A thirteen-year-old, multi-sport athlete from Steinbach says one of the coolest things about qualifying for two events at the Power Smart Manitoba Summer Games next month, is that he will get to hang out with his friends for an entire week. That is how Dawson Loewen describes the team experience for both golf and volleyball as an Eastman athlete.

(Dawson Loewen as a three-year-old)Loewen will be competing in golf in Phase 1 of the Games and volleyball in Phase 2. And he already knows the added bonus of playing two sports.

"You can be part of opening ceremonies and the closing ceremony," he says. "That's pretty cool."

Loewen says with golf, it was love at first sight. Though he doesn't remember the first round he ever shot, he does have a photograph of himself hitting golf balls as a three-year-old. Loewen says his family had a pass at Ridgewood South Golf Course when he was really young and so he golfed quite regularly.

Loewen says his strengths are his wedge game and his driving, being able to hit the ball between 230 and 240 yards.

He says it was last summer that Coach Brian Guenther suggested he try out for the Eastman team. To qualify, Loewen had to play two rounds of 18 holes and be one of the top four golfers. Loewen came out second, finishing two strokes behind a fellow competitor who 

(Dawson Loewen after winning Club Championship)actually competed at the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at Augusta. He says learning he had qualified was special.

"I was pretty excited because golf is my favourite sport," he says. "And I made that."

For Loewen, competitive golf is nothing new. The last three years he has won the Club Championship at Steinbach Fly-In. Right now he is golfing up to four times per week, plus hitting the driving range, all in an effort to play consistent golf and meet his goal of shooting in the 70's at the Games. Loewen says he doesn't know where a score in the 70's might rank him.

As for volleyball, Loewen says he played for Stonybrook Middle School before joining the Providence Pilots. That club team won provincials this last year and then went on to take home the silver medal at nationals.

Loewen will be setter for the Eastman team and says his service game is certainly a strength of his.

He adds, learning he had qualified for the volleyball team at the Summer Games was exhilarating.

" I was pretty excited," he says. "Because I could play my two favourite sports in the Summer Games."

On top of his busy golf schedule, Loewen is practicing volleyball twice a week, plus playing some weekend tournaments.

The Power Smart Manitoba Summer Games take place August 7th to 13th in Steinbach.