. The club will bury coins and participants will pay $20 a person to enter. There will be prizes including metal detec- tors and trophies as well as children's hunts, hunts for beginners and novelty hunts. Anyone interested iri the hobby or attend- ing a meeting may call Jim at 632-7955. He also rents equipment to anyone who has not purchased a detector. .Judging by the turnout at the May meet- ing. metal detecting is definitely a hobby that attracts and holds attention. Although club president Jim emphasises that the main lure of the hobby is not the idea one will get rich, there is the mystery, the never knowing what you may find that keeps people coming hack. As Jim says, "There's a bit of treasure hunter in us all." 3