B.C. woman receives baseball training from former Toronto Blue Jays

A Williams Lake, B.C. woman hopes to build on some baseball training she received from some former-Toronto Blue Jays to create a First Nations softball league in the Interior.

Dez Wycotte had played baseball for 25 years but only began coaching softball last year and soon realized she had a lot to learn. 

"I've built my skills to where I don't really acknowledge the basics of the sport," she said.

The recreation coordinator with the Williams Lake Indian Band applied for training through the Jays Care Foundation and Right to Play, and travelled to Toronto to learn from some former Jays.

She says the experience improved her understanding of how she could grow baseball in her own community.

"I think there were a few times I almost passed out," she said.

"It was truly the opportunity of a lifetime."

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'A lot of athletic potential in our youth'

She says the biggest takeaway from the trip was learning how to teach the basics of throwing, batting, catching and fielding to young players.

"[I'd like] to get them to the point where they're comfortable enough with sport and they're confident enough to want to play on a team and excel with their sport," she said.

Wycotte wants to start a softball league for Williams Lake-area teens.

"We have a lot of athletic potential in our youth," she said.

"I have two other reserves that are interested and involved with bringing their youth out to join weekly softball," she said.

"It is definitely a plausible goal that we could have several First Nations youth teams to join a league." 

Wycotte hopes a new league will bring more people to the reserve.

"People will start to recognize our community as having these amazing resources that we do have," she said.

With files from Daybreak Kamloops