Toria Kover was eight years old when she got her first taste of softball.
And it all happened by chance. Her older sister鈥檚 t-ball team needed an extra player, so Toria gladly volunteered herself.
鈥淚 hopped in and I fell in love with it. My sister did not 鈥� she quit after that year,鈥� said Kover, a recent graduate from Rutland Senior Secondary School.
Fast-forward to 10 years later. Just last month, Kover accepted an offer to attend Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., later this year, where she鈥檒l be playing for the school鈥檚 NCAA Division I women鈥檚 softball team.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a surreal experience, really. Just being able to know that I can do this, I鈥檓 able to go out and do what I wanted to do when I was eight years old. It鈥檚 crazy,鈥� said Kover, who will be working towards achieving a bachelor of science degree in sports and exercise health care.
Earning the opportunity to play for an NCAA Division I school didn鈥檛 happen overnight. It took a whole decade for Kover to land this achievement.
From the age of nine up until she was 14, Kover鈥檚 father coached her while she was a member of the 麻豆精选 Blue Jays. At 14, she moved up from the C to B program to play for the 麻豆精选 Heat.
From 15 to 17, she played U16B and later U19B 鈥� still a member of the 麻豆精选 Heat 鈥� where she was coached by Michelle Webster and Jocelyn Cater, with the latter being the youngest player to ever play for Canada鈥檚 national softball team.
Following her stint with the Heat, she played for the TriCity Titans before joining the Ridge Meadows Pride softball team.
She said that it was pitching 鈥� her greatest asset 鈥� that kept her going after all these years. Standing at 5 ft. 3, she said she isn鈥檛 the fastest pitcher, and instead described herself as a spin pitcher.
鈥淚 was able to keep learning. It鈥檚 not just stationary 鈥� you have to keep learning new pitches, new spins, all that kind of stuff,鈥� she said.
In her arsenal of pitches are the fastball, the changeup, the curveball, the screwball and the rise up.
But pitching isn鈥檛 her favourite part of the game. Rather, she said it鈥檚 the camaraderie that comes with it.
鈥淏eing a part of a team and being able to know that no matter where I am, I鈥檒l always have people that I can go back to that will help me and want to see me succeed,鈥� she said.
And while she hopes to be involved with softball for the rest of her life, either as a player or a coach, her end goal is to become a travelling physiotherapist for a sports team.
But did she think she would ever get to this point? 鈥淣ever in a million years,鈥� she said.
鈥淩eally, I just owe everything I鈥檝e accomplished to my parents, my family and my awesome coaches, coach Web and Jocelyn,鈥� she said.
READ MORE: OKM volleyball coach a provincial award winner
READ MORE: Okanagan Mission junior boys win valley championships
@aaron_hemens
aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
