CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — A young baseball lover got a first-hand experience at what it takes to play his favourite sport last weekend.
Evan Smith, 6, originally from England, moved to Charlottetown three weeks ago after travelling the world with his family.
As a way to integrate into the community, his mom, Victoria, contacted the Grant Thornton Tigers Kings County Baseball League team asking for a schedule to see a game.
Team pitcher Tyler Johnston did them one better and invited Evan to practise with the team prior to its home-opener on May 19 at Memorial Field in Charlottetown.
“I loved the hitting and the throwing and the running and the catching,” said Evan, after the practice. “(Tyler) told me I’m an awesome thrower and catcher. (It makes me) really happy and proud of myself.”
Evan’s love of baseball was one of the many reasons the family chose to move to Canada.
They left their home in England in January and travelled to the United States, New Zealand, Hong Kong and more.
While in Australia the family decided to take their chance in moving to the Great White North, despite never being in Canada before.
“Before we came, people would say to me the people of Prince Edward Island are really friendly, you don’t find friendlier people than the Islanders,” said Evan’s mom, Victoria.
So far, that has proven to be true for the Smiths.
“The people here are so friendly, and there’s such a community around baseball. I contacted Tyler for a schedule, and he invited Evan to practice and you don’t get that kind of thing in England.”
-Victoria Smith
“The people here are so friendly, and there’s such a community around baseball,” she said. “I contacted Tyler for a schedule, and he invited Evan to practice and you don’t get that kind of thing in England.”
It was during a trip to Indiana in the United States when he was three that Evan fell in love with baseball. He attended a South Bend Cubs game, which is the Chicago Cubs affiliate team.
They’ve been his favourite team ever since.
There are no little league baseball teams in England so Victoria and Stuart started one for their son on their own, but he never learned how to play officially.
“There aren’t many team sports there at all,” said Stuart, Evan’s dad. “It’s kind of soccer or nothing.”
Evan has just signed on to play with the Sherwood Mosquitos team this summer where he’ll get to use some of the tips and tricks given to him by the Grant Thornton Tigers.
Johnston said Evan was already catching on to the sport fast.
“He was fantastic,” said Johnston. “There’s a lot of promise. It’s fun to see a kid with that kind of talent get into it.”
Evan vowed he will get behind the KCBL team that helped give him his start.
“The coach that I was training with, that’s the team I’m going to support,” he said.
