Omaha's northern lights

When they learned their mother was an alien, Kylie Hovinga wasn't a happy 8-year-old. Five-year-old Karissa, on the other hand, thought it was funny.

The Hovingas had just watched a movie full of frightening aliens, so Kylie already was a little wound up. Her father, Curt, decided to have a little fun. He told the girls that their mother, Sherry, was an alien.

“I just started bawling, and my sister was just laughing at me,” Kylie said. “Later on my dad told me it was a joke, and then I felt stupid.”

But he wasn't lying. He was just leaving out some of the details, mainly that not all aliens are like those in the movies.

Sherry Hovinga grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and is still a Canadian citizen. She's had her green card and legal alien status for 21 years.

Because of that, the Hovinga sisters are able to embark on a softball journey that could have them representing Canada just as their mother did.

Kylie, a sophomore pitcher at Creighton, and Karissa, the junior ace of the Papillion-La Vista softball team, are headed to Victoria, British Columbia, on June 24 to try out for spots on two Canadian national softball teams.

By June 29 both Kylie and Karissa will have a much better idea of how much globetrotting they'll get to do, not only this year but in subsequent summer seasons.

Mom knows all about that. Sherry Hovinga played Junior A ball and seven seasons of senior ball until she moved to the Unites States.

“They knew softball was a passion for me, and it was my sport growing up,” Sherry said. “It was very exciting when they took the same passion I did, and now they have so many more opportunities and realize this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them.”

Harvey Stevenson, the director of the Canadian softball national teams, said Karissa will work with the senior national team before returning in early August to pitch for Canada in the world junior tournament in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

“I'll miss a few high school practices, and I know it will be a busy summer,” Karissa said. “But then I think about it and realize this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so it doesn't bother me that much.”

Kylie is vying for a spot on the senior national team that will play in the Canada Cup in Vancouver, B.C., and the U.S. World Cup in Oklahoma City before traveling to Maracay, Venezuela, for a world championship qualifying tournament in August.

Earning a spot in the rotation won't be easy. Names already on the lineup card are NCAA Division I player of the year Danielle Lawrie of national champion Washington and Nebraska senior-to-be Robin Mackin.

“We're in the market for two to three pitchers, and Kylie being a 6-foot left-hander is very interesting,” Stevenson said. “We're pretty high on her and we like what we've seen so far, and we like the fact she's left-handed.”

Six of the 22 teams in the Americas Region will qualify from the event to play in the 2010 world championships in Oklahoma City. Kylie hopes by then she's entrenched as a member of the Canadian senior team.

“It's a blessing to get this opportunity,” Kylie said. “It would stink if I didn't make the team, but just having the chance to try out for the Canadian team is great. I know it will help me become a better softball player in general.”

Stevenson discovered Kylie was a candidate for the team from Nebraska associate head coach Lori Sipple, who coached the Canadian senior national team through 2008. So Stevenson, who winters in Arizona, went to Tucson and watched Kylie pitch for the Bluejays against the University of Arizona.

Kylie admits that wasn't her best game — she gave up a home run that she says is “still traveling around the world.” But Stevenson still was impressed enough to give Kylie a shot at a roster spot.

At that Arizona game, Stevenson chatted with Curt Hovinga, who mentioned he had a younger daughter who also was a pretty good pitcher.

“We've got bird dogs all over the U.S., so I checked with some of them and found out Karissa really is one of the best young pitchers in the Midwest,” Stevenson said. “We're only bringing in four junior kids from the U.S. to work with the senior team.”

Stevenson said both sisters are being looked at not only for the '09 national teams but for future Canadian squads over the next several seasons. Karissa is a strong candidate for Canada's 2011 World Junior Championships team in Cape Town, South Africa, and Kylie, who turned 19 this month, also is a long-term prospect.

“The average age of players on our senior national teams is 22.5,” Stevenson said. “If not this year, certainly in the near future Kylie would have a good shot at making our team. She may have a shot this year, but that depends on how many pitchers we'll put on the roster.”

For Karissa, the toughest part might be going back to a pitching rubber that's 40 feet from home plate instead of 43 feet, the distance in international competition.

“It should be interesting to see how high school is after this,” Karissa said. “I've already played in a few tournaments at 43 feet, and it's harder because hitters can see the ball longer. It will be a weird adjustment, but hopefully it works out.”

Karissa knows she'll be in camp with some of the world's best softball players later this month, but she's not intimidated by the challenge.

“If anything it's more of a nervous excitement,” Karissa said. “I think it will make me better because I will want to try harder in front of these older college girls. I'm really excited to meet the Washington pitcher (Lawrie). I'm just thinking of what I would even say to her, and now I get a chance to learn from her.”

Contact the writer:

444-1201, sports@owh.com

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