Back for a second round of slowpitch competition, Langley firefighters are heading to New York for the World Police and Fire Games.
Langley Township firefighter Bruce Farquhar says that after participating in a successful games in Metro- Vancouver in 2009, the team knew they had to go again.
“The people that were a part of it here had the most amazing experience,” he said.
“The camaraderie between the firefighters and the police and everything was amazing, and so was being able to talk to other people from around the world.”
The team is comprised of 12 Langley Township firefighters, one from Langley City, one from the District of North Vancouver and one from the City of Vancouver.
The World Police and Fire Games is an international sporting event held every two years. This year’s host, New York City, is organizing tournaments in 69 different categories.
“Believe it or not slowpitch is quite hard on the body,” Farquhar said.
“Last year we played nine games in five days. By the end of it there were a lot of us really sore and hurting.”
Placed in the “C” division last time, the team made it to the semi-finals and brought home the bronze medal, even with many of the players new to slowpitch.
For practice they joined a men’s league, and have continued with that for three years. This year’s team now has much more experience under their belts.
“It’s fun but at the same time it is all preparation for New York,” Farquhar said.
One of the neatest experiences he remembers from 2009 is exchanging jerseys with other departments and teams from around the world.
“It’s kind of neat,” he said.
“It’s like what you see professional players do in soccer and so on. We do it for memory’s sake and to show respect to the other teams.”
More than anything the team is going to New York to enjoy the experience.
“I would say the number one thing is visiting Ground Zero,” Farquhar said.
“That’s the biggest draw. It’s a chance to pay our respects, and especially on the 10th anniversary.”
Farguhar gives kudos to team captain Mike Dougherty and their managment for organizing the team and sending support.
“Mike’s put a lot of time into this. It takes a lot of organizing. It’s easier to organize kids than adults,” he joked.