Team Québec softball players at Michel-Martin Park in L'Île-Perrot finished their tournament with a perfect record. Throughout the weekend, they went undefeated, winning all but one of their games, which ended in a draw. Interview with U23 team coach Normand Cotnoir. 

The coach, a resident of L'Île-Perrot, was delighted to be back home for the weekend. "Many of our players come from Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Greater Montreal. We like local tournaments. The players are in their own business, sleeping and eating at home. This allows us to reduce the team's accommodation and catering costs," he emphasized at the start of the call.

Over the weekend, Cotnoir's team played six games against teams from the rest of Canada. At the end of the matches, the provincial team's record was 5 wins and 1 draw.

For many years, Équipe Québec has held a major tournament on Île-Perrot during the summer season. "We've had an agreement with the city for several years to play our games here annually. According to our estimates, the economic spin-offs of the event will be in the order of a million dollars in terms of spending on accommodation and outings to restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores for the teams, but also for the supporters", he added. 

In the U19 and U23 categories alone, which played this weekend in L'Île-Perrot, there were 12 teams of 12 players each, for a total of 144 players. The U15 category was also in action this weekend at Shamrock Park in Pincourt. Many friends, family members and spectators were also on hand to cheer on the players.

Did the weekend's hot, humid weather hamper the performances of the Team Québec players? "Not at all, the girls managed the weather factor very well", commented the coach. 

Players from all over Quebec and the United States

On a daily basis, Normand Cotnoir coaches Team Québec's U23 softball team. Is this a challenge, since most of the players play with teams in the United States during the school year? "Starting in January, we trained once a week with half the team. The rest attend American colleges and universities and return at the end of May. By June, the whole team is complete. During the summer season, we get together at least twice a week, most of the time, for a practice and a game," he says.

When she's not playing in tournaments elsewhere in Quebec, Team Quebec's softball players play in Laval. However, on a few occasions, she leaves her regular field to invest in those located elsewhere in the province.

On July 23, she'll be in Rigaud to play a game before heading on to Châteauguay.

How does Équipe Québec recruit its players? "On our website, we announce our recruiting camps and the news is passed on to the associations and 2A teams, where interested players can come and try out for the team. We welcome girls aged between 20 and 23. Last September, three players joined the team at the end of this stage", he informs us.

What attracted the Perrotdamois to softball in the first place? "I started getting involved in the sport in 1994 at local level because my daughters played it. Naturally, I've always been more interested in women's sports. It's a great sport that allows me to travel and meet other enthusiasts like myself", he concluded before returning to the bench to direct the players who were about to take part in the semi-final against the Oromocto Silverback team from New Brunswick.

After a 5-0 win over this sporting outfit, the Quebec players also took the honours in the final by a score of 3-0.