Harbour Main girl knocks it out of the park at softball awards
By Mark Squibb \ May 26, 2023
Earlier this month Softball NL named four years’ worth of softball award winners, as previous years ceremonies had been cancelled due to the pandemic, and the provincial organization named Halle Joy of Harbour Main the Minor Female Player of the Year for 2019, 2021, and 2022.
“It was the best feeling ever,” said Joy, 16. “It was really very rewarding.”
The Harbour Main girl has been playing ball since she was five years old and was introduced to the sport watching her father Craig and brother Mitchell play.
“My dad was the coach of my brother’s team, so I would also be around the ballfield,” said Joy. “I fell in love with the game watching him play.”
Joy has competed at a number of local, provincial, and national tournaments over the last number of years, and has earned many medals and accolades. In 2022 alone, she earned gold medals in the Moss Tournament, CBC Senior ladies Fastpitch Invitational, U15 and U17 Female Fastpitch tournaments, and the Moncton Invitational; she also earned a number of silver and bronze medals in the same year. Also in 2022, she was named the U15 Eastern Canadian Softball Championship MVP and All-Star Shortstop, top pitcher in the U15 provincial league, and was also a recipient of the Premier’s Athletic Award.
“I love the competition, and I love the environment,” said Joy. “And I love playing with the girls on my teams, and all the practising and travelling that we get to do.”
Cheering along from the sidelines are Joy’s family, including her mother Jennifer.
“We were absolutely over the moon when we got the e-mail,” said Jennifer, who didn’t think Softball NL would be making up for previous years awards until the family received a message saying Halle had won the award for three of the previous four years.
Halle often holds her own against older girls, like when she was named the starting pitcher for the U14 NL Selects team in 2019 at only 12-years of age.
She encourages others to get out and give the sport a try.
“Just have fun and enjoy it,” said Joy. “Having fun with the girls is what it’s all about.”