Wing’s slo-pitch team heading to Atlantic regionals
14 Wing Greenwood’s men’s slo-pitch team has been training hard through this summer’s heat to prepare for the 2024 Atlantic regional championship, taking place in Halifax July 22 to 26.
“This year, the other teams are going to have to work for it,” says team coach Warrant Officer Alain Chalifoux.
While this has been a rebuilding year for the Greenwood team, the players have been motivated on the diamond, improving on their speed and reflexes, in preparation for the upcoming competition, calling out in practice to coaches from their position to “give them a fast one.”
“We have a nice mix from the younger and older generation this year, which gives us a little bit of a chance to surprise people,” says Chalifoux.
It is this meshing of members Chalifoux appreciates so deeply. After 34 years of playing ball, he says it’s the opportunity to build new connections he values most in the game now.
“It creates bonds between members of the Canadian Armed Forces, which is the main thing we’re trying to do.”
And, while Chalifoux admits the thrill of competing may come second for him, “it’s really about bonding with people that you wouldn’t otherwise bond with, because everybody’s from different squadrons.”
The 2024 team is currently comprised of members from eight different departments on the wing, of all age groups and ranks – but the camaraderie they have formed despite these differences is already evident on the playing field. While teamwork is an important CAF value, the connections made on the team last far beyond the workplace and the dugout.
“That bonding, the web that you create: when you struggle at work, you can find somebody you know because you played together on a team,” Chalifoux says. “It makes a big difference, those connections make a big difference.”
This year’s roster includes coaches Chalifoux and Sergeant Thomas Bertrand, and players Sergeant Trevor Parkes, Warrant Officer Christopher Green, Master Corporal Matthew Martin, Sergeant John Veitch, Sergeant Matthew Mackenzie, Corporal Matthew Gervais, Aviator Thomas Ralston, Aviator Michael Vance, Sergeant Cory Lefort, Corporal Thomas Beausoleil and Master Corporal Shannon Green.
