Competing at the National Level!? (part 2: girls softball)

**Though the primary focus of our programs in Camoapa, Nicaragua is education, The Sunrise Foundation and our staff members are highly involved in other community development projects, especially those that benefit local children and adolescents. We especially believe that team sports activities can be a crucial component for childhood development, especially here in Camoapa, where a lot of youth turn to drugs and alcohol at an early age.**

Girls Softball

Also recently formed and brand new to Camoapa is a girl’s softball team, organized by Emily Mew, our Program and Development Coordinator, and Bismar Sanchez, a local elementary school gym teacher. (Bismar is also a member of the Youth Boxing Commission and has donated his time to give gym classes to the children in our program.)

After less than a year of practicing, the initially small team of just 10 girls played and won a critical and decisive game in Teostepe (the only other girls team in the region) to qualify for Nationals. And in July, having recruited a few more girls, they traveled to Managua to compete in the Nicaraguan National Softball competition. Winning their first two games in the first round, the team classified for the semi-finals. They lost in the semifinals, but with their record, placed third in the tournament, winning a trophy as well as 3 medals for individual players (best home-run hitter, most runs-batted-in and best pitcher.)

Since then, after more than a year working with these girls, many of whom had never previously picked up a ball or glove, the team has really started to gain momentum. More and more girls are coming out to practice. Placing third at the National level is an enormous achievement because softball is very uncommon for girls in Nicaragua and was unheard of in Camoapa until now. Congratulations to the team!