An up and coming baseball celebrity from St. John’s is boasting two honours as she heads into the upcoming Canada Video games in Niagara, Ont. — she’s carrying Newfoundland and Labrador’s flag into the opening ceremonies and she or he’s the first-ever girl to play on a males’s staff on the occasion. 

Jaida Lee, 16, is popping right into a family identify round baseball circles throughout the province and she’s no stranger to mixing it up in boys’ baseball divisions throughout her enjoying profession thus far.

In 2021 she pitched the one win for the Newfoundland and Labrador U-17 boys’ baseball staff at an Atlantic match in Dartmouth, N.S. She was the primary girl to say that honour. 

Now she’s making ready for the nationwide stage. 

“I really feel like while you’re underneath stress it issues extra. I am extra targeted and zoned in so I simply carry out higher,” Lee advised CBC Information on Friday. 

“It is thrilling. It feels good.”

Lee attributes her success thus far to easily enjoying loads of baseball. Every summer time up to now she performed with a number of ladies’ and boys’ groups. 

“Most individuals solely get round 20 video games however rising up I bought like 80 each summer time,” she stated. 

“It helps with improvement total. On high of that [you get] much more journeys.”

Down the road, Lee is hoping to interrupt into the nationwide Canadian baseball program — which she’s already skilled from enjoying with the prospect staff — and is looking forward to enjoying college ball. 

Carrying the flag, breaking limitations

Lee could not maintain again her smile when requested in regards to the honour of being named the province’s flag bearer on the opening ceremonies on Aug. 6. 

“I used to be undoubtedly excited. It is undoubtedly an honour,” she stated.

What’s extra, different younger ladies from throughout the nation are contacting Lee, seeing her as somebody breaking down limitations for girls within the sport.

“I’ve had some youthful ladies from round Canada message me, particularly because the flag bearer factor got here out, saying they purchased tickets to come back watch,” she stated. 

“I hope that they see that it will probably occur in the event that they try to be higher and proceed pushing and coaching.”

At dwelling she would not get a second look from gamers, coaches or dad and mom when she fits up in opposition to boys’ groups however, she stated, throughout journeys to different provinces it is one thing that also occurs.

“There’s undoubtedly a number of dad and mom who’re like ‘is {that a} lady?.’ Primarily within the discipline you do not hear something, however after I’m pitching you will hear within the dugout ‘is {that a} lady?’ or no matter,” she stated. 

“However after I really throw the ball — I do not know if I can say shut up — all of them shut up.” 

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