Mike Renney (red shirt) talks to Team Canada during their game against Japan at the 2004 Olympics. Also in the photo is Sasha Olson (#7), another Simon Fraser University product. (Photo by Franco Bagattini)

A DIFFERENT TYPE OF “SOFTBALL IN THE SCHOOLS"
2008-12-12

The International Softball Federation has had a “Softball in the Schools” program for a few years now. As part of its ongoing efforts to further develop the sport around the world, the ISF intends to start kids off playing softball while they are young through “Softball in the Schools,” which aims to make teaching the sport part of the curriculum at the learning institutions where it's implemented.

In Western Canada, an initiative has been launched that gives the expression “Softball in the Schools” a whole new meaning.

Mike Renney, the head coach of Canada’s softball team at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, is the head softball coach at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. This year Simon Fraser has started a Softball Academy at their university in partnership with their local school district whereby the participants (females, grades 8-12) attend SFU every other day for high performance softball training in lieu of their regular Physical Education classes. Thus, they get credit for PE as well as one other high school class.

According to Coach Renney, who has also been a clinician for the ISF, “While starting out with local athletes, we may very well explore expanding to offer spaces to international participants who may want to come to Canada for their schooling from grades 8-12.”

Simon Fraser University has produced Olympic softball athletes including – from this year’s team alone – Erin Cumpstone, Melanie Matthews, and Erin McLean.

Competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the varsity softball program at SFU was established in 1990 and under Coach Renney has gone on to amass one of the highest winning percentages in the NAIA to go with three national championship titles.