Anna Forbes a force on the diamond will be U of Calgary’s new gem on the mound
“Throw fast Anna! Throw hard as you can Anna!” Those are the words that Anna Forbes who has recently signed with the University of Calgary women’s softball team attributes her lightning speed pitches to; and those words were from her dad Corey Forbes. The 18 year-old smiled as she commented, “it was great advice, I could throw really fast at a young age, but there was no telling where they were landing!” Although she was chuckling she was very serious when she explained that that training gave her an edge as a pitcher. “Once I got my speed up, my dad taught me how to be accurate; I really feel this was the best advice I’ve ever received as a pitcher; my dad is my biggest mentor,” she said sincerely.
An all round athlete Anna plays all high-school sports, but her heart is on the mound where she can wind up and let it rip. Due to the type of throw (much easier on the rotator cuff) in ladies ball there are no limits to the number pitches in a game and Anna has thrown a lot; often all nine innings. She has often pitched every day for a couple weeks at a time. “One of the only clinic’s I went to taught us how to take care of our shoulder,” she expounded.
Baseball has been a huge part of Anna’s life; she started on the field as most children do at a young age, she then played in the minor league with the Canucks and has been a part of the AAA Magic Fastball team out of Brandon since the ninth grade. She and team Magic travelled to Quebec for the Nationals the first year she joined the team. “That was so exciting we were ranked 2nd in the province going into the Provincials and ended up winning. We finished the Nationals in 10th place. It was so good to go there and to know that this is possible,” she said thoughtfully.
Along with the moments of celebration there were disappointments as well and last season was upsetting as Magic didn’t make it to the Nationals after being rated 1st place going into the Provincials. “Provincials were so funky last year; we could play a game where winning or losing could result in us being in 2nd place or 5th place. It wasn’t just Magic that experienced this upset it was all the teams.” Magic then went on to Winkler taking part in the Western’s where they took 1st place and a tight game against Smitty’s Terminators 12-4 for the Gold, however the road there was not easy and the team fought hard to win their way to the finals.
Being a part of the Canadian Summer Games representing Manitoba is Anna’s current goal and she is in the tryout stages right now. The tryouts started with 80 and have since been cut down to 40; Anna is still in the game. “It is really tough competition from 40 they cut down to 24 then down to 15. There are some really good pitchers trying out, it’s pretty stiff competition.”
Much as Anna loves ball she has always put academics first and foremost which is why when approached by a few US Universities she didn’t give them consideration. “I love ball but I have to prioritize my education; my goal is to be a lawyer (right now I’m intrigued with family law) and if I took law in the US I would have to take additional courses to practice in Canada.”
It was when Anna googled Canadian university softball teams that she saw Calgary on the list. It didn’t take her long to reach out to the coach who then requested a video of her throwing. Following a conversation with her coaches Joel Charles of Virden and Faron Asham of Brandon, Anna and her mom Leanne Gates Forbes were on their way to Calgary. “I loved the city and the campus; I know a few people there as well so it really is the perfect for me.”
Another of her mentors is her Magic coach Joel Charles and he thinks very highly of her as well. “Anna is a very strong athletic competitor, has a great work ethic, and is a very team oriented player, she handles herself very well on and off the diamond which will be an asset moving into post secondary softball. In discussion with Coach Harlos in Calgary was something important to his program. During the Western Canadian Finals Anna was given the ball and in that pressure cooker situation, stayed focused and composed. She pitched us to a championship, two attributes that will carry her far not only in sport but in life. I’m really looking forward to watching her at the U of C and continue developing as an athlete and as a strong citizen,” said Coach Joel.
Giving back is a reason that Anna began volunteering as a mentor to young pitchers working on skill development. This one on one training became pretty popular and Anna was quickly requested by a number of athletes to hone in on their skills as well. “It got to be a little much to do one on one so I enlisted the help of Sophia Anderson (also of Glenboro who committed to the Manitoba Bisons last year). We have run a few coaching clinics in Glenboro and Carberry during the summer months and will continue to do so this summer.”
Anna has a busy summer ahead and she commented on how it the timing is blending so well. She finishes with the U19 Magic in mid July and starts training in Calgary at the beginning of August. Although she will be pitching everyday for two weeks she will have some off time to take care of her shoulder.
As for her future; she is looking forward to exploring a new city Anna Forbes a force on the diamond will be U of Calgary’s new gem on the mound as well as many new and exciting experiences. “It will be entirely different but I am really excited. I am so grateful for the skills I have learned and the connections I’ve made with people from all over the province and am now looking forward to more connections with even more!”
PHOTO CAPTION: Anna Forbes will be continuing her softball career at the University of Calgary. PHOTO SUBMITTED
