A team of 11 and 12-year-olds from Glace Bay, N.S., is heading back to the Canadian Little League Championships in Medicine Hat, Alta.
This year’s tournament will give the Glace Bay Colonels a chance to capture their sixth Canadian title.
“I hope to … represent Canada in the Little League World Series,” says Colonels player Dawson Byrne. “It would be amazing. I dream about it every night.”
Jeff Conn was a member of the 2003 team that went to the Little League World Series to represent Canada. He’s now sharing those memories with today's generation.
“The best moments of my life have come from playing baseball. The best moment of my life was with the colonels,” Conn says.
Over the years Glace Bay's population has been declining, but still the Colonels have remained competitive against top teams in the country.
Manager Henry Boutlier says the team spends six hours a day on the field practicing.
“I think once we won it in the first time in ‘87, 30 years ago when we won the Canadian championship. that broke us through the barrier,” says Boutlier. “Our kids became confident from then on and they realize any given year we can compete against the best kids.”
For coaches Henry Boutilier and Jim Wilson who have been here since day one, representing the Atlantic region never gets old. Their goal now is to win another championship and earn a trip to Williamsport, Pa.
The Canadian championships begin on Aug. 3.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
