14 Wing Greenwood’s slo-pitch teams are heading to Canadian Armed Forces Atlantic regionals this week, as CFB Halifax hosts from the Mount Edward fields in Dartmouth September 9 to 12.
The men’s team took their field play all the way to a Canadian Armed Forces silver medal in 2024, but returning coach, Sergeant Thomas Bertrand, reports a “drastically new look, in terms of members filling positions.
“There is a lot of turnover when it comes to the military, with postings, deployments, courses, leave etcetera, so you never know what returning players you will have each year,” he says. “It’s nice to see new faces and talent come out to compete for a spot on the base team. We will be looking to compete for a regional title, as the goal is always to win it all.”
Much of the men’s roster will be making their first appearance at a regional slo-pitch tournament. The Greenwood Bombers will meet the 12 Wing Shearwater Flyers, the Halifax Mariners and the 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown Warriors.
14 Wing’s women’s team member Warrant Officer Amanda Jardine says the 2025 roster kept many of its 2024 team members, sees the return of past members posting back to Greenwood or who had taken the 2024 season to play another sport, and recruited hard for the third year in a row among known and potential crossover athletes. With the regional soccer tournament in August and the ball in September, women were able to better space out their athletic commitments and play both sports.
“We are in a better position this year based on playing experience,” she says. “Practices have been going well, with the core group showing up consistently.”
Some team members juggled French language and fixed-wing search and rescue transition courses and deployments through the practice season; an injured, but slo-pitch experienced, Corporal Kelly Watson has taken on the head coach role (Jardine was in this position in 2024); and Master Corporal Natasha Philippe is making practices – when not fighting the West Dalhousie wildfire as a volunteer firefighter. The team also connected with 14 Fire Emergency Services firefighters and a local women’s league to get in a few practice games.
“We are fortunate to have a team that really appreciates the external efforts of players,” says Jardine. “We expect to be competitive this year and make it into the finals. The athletes have really put in the work, and the newcomers to the team come with a high level of ball knowledge and athleticism we are excited to showcase at this year’s regionals.”
Women’s roster
Warrant Officer Amanda Jardine
Corporal Kelly Watson (coach)
Corporal Megan Desmarais
Aviator Bri Cyr
Captain Lindsay Williams
Second Lieutenant Dana Avery
Captain Marina Comeau
Corporal Kayla Maye
Sergeant Noella Kennedy
Captain Jaclyn Swain
Master Corporal Natasha Philippe
Men’s roster
Sergeant Thomas Bertrand (coach)
Sergeant John Veitch
Warrant Officer Pier-Olivier Poulin
Master Corporal Adrian White
Aviator Hunter Arnold
Corporal Nathan Davies
Sergeant David Jenkins
Corporal Jason Knight
Master Corporal John McElroy
Master Corporal Matthew Martin
Warrant Officer Daniel May
Master Corporal Jordan Pennell
Corporal Tyler Williams
Corporal Stephen Best (TBC)
Women’s schedule (Greenough field)
September 9
9:30 a.m. Greenwood vs Formation Halifax
1:30 p.m. Greenwood vs Gagetown
September 10 – 9 a.m. Formation Halifax vs Gagetown
September 11 – 10 a.m. play-off 2nd vs 3rd
September 12 – 8:15 a.m. final
Men’s schedule (Mount Edward field)
September 9
9 a.m. Gagetown vs Halifax
1 p.m. Greenwood vs Halifax
4 p.m. Gagetown vs Shearwater
September 10
8:30 a.m. Greenwood vs Gagetown
11:30 a.m. Halifax vs Shearwater
4 p.m. Shearwater vs Greenwood
September 11
8:30 a.m. play-off 1 – 1st vs 2nd
11:15 a.m. play-off 2 – 3rd vs 4th
4 p.m. play-off 3 – winner P2 vs LP1
September 12 – 10:30 a.m. final – winner P1 vs winner play-off 3
