X MENU
Institucional
A group of children from this modern sports venue’s neighborhood were filled with joy and excitement for having the chance to participate in a softball master class at the new Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. Softball will be one of the competition sports that will be included in the Pan American Games.
Father Juan Febrero from the San José de Nazaret church gathered local children to participate in this sports class, which was led by the Peruvian U12 and U15 softball teams. This class was promoted by the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee.
The Peruvian national team members shared the batting techniques, how to catch the ball, and the sport’s rules on the newly built softball field. Then, they trained together making it a wonderful experience.
“We are looking to teach values through sports and this a reason for the kids to be very excited and happy. It’s a kind of a reward for all the years they’ve been practicing,” stated Father Juan, who accompanied the children since early morning.
Wendoly Santacruz, 13, plays softball from the age of nine, and surprised many people with the enthusiasm she showed while batting. “It was a great experience because softball is my game, my life and my passion, and I would give everything to play for a team,” she said.
Matías Córdova, 11, had already played this sport and took the opportunity to improve his batting and enjoy the training. “It’s amazing to see kids my age that can hit so hard. For me, this sport is an art, and it requires responsibility and support. Sometimes you may fall, but you clean yourself off, get up and move on,” he added.
Constanza Tenya, a member of the Peruvian national team, said she enjoyed this master class because “you can give children new information, and these activities can be of great help to us, as there may be people who are talented.”
Vanessa Endo, president of the Peruvian Softball Federation, was excited about the moment the children were able to share with the national team. “The thing I’m most proud of is to see our national team members as ambassadors of the sport,” she stated.
“I’ve seen many talented athletes, and I hope there are always these types of activities. For us, spreading the sport is very important,” concluded Endo.
Softball will be held at the Villa María del Triunfo Sports Center. The men’s competition will take place from July 25 to August 1, while the women’s competition will be held from August 4 to 10.
