OXBOW — Raivyn Millions was living with her mom and younger brother in Hirsch.
She loved sports, especially figure skating and soccer. Softball was not on her radar. But then her mom Jolene met Chris from Oxbow.
Their family moved to be with Chris and at the age of 11, Raivyn discovered the world of softball. She still enjoyed figure skating and eventually volleyball but her greatest passion increasingly became softball. Chris tirelessly helped her develop in that passion.
Her skills garnered attention. She successfully tried out for a team called the 222’s. As an outfielder, she travelled throughout Western Canada and the United States, playing in Las Vegas, Florida, Georgia and California. At a tournament in California, her team enjoyed its greatest success, finishing second.
Recently, she competed for Team Saskatchewan at the Canada Cup in Surrey, B.C. Teams from all over the world took part, including Olympic teams. Although Millions didn’t play at the top level, she did have the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best softball players in the world and faced international competition, playing teams from the States and Australia.
For the last couple of months, to prepare and train for that tournament, she lived in Saskatoon. Being in Grade 12, finishing well in her schooling was important. She took a few courses online and attended a Saskatoon school.
That didn’t prevent her from excelling scholastically. She proved that she was more than just an excellent ballplayer by finishing her high schooling with an average mark above 99 per cent. She was one of five Oxbow students that were considered for class valedictorian.
She has made some great friends playing ball, including Koda Morris and Ainsley Hinz from Saskatoon and Tobi Topp from Lloydminster. Millions suspects that these friendships will last a lifetime.
But softball has been good for another reason. The coach from Spoon River College in Canton, Ill., offered her a two-year scholarship. She accepted and will begin studies there in the fall, focusing on general health science. She’s hoping that her academic and ballplaying skills will gain the attention of other schools that will lead to further scholarships.
Millions graduated on June 29. Approximately $100,000 worth of scholarships were handed out and she was awarded about one-third of that. It is possible to excel in sports and academics at the same time.
Graduation was a bittersweet experience for Millions. Thrilled to be finished high school and enter the next phase of life, memories of her good friend Carter Dietz were brought to the surface again. Dietz passed away late last fall very suddenly and unexpectedly as a result of mental health issues. In spite of everything that Millions gained on the night of her graduation, she felt what she had lost very deeply.
She will continue playing for the Saskatoon Selects this summer, competing in the provincials and hopefully nationals. Then it will be off to Spoon River College to play for the Snappers.
Millions is a bright young lady who has a very bright future.
