Ryan Graham, Observer Reporter
Kyra Buchan of Quesnel has always had a passion for the sport of softball and now her talents are being recognized on the big stage. Buchan was named the recipient for the Premier’s Award for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sports for the northeast region in Prince George Nov. 3, 2016 and says she was very proud to be named the winner.
“It was definitely a high honour to receive,” Buchan said.
“It was kind of surreal and I didn’t believe it for a while.”
The award is given to an individual in recognition of their outstanding sport achievements and commitment and dedication to their education, culture, leadership and community. She adds her work as a coach was one of the contributing factors she was given the honour.
“I feel like my involvement with coaching the younger girls in softball was a big reason because I coached the under-12 team in Quesnel in the spring which was amazing,” Buchan said.
“It provided a lot of outlook and a reminder of all the things I learned in the past. It’s really awesome when you go to tournaments and see their progress.”
The formal ceremony for the Premier’s Award will be held at the Gathering Our Voices Aboriginal Youth Conference in Kelowna, March 21 to see who will receive the 12 provincial awards (six male and six female). Along with the Premier’s Award for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sports she has also been nominated for the Rising Star award of the Fan the Flame Awards, which recognizes both athletic accomplishment and contribution to sport through Engage Sport North. Buchan said she was very proud to be nominated for this award.
“That one is really exciting because some people that have been nominated for that award have gone really far in sports,” Buchan said.
Buchan says she’s always had interest in the sport from a young age.
“I was in elementary school when I started playing and my dad’s friend was coaching the softball team and they just decided to put me in one of the tryout’s,” Buchan said.
In the field she plays the position of first and third base and says it was a dream come true to play first.
“I really wanted to play first for the longest time and then one year my coach decided to put me there and then we realized I was kind of good,” Buchan said.
“There is a lot more action at first and you are involved in almost every single play.”
Buchan will also be playing on team BC for the under-19 team that will represent BC at the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto in July and says it’s amazing to represent B.C.
“It’s a huge honour and it shows the hard work that I have put in is paying off,” Buchan said.
“It was a great experience going in 2014 to see all the traditions, meeting new people and being able to play softball, so going again is great.”
She adds her experience from the 2014 tournament in Regina, Sask where the team won gold will help them a lot in the upcoming tournament in Toronto.
“I think if we keep up our consistency, work hard, respect the coaching decisions with everything that is going on and just enjoy it, we will do very well,” Buchan said.
“When I went in 2014 they had all of team B.C. in one hotel so everyday we usually had a practice or a game, but for the rest of the day we got to meet the other athletes in the lobby.”
“Our dining halls for meals were combined with other provinces and states, so we had a lot of opportunities to meet other people there.”
She says coming from the north is a big challenge to get noticed by the coaches and evaluators.
“We have to put in a lot more work coming from the north I would say because we are kind of underestimated,” Buchan said.
Buchan is just another example of the talented athletes that Quesnel has produced and is proud to show that you do not have to come from a big city to make it on the big stage.
