Heather Healey is once again vying for a spot on the Baseball Canada's women's national team. Selection camp is in July. (Submitted Photo/Heather Healey)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Women's Baseball

North Battleford’s Healey lands spot on Baseball Canada’s winter roster

Dec 11, 2023 | 4:55 PM

Heather Healey remembers the moment she knew she would be a pitcher.

It was during a game in St. Johns, Newfoundland when the girl – about seven or eight-year-old – stepped up onto the mound. This came after coaches noticed her arm and asked her to pitch a game.

“I pitched and I struck all three of the guys out – like three batters I had in a row – struck all three of them out and the guys were just like ‘What was that?’”

That experience took shape and developed into a lifelong passion that has led her to be selected as part of Baseball Canada’s 2024 Women’s National Team Winter Meetings Roster. Now in her twenties and an RCMP officer, Healey is set to join 41 other athletes for the virtual meetings over the next few months.

“I kind of have a history with the Canadian National Team. I started in the program when I was pretty young, I started going to development camps in Cuba when I was probably like 14-15,” she said.

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“I made the Canadian National Team to go to the World’s Cup in 2014,” added Healey of her trip to Japan.

From there, she was part of the roster in 2016, 2017, missed 2018 due to RCMP training, but made the roster again in 2019 before COVID cancelled all games during 2020. In 2021, Healey took part in a training camp before stepping back the last two years.

“Just kind of was career focused. It’s unfortunately a little bit difficult when you grow up and become an adult,” said the modern-day Dorothy “Kammie” Kamenshek, noting RCMP staffing shortages have been hard.

“Sometimes it’s just a little bit difficult to make time to have your quality of life and play a high-level sport as well,” she said of the three or four week-long Team Canada events.

“It’s almost all of my vacation for the summer, so I have to pick whether or not I’m going to take that time to play sports or spend it with my family.”

According to Baseball Canada’s website, there were a number of factors used to help choose the winter roster. The players were evaluated following the 2023 Baseball Canada’s Women’s Championships, and along with input from coaches and taking into account past participation with the national team, a list of the best athletes had been compiled.

“This past summer I played with Team Saskatchewan and went to the Baseball Nationals…that was held in Halifax, NS,” said Healey.

“I actually played really well, and I won most valuable player for Team Saskatchewan out of the whole tournament.”

These upcoming meetings will set up the 2024 season and only following the early July selection camp in Ottawa will the final 20 players be chosen to represent the country in the IX (9th) World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals – this year, hosted by Thunder Bay in late July to early August.

Healey and her twin brother began their journey to play that perfect game with T-ball.

“Baseball’s not really a female-dominated sport; it’s more of a male dominated sport, so I mean there was a lot of guys that I played with, but I started becoming better then the guys,” she said of her ascent to the hop of the ranks in her hometown’s league.

“Throwing harder than the guys or hitting the ball further than the guys.”

“Everybody knew who I was because I was usually the only girl on the team,” she said.

“Most tournaments, I was the only girl in the whole tournament so, everybody kind of knew who I was,” the ball player added, noting when the opposing boys found out she was pitching, they figured they would be in for some trouble.

“I think I just liked…the fact that it was like, ‘Yeah, I can strike out the guys.’”

She always had to prove herself, which has translated into her career as well.

“I feel like I’ve always been in that position, in a male-dominant environment and I just like the fact that I can prove that females are strong as well and can do a lot of the things men can do,” she said.

Now that she is hoping to make the team once again, she will come in as a veteran and will take on a leadership role.

“Coming on the team as having that international experience and being with the national team – like the team has actually changed so much since the last time I played,” said Healey, referring to fresh faces in both the roster and the coaching staff.

“There’s some players coming up that I don’t even know who they are” she said,

“Which, is amazing to see.”

For more information or for updates, visit: World Baseball Softball Confederation – wbsc.org.

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

On X: jls194864