As her memorable pre-holiday stretch in the Sunshine State came to a close, a cherry-on-top exchange still awaited Sydney Teague.
“So you’re the Canadian,” offered U.S. softball star and Olympic champion Cat Osterman, greeting the 16-year-old Miltonian with equal parts warmth and respect.
While a model of composure throughout the HPP High Performance Camp at Florida’s Vero Beach, meeting one of the game’s legends put a brief pause on Sydney’s grounded demeanour.
“I said ‘I literally have your poster on my wall, what do you mean you know who I am?” recalled the awe-struck local teen. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
Of course Sydney’s name is becoming a familiar one among top-tier scouts and coaches. And a standout performance at the mid-December camp served only to boost her stock.
Now working with Blue Jays hitting coach Jaime Lever – along with a personal trainer and sprinting coach – the Craig Kielburger Secondary School 11th grader was the lone international exchange athlete invited to the four-day showcase.
That's courtesy of her dual citizenship and play with the Great Britain U18 national team, including this past summer’s World Stage A tournament in Sao Paula.
Fully healed now from a right thumb ligament injury that sidelined her for much of this season’s nationals with the Brampton Blazers, Sydney was an offensive force in Florida – finishing tied for first in batting average (.750%) and putting together an .875 on-base percentage that topped the overall ranks.
With a perfect contact rate, she ended up tied for fifth in slugging percentage (1,000) and was flawless in the field covering first and third.
Sydney attributes her efforts to the mental fortitude she’s acquired from Lever, and a string of high-end competitions over the past couple of years.
“It (mental game) comes into play a lot, especially in those big games and situations,” said Sydney, who’s starting to become a sought-after mentor for local softball youngsters. “Just having that extra support… it feels good to know she (Lever) has that confidence in me.”
Looking ahead to a career in psychology, Sydney has now entered the discussion phase of U.S. school recruitment and will be visiting a number of campuses and taking part in weekend camps throughout the winter.