Catcher shrugs off scary hand injury
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/07/2019 (2612 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Being a catcher is dangerous work, and Lexie Nelson has the scar on her left hand to prove it.
The Carman teen suffered a deep gash a few weeks ago in collision at home plate during a softball tournament south of the border, but is all healed up with two weeks to spare before the start of the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games (WCSG).
While metal cleats are prohibited in youth softball in Manitoba, no such rule exists in Minnesota. And the girl bearing down on her from third base slid in hard.
“I was down in Mankato in a softball tournament and I went down to make a tag at home and girl’s cleats came up and caught me right between the knuckles,” Nelson said Wednesday.
Initially, the gruesome injury left her shaken and unsure if she’d be able to compete for Team ’Toba in Swift Current next month.
“I almost puked because I saw all the fat coming out of it. I couldn’t look. It was gross. Not much pain because I think I was in shock,” she said. “I got seven stitches.
“I was scared that it wouldn’t heal by (the start of the Games), but the doctors were really reassuring. We had our provincials this past weekend and I wasn’t fully healed so I didn’t play as much as I could have (for Central Energy). But I’m totally fine now.”
Four years ago, Manitoba placed third at the WCSG in the Wood Buffalo, Alta., region (centred in Fort McMurray) with 144 medals, behind British Columbia (280) and Alberta (226). Saskatchewan had 127, Yukon had a pair while Northwest Territories and Nunavut did not hit the podium.
Nelson, donning the new Manitoba digs from Mondetta, said she’s over the moon to be among the province’s 300 athletes looking to up that medal total.
“I’ve dreamed of this for so long to play at this level, it’s crazy,” she said.
Michael Resler, meanwhile, was a late addition to the Manitoba boys soccer squad and can’t wait to make the trip west to Swift Current.
“The tryouts were, like, two months ago and we got phone calls. I didn’t make it at first, I got put on the reserve team. But one of the other players had to come off the team and I put in a lot of hard work and got put on the team. It’s been a bumpy road to success,” said Resler, a left fullback.
“I’m so proud of myself for doing this and so proud for the whole Team Manitoba, and just very happy to be wearing this uniform and playing for my province.”
jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @WFPJasonBell