WEEK #11: AVA S.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Ava, I am 9 years old, I love spending time with my family and watching a lot of movies, I also watch a lot of sports with my dad, baseball especially!! We go often to games. I am the only girl on our rep baseball team here in Innisfil and the entire league! I collect baseball cards and beanie boos! I have also played ball hockey, soccer and I am currently on our school’s cross-country and volleyball team. My entire life I have loved baseball, and if I could I would play 52 weeks in a row! hehehehe but we have snow here, so I join winter clinics with my teammates and on my own to stay active and in game shape. Last summer was the best summer of my life, not only did I hit 3 home runs, our rep team won a lot of games, and we won tournaments as well! We also finished 4th in all of Ontario. I was asked to participate in the baseball for all Nationals tournament in Rockford Illinois as well, we won the Championship!! This also prompted a really cool CTV news report on me (https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/innisfil-child-baseball-prodigy-heads-to-prestigious-tournament-1.4531754) and radio interviews! Our local newspaper also did a piece on me. The mayor of Innisfil also reached out and asked me to join our town council and friends at City Hall and was given an award in recognition of my accomplishments. Later in the season, our league the Innisfil Cardinals then presented an Ambassador of the sport award!! Blessed and Grateful!

What is your favourite part about sport? Why? 

I love playing second base and making plays and also playing right field like my favorite player Aaron Judge!! I also love pitching and being depended on by my team. My friends on my team do not treat me like a girl and that makes playing baseball much more fun for me. I also love being cheered on by my family at the games, my favorite is also hearing other teams’ parents say “she can hit! back up!”

How do you best support your teammates? 

By cheering for them at every plate attempt and play on the field, I sometimes lead the baseball chants! I also make sure to never miss any games or practices and give my best for us to win together.

What advice do you have for parents, coaches or sport administrators to encourage or improve sport for females? 

Give your daughter a chance, practice with them, share the experience with them and you will grow your love through any sport and create a bond like nothing else. It’s important to allow no one else to distract you in doing what you love the most, stay positive during hard times and work, work, work! If we can all support each other on the field, at work and the diamond then we can do impossible things!! “you play ball like a girl?’ is not a phrase used in our league or our home because I work so hard to be noticed and to kick butt!! Girls can do this, coach them, train them and they will end up leading a future of young stars.

What is a song that motivates you? 

My walk-up music is ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by queen and ‘Girl on fire’ by Alicia Keys

Instagram: @avabaseball78