On spring and summer days, 17 year old Grade Twelve Vanier Collegiate’s Haily Molde is happily busy striking out batters as a pitcher with the Moose Jaw Ice.
Molde is part of the Moose Jaw and District Girls Fastball League that has exploded in recent years.
Whether it’s as a pitching phenom or as an outfielder with a powerful arm she has made her mark.
But coming this fall Molde is hoping to ignite fastball south of the border. She has been recruited and selected to play Division Two fastball for Bismarck State College (BSC).
“It’s exciting. I’m a little nervous to leave as I’m a bit of a home body but I will get to go and experience what it’s like in the States and stuff,” Molde said.
Molde is the recipient of a partial Division 2 fastball scholarship.
The scholarship covers food and housing and half of the tuition. She is responsible for the remainder.
While at (BSC) she is going to be taking criminal Justice with her ultimate plans being to return to Canada and become a police officer.
“I really am excited to go and see what it’s like living down in the States.”
BSC’s relatively closeness geographically was a big selling point for Molde as her parents helped her to explore scholarship opportunities south of the border.
“My dad said he is going to try and drive up there for every tournament but I don’t know how that will go,” Molde said.
“I’m really excited I got this opportunity.”
It’s an opportunity Molde said they had to open the door to because girls’ fastball coaches only come out to look at potential players on a limited basis.
In regards to the quality of girls fastball that attracted college coaches to recruit in Canada, Molde said it was more of a matching of skills.
“Throughout Canada and the United States it’s not different ball but it is different skill levels. I think some of the coaches from the States find somebody at the skill level they are looking for and sometimes they’ll bring in someone super far (away) in Canada…if they have the skills they are looking for.”
Moose Jaw’s highly active girls fastball community is a great breeding ground to develop talent. Talent which catches post secondary coaches’ eyes, she said. Participation wise, the Moose Jaw girls fastball league is one of the largest sports leagues in the area.
“If they’re interested they’ll reach out to you,” Molde said.
“I’m really thankful to all of my coaches because they helped me become the player I am.”
Her dad’s help was instrumental in landing the scholarship at BSC.
“I’m also thankful for my dad reaching out to colleges. He just found the colleges that are right for us,” she said. “It just happened to be Bismarck.”
Molde said that her family and coaches were probably the biggest asset she had to help her get the scholarship.
“I think support from my family was the biggest thing, also my coaches. I struggled with a lack of confidence a lot growing up. I use to get really nervous and stuff but my coaches would say you’re fine,” she said. “They just pushed me to where I am now. And they showed me all of the good stuff to play in the US.”
Winter is not a time off as the training moves indoors. Training is done in a small designated space at the Golden Ticket Centre.
Molde is also part of a travel team which travels to the States to play in the winter.
Playing with the Ice, Molde is a pitcher who sometimes patrols the outfield.
At Vanier Collegiate, Molde was part of the Spirits senior girls volleyball team. The team which came in third place in provincial competition.
She is a member of the Thunder Creek Volleyball Club program, once called the Moose Jaw High School Athletics Association.
Molde has gone twice to play fastball in California.
She said the move to Bismarck makes her a bit nervous but she feels she should be OK.
“It’s just different being on my own and stuff but I should be OK.”
