Sports | DrumhellerMail

Titans prepare followup to championship season in spring camp

The 2011 Titans season was dramatic to say the least. The Titans started the season as little known underdogs and then finished off a juggernaut of a regular season with a first place finish in provincials.
   The team is already preparing a sequel to the success of last season. Starting on May 2, and lasting most of the month, the Titans will be hosting a spring camp to get everyone ready and look at the players coming up.
   On May 2 and 3, players will be receiving their equipment and doing light practices. Players will practice Monday to Friday for the subsequent two to three weeks.
   The team may also participate in a couple tournaments during the camp.
   There are 16 vacancies on the team, due to players graduating high school.
   “We had 16 guys graduate, so we have a lot of roles to fill,” said Ken Fournier, head coach of the Titans. “We’ve got a lot of good guys coming up though.”
   The positions that do not need to be filled are quarterback, one of the two runningbacks, and most of the linebackers.
   “In the skill spots we’re not looking too bad,” said Fournier. “It’s basically in the line that we’re going to have to adjust. We have depth there. We have some good young guys coming up that didn’t play as much, because you don’t play your Grade 10’s as much.”
   On top of filling sixteen positions, many players will be thrust into starting positions.
   “For the young guys, stepping into a starting role can be a lot of pressure, but we’ve had a lot of them on the field already,” said Fournier.
   The Titans will be attempting to win another championship next season.
   “It’s a tall order,” said Fournier. “Last year, where everybody pegged us as underdogs, we lost our first game, but then we took off from there.”
   Fournier expects the competition will be fiercer now that the underdogs have risen to be champions.
   “You can win, but most of the teams in the south will be watching us now. This year you can guarantee they will be Googling how to defend against the double wing,” said Fournier. “You’re the team to beat now, so everyone is going to elevate their game. It’ll make each game that much more exciting.”
   The Bantam team, though overshadowed by the success of the seniors, had their own success last year. The Bantams have been in the playoffs for the past two years and won silver in last year’s championships.
   “There’s a lot of excitement in the Bantam kids,” said Fournier. “You obviously want to win, but it’s more about getting out there and having a good time.”
   Fournier is also working on developing a Pee Wee team to expand on the success of the football program in Drumheller.
   “It’s a good stepping stone for us and something we’re looking to get going in the next year or two,” said Fournier.
   Fournier needs willing coaches to help get a Pee Wee started and he explained the demands are fewer than the older teams. The Pee Wee season typically lasts two months, with only a couple days week.
   For now, however, it’s time to get ready for next season.
   “Everybody is really excited to get back on the field,” said Fournier. “Especially after the year we had.”

Pure Venom striking at championship season

Spring has come and with it all of the outdoor sports residents love. The soccer fields will be teeming with teams, tennis courts will see a renewed use, and the slo-pitch teams will head home to the ball diamonds.
   One group in particular can’t wait to hit the field. The Pure Venom softball team will be taking another swing at gold during the 2012 season which starts on April 28.
   Despite the slightly more frigid weather, the girls have been practicing indoors since early January.
   “They’re looking great this year and picking up everything we’ve been practicing,” said head coach Brent Sands. “Hopefully, we can continue with what we did last year.”
   Last year was an impressive season for the team. In their league, they won gold. In provincials, they won silver. In their entire 2011 season, they won all but three games, and each loss was only by a single run, including the battle for the gold medal in provincials.
   Although the team has been confined inside for practices, they have still been able to work on virtually every aspect of the game, including batting (with softer balls).
   This year, on top of their quest for more gold, the team will be playing in the Midget (17-19 years old) division, rather than the Bantam as in 2011. The change means quite a few new opponents as well as some old ones who have made the change as well.
   The change doesn’t worry Sands.
   “In the provincial tournament last year, they ended up playing in the under 19 category and they did quite well,” said Sands.
   The roster has remained the same, apart from several new recruits, including a player from Strathmore.
   The girls will begin the season on April 28 in Calgary. For more information about the team and scores, visit calgaryminorsoftball.com.

Club revitalizes tennis in Drumheller

    A familiar sight for residents taking a stroll by the Drumheller Curling Arena is that of the tennis courts often standing empty or only with a scant few players utilizing them.
   The new Drumheller Tennis Club is aiming to change that. At their meeting on April 3, tennis players in the valley had a chance to meet one another and decide what their goals were.
   “There was people who came to our meeting who were saying that they were so glad they finally found people to play tennis with,” said Marcel Augey, one of the founders of the club. “We have a couple goals. The first is raise awareness for the sport. Second, we want to relocate the courts.”
   The current courts were built years ago and have fallen into disrepair.
   “The condition of the courts is steering people away,” said Augey. “We’re driving to Standard to play tennis. They have nice, new courts. We need new courts.”
   The fate of the current courts is uncertain as well. Phase 2 of the Badlands Community Facility is beginning and to make way for new hockey and curling arenas, the tennis courts may be removed.
   The tennis club is already searching for potential sites to build three courts and are hoping to get the support of the Town of Drumheller There are a few factors the club is considering.
   “It can’t be too close to trees. The roots of trees will easily damage courts. A prime example is the courts already in Drumheller,” said Augey. “We want to try to have a good public accessible, open location.”
   The goal is to have new courts built and ready to play on in 2013, Drumheller’s centennial.
   However, the club is not just about building new courts. One of the goals is to raise awareness and get residents out having fun.
   “It’s not just about new courts. With the tennis club I wanted to have, once or twice a week, having mixed nights, doubles nights, or evenings for kids,” said Augey.
   Augey has been playing tennis for years. Trevor Chan sparked his interest and Augey watched the stars of tennis, such as Andre Agassi, play. During the summer, Augey and several others try to play three or four times a week, but have to go elsewhere to play sometimes.
   “I belong to the Medicine Hat Club and I saw what they do. I talked to the guys I play tennis with here and we decided to put our heads together to see what we could do,” said Augey. “It really started with the [Sports, Recreation, and Arts] expo. We wanted to see what interest is out there and it’s snowballed from there.”
   Support has been growing for the club and the club will be playing on the old courts by the end of the month. On April 23, the club will be cleaning the courts.
   For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page. To get involved, contact Augey at marcel.augey@gmail.com.
   “It’s fun for everybody and it’s affordable,” said Augey. “Everyone is welcome, just come out and have fun.”

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