The Penticton Ice Girls have been together since last fall.

Training together over the fall and winter helped the under-16B rep fastball team become a close group. It doesn害羞草研究所檛 matter that they are from all over the Okanagan (Penticton, Summerland, Peachland, Kelowna and Lake Country).

Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 Jaden Allen said the team feels like home. Allen loves the fact the teammates accept each other.

害羞草研究所淭hey are just amazing,害羞草研究所� she said.

Summerland害羞草研究所檚 Ryan Taylor loves every one of them. They are great friends, not just teammates.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a great feeling when everybody feels united. You feel more confident as a team going on the field, you feel like you can win the game,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚f you mess up, someone has your back.害羞草研究所�

The quick-developing friendships has delivered results on the field, though the start was a slow going winless in five games in their first tournament. It has gone better since in tournament action and playing in a under-19 C league, in which they have won four of seven games.

害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檙e trying to do is get them into their rep mentality. By doing that we害羞草研究所檙e just teaching all this new stuff that they have never seen before,害羞草研究所� said Ice Girls coach Jeff Korven. 害羞草研究所淚n house it害羞草研究所檚 play everyone, bat everyone. In this, it害羞草研究所檚 play nine and bat nine. You have got to earn your spot.害羞草研究所�

Danika Bergenn of Penticton is loving the season and adjusting to Korven害羞草研究所檚 coaching.

害羞草研究所淚 had always wanted to play rep ball,害羞草研究所� said Bergenn. 害羞草研究所淚 always wanted to be super competitive. Learn all the signals and the different types of pitches and take it to a whole other level.害羞草研究所�

Facing older competition isn害羞草研究所檛 bad she said and it is based on their fear level.

害羞草研究所淚f you step on the field and you are confident, then you are going to do just fine,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚f you have faith in your coach and what he is telling you to do, you will do fine. We always try our best. We don害羞草研究所檛 get down on each other when making mistakes.害羞草研究所�

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Allen, who has been playing for 11 years, said it has been challenging against older teams.

害羞草研究所淭here are some teams that are stronger, which makes us want to fight for the win more,害羞草研究所� said Allen. 害羞草研究所淚t makes us push ourselves even more.害羞草研究所�

Korven said they have been phenomenal in responding to older competition. The butterflies are gone.

害羞草研究所淭hey believe in themselves,害羞草研究所� he said.

After hitting the midway mark of their season last week, losing to Cawston (which placed third in provincials last year) twice, the Ice Girls lost 6-5 in extra innings of their quarter-final match against Abbotsford in an Aldergrove tournament. Korven wants to see the players continue to play well and said they have improved by 害羞草研究所渓eaps and bounds.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hey are finally starting to think like ball players,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 need them to see exactly how good they have to be to play at this level. We害羞草研究所檙e going to be playing a lot of good teams.害羞草研究所�

The best will come in the Canada Cup International Softball Championship July 7 to 17. The championship features a Women害羞草研究所檚 International and Elite division, Futures under-19 18U Gold/A & U18 A/B and Showcase under-16 A as well as A/B division.

害羞草研究所淓very one of these teams is phenomenal. We害羞草研究所檙e just blessed to be invited to go to this,害羞草研究所� said Korven.害羞草研究所漈his will be the highlight of these girls softball lives.害羞草研究所�

Just mentioning the Canada Cup and faces light up.

害羞草研究所淲e can kind of go there and there is scouts watching. With the scouts there you have to be confident,害羞草研究所� said Bergenn, who has made big improvements in her skills. 害羞草研究所淭hat will be really fun.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 such a big opportunity,害羞草研究所� said Taylor. 害羞草研究所淵ou get to play a better level of ball. Everybody on the team is competitive.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 really excited for this. I want to see how the teams are,害羞草研究所� said Allen. 害羞草研究所淚 want to play against them so badly. I want to push myself even more and fight for that win. We definitely want to win that.害羞草研究所�