Northern Vision Care Youth Athlete of the Month: Brooklynn Munch

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — July’s Northern Vision Care Youth Athlete of the Month arrived home from Halifax after last week’s North American Indigenous Games with a bronze medal around her neck.

Brooklynn Munch and the rest of BC’s under-16 female softball team put up a record of 4-2 at the games. Unfortunately, the team could not actually compete in the bronze medal game due to the weather, so both teams competing received medals, which was the same for the teams in the gold medal game.

Despite not officially beating another team for third place, it shouldn’t take away from the well-earned medals, especially for Brooklynn, who eats, sleeps and breathes softball.

Baseball was a secondary sport for Brooklynn growing up, while she focused on dance. After finding and joining a team in Grande Prairie, along with participating in several camps, Brooklynn and her family realized she could go somewhere with the sport of softball.

Four months into playing softball in Alberta, the Saulteau First Nation member quit dance, realizing she couldn’t fully commit to both sports.

Brooklynn, who plays catcher, took off her second semester at North Peace Secondary School this year to compete for the under-17 Okanagan Elite softball team.

The 15-year-old was billeting in Salmon Arm in order to play for the team, meaning she was away from family and friends.

Although being away from her family was not easy, Brooklynn saw it as a learning opportunity.

“I just think about, like, you have to get through tough moments in your life to [get where you want to be].”

It also helped that she enjoyed her billet family and the team down south, and her family would travel down to watch her play in tournaments.

Pretty much every weekend since March has been dedicated to softball, whether it be games or practices, says Brooklynn.

The Fort St John product couldn’t describe anything specific about why she enjoys the sport because “it’s just like everything about it.”

One thing Brooklynn knows for sure is that she wants to play softball in college.

“I feel like it’s way more fun to play a sport in college than just going to school,” said Brooklynn.

Brooklynn doesn’t exactly know what her focus will be in college or where she wants to go, but she is doing everything she can to set her on a path to play softball at a post-secondary institution. She even has colleges already keeping their eyes on her.

“I’ll go anywhere as long as I get a good education. I’d rather go to a college where I get the most playing time I can other than a really good college where I’ll be sitting on the bench every season.”

Softball has allowed Brooklynn to take in many experiences she may not have had before playing, such as competing at the NAIG in Halifax and earning second place with the Okanagan Elite at the Canada Cup in Surrey earlier this month. Although, for Brooklynn, a great moment isn’t winning or where you placed, it’s about great plays — that don’t need to involve herself.

” [I] was watching the U19 softball teams play [at the NAIG], and the two teams were tied in the sixth inning. Then, one of the girls comes up and has a two-run home run. So, like, that was pretty cool.”

If anyone is wondering if Brooklynn has any hobbies outside of softball and school, she says she doesn’t. As was mentioned earlier, Brooklynn eats, sleeps, and breathes softball.

Congratulations to Brooklynn Munch for being named the Northern Vision Care Youth Athlete of the Month for July. Also, congratulations to Brooklynn’s teammate Jada Christine Brown, a Moberly Lake First Nation member, and all of the under-16 female softball players who represented BC at the NAIG for their bronze medal win.

If the athlete you nominated didn’t win this month, keep nominating! The votes carry over, so keep submitting your picks for the Northern Vision Care Youth Athlete of the Month!