Tigers hoping to roar at junior club champs
An Invercargill softball team is hoping to roar like a tiger in Timaru for the next few days.
The Tigers under-15 softball side is ready to pitch it with the best as it heads to the South Island junior club championships.
A line from Katy Perry’s hit song Roar – might provide the side with the perfect motivation against the bigger club sides from like Canterbury or Otago – I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter. Dancing through the fire – as they step into the diamond against some quality sides, and if they are victorious, then you might hear more of the hit song, albiet changed slightly.
If that’s not enough, then walking out to Eye of the Tiger by Survivor could be enough to send fear trembling through their opponents.
Coach Amanda Karetai said the boys were excited at the opportunity in front of them.
“It’s going to be a cool opportunity for many of them. They have all played softball before but to play against teams from throughout the South Island is exciting.”
The side went last year and finished seventh out of 10 teams and is hoping for a similar showing this year.
“It will be a great learning curve for a number of our boys. A lot of them are only under-13s, but they’re itching to get up there and face the bigger teams. It’s going to be about experience for us.”
The tournament could provide the perfect opportunity to try a few different combinations.
“Every time they step out onto the diamond, the boys do us proud win or lose and Timaru will be no different. We have a lot of fun and do lots of off diamond stuff as well,” Karetai said.
The squad for the Tigers is Boedin Karetai, Ariki Ropiha, Erik Gutsell, Koah Godden, Slade Fordyce, Joel Gallen, Kayden Drake, Mana Watt, Ollie McCullen, Jak Perry, Macks Whaanga, Henare Robinson and Zavier Te Amo, all of whom are rated talented players by Karetai and fellow coach Wiremu Karetai.
Meanwhile, The Southland under-19 girls, and Southland under-17 boys’ and girls’ all performed strongly at their national tournaments.