Emma Entzminger knows how to perform on the softball field.
“I feel like I have a lot to offer, I’ve played where a lot of girls want to go and I have a lot of knowledge of sport through my experiences,” says Entzminger.
The Lambrick Park Secondary School grad led Team Canada to an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo, breaking a scoreless tie in the bottom of the second inning with a two-out two-run single to down Mexico 3-2.
“[It] was such an incredible experience, an experience that I’ll cherish forever,” says Entzminger.
“I think we made a big impact for softball in Canada and just seeing how great the game is and people realizing that it is an awesome sport to watch,” adds Entzminger.
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Now back from her Olympic journey, Entzminger has been overwhelmed with the support from the Island softball scene and her own community.
“I don’t think I realized how many people were watching and kind of there in spirit, but it’s been cool just to see the impact that I’ve had,” says Entzminger.
It’s why she’s giving back with the Victoria Glory softball team and the Next Level Winter Development programs, run in conjunction with the Lambrick Park Academy.
“I’m really just trying to get girls motivated and get [them] to the next level, whatever that might be,” says Entzminger.
“Whatever those girls’ goals are, [it’s] just sort of a mentorship program on and off the field to just get them to chase their dreams,” adds Entzminger.
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The program is also a way for young women’s softball hopefuls to hone their talent on equal footing.
“It’s time to start thinking about girls having the same equal opportunities as the boys in town, having the same resources, the same professionalism, the same equipment and not be second-rate,” says Lambrick Park Academy director Rocky Vitale.
“It’s time to enhance that so that girls can be as good as they can be,” adds Vitale.
It’s Entzminger’s way of paying it forward.
“I owe it to this city and I am also really excited to be able to do it,” says Entzminger.
To learn more about the Victoria Glory or Next Level, visit the program’s Facebook page.
Emma Entzminger with her bronze medal at the Victoria International Airport. (CHEK News)
Cole Sorenson
