1974 Provinical Bantam Softball Champions

The year 1974 was eventful: there was the epic flood on the Grand and Speed Rivers; and that was the year the Preston Auditorum burned to the ground.

But it was also the year of the Preston Flyers, who captured the bantam girls championship in the Preston Wo- mens Softball Union, and then went on to win all-Ontario honours.

The team comprised girls 13-14 years old. In 1973 they made it to the provincials but lost out in the finals to Sarnia 3-2.

In their final round in 1974 they defeated Keswick in a best two-of-three series.

That year they won it all, having competed in the Grand Valley League comprising six girls teams including Galt, Guelph, Kitchener and Waterloo.

“They were pretty enthusiastic and they listened,” said coach Mel Aucoin. “They were very coachable.”

In the early days the club lacked confidence in their abil- ity to compete against the best teams but with encouragement from Aucoin and the coaching staff, they learned to believe in themselves.

Aucoin entered the team in the Can-Amera Games in 1973 and playing against 15-year-olds, “they cleaned up.”