When Kevin Schellenberg got the call to represent Canada at this year's WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Finals, it was as if his career had just risen from the ashes.
That might sound dramatic at first blush, but consider that Schellenberg is 44 years old. He'd already retired once in 2018, understanding that his best days were likely over and that he had two kids to raise. Being recruited to play for his nation once more, against the odds, felt like "making the team for the first time again.
"I think we're incredibly deep at all positions, and I definitely don't envy the coaching staff for having to choose this team," Schellenberg said. "We have a good mix of veterans and younger athletes, some playing for the senior national team for the first time. Our pitchers have won everything … so full confidence in our pitching staff as well as our offence. We all played at the highest level throughout the year, so no opposing pitcher is going to give us any surprises. We will be ready, although our pool is incredibly difficult."
The Canadians are sorted into Group A once the Finals begin this July in Prince Albert, Sask. They'll have to keep up with eighth-ranked New Zealand, fifth-ranked Venezuela and the No. 1 seed Argentinians to even grab a chance at a medal. Fortunately, they'll have Schellenberg's experience to lean on.
The Squamish native returned to action in 2023, where a respectable national title outing with the Sooke Loggers opened the door for him to join the Grande Prairie Pirates at last year's ISC World Tournament. He batted over .300 with two home runs, convincing Team Canada to give him another look.
Staying in the moment
Schellenberg brings obvious value to the unit as a cagey middle infielder who expects to line up mostly at second base, but he also brings intangibles like a winning pedigree. In 2015, the local athlete struck gold at the ISF World Championships in Saskatoon and followed it up with triumph in Toronto at the Pan-Am Games just a few weeks later.
"That was the most important month of my entire career because [the ISF Championship] was my first event back from the torn ACL in 2013," remarked Schellenberg. "It was the culmination of all the hard work, all the sacrifice I put in over the years, my fourth World Championship at the time … and then to go to the Pan Am Games was very special. Next to the Olympics, it's the biggest athletic competition in the world."
While in Toronto, Schellenberg got to mingle with his fair share of icons like Canadian Sports Hall of Famer Larry Walker and two-time Major League Baseball All-Star Carlos Delgado. He sometimes has difficulty believing he did, in fact, help Canada win a Pan-Am title, but recognizes the achievement moulded his entire career.
Something similar can be said for the dues he once paid in rehab. When your goal is representing your country and you want it badly enough, that can provide all the fuel needed to push yourself through the doldrums of nursing a catastrophic injury.
It's truly been a life of hitting and catching for Schellenberg, who grew up as a baseball player and transitioned full-time into fastpitch at 16 years old. This summer will be his final chance to wear the Maple Leaf on his chest at a major international event, and he intends to leave it all on the field.
"To stay in the moment—that's going to be my mindset," Schellenberg said. "You obviously can't dwell on what has happened. You have to be in the moment at all times in order to seize [the day]."
