Foucault Prepares for First Visit to Israel

It’s a dream come true for Paul Foucault Jr, who in just over one month’s time will be travelling to Israel to compete in a sport that is in his blood.

In early July, Foucault, an Oshawa native will be heading to the other side of the world to compete in the Maccabi Games as part of Canadian team in fast-pitch softball. The Macabiah Games, known colloquially as the “Jewish Olympics,” are one of the largest sporting events in the world, and this year, the event’s 20th anniversary, more than 10,000 athletes and 22,000 fans from 80 countries are expected to converge in Israel from July 4 to 18.

“It’s really special. Growing up in a half-Jewish household, it was something that I knew about from a young age and it is something I’ve been working toward since I was a little boy playing the game,” Foucault says.

Arriving in Oshawa as a teenager, after first living in Scarborough and Whitby, Foucault would go on to play several years with both the Oshawa Heat of the Oshawa City and District Fastball League and the Durham Cardinals. However, he says he probably wouldn’t have gotten that far if it weren’t for his father, Paul Foucault Sr. Foucault Sr. also played the game and has amassed quite a few accolades in his career, including North American Fastball Association champion and, more recently, the International Softball Congress champion in the Legends Division in 2016.

“Growing up, going to the field and watching him play, it was a big inspiration for me,” Foucault says. “It’s the reason I play softball, to be honest.”

Now, Foucault, a third baseman and occasional pitcher, will be playing with a new team, but having been named earlier, the team has had lots of time to get acquainted with each other’s play.Similar to the Olympics, the Macabiah Games only occur once every four years, and having known for nearly three years that his name will be on the roster, Foucault has been working with the others on the team.

“I think it’s going to be good competitive ball,” he says. “I think we’re going to have a really good team, I think we’re a favourite going in.” However, with international competitors on the field, Foucault says it means a lot of unknowns going into the games. Canada will be facing clubs from France, Mexico, the United States, Cuba, Mexico and Israel. “A lot of the countries, I’ve never played against players from there, so I really don’t know what to expect never being there before,” Foucault says.

With that said, the 24-year-old is not worried about nerves when he steps out on the field. “I’ve played a lot of competitive ball so I’m pretty desensitized to that level of play,” he says. “I’d say I’m more excited than nervous.”

The trip will not only mark the first time Foucault has competed in the games, but also his first time in Israel. “It’s going to be really nice to see the country and get some games in while I’m there,” he says. Despite their size, Foucault says it’s unfortunate the Maccabi Games generally fly under the radar when it comes to sports in the area, admitting he’s happy to give the games the exposure they deserve.

“The games are so big, a lot of people have never heard of them around here because there’s not that big of a Jewish culture around Oshawa,” he says. Foucault will be a member of the open men’s team coached by Dan Berlin and managed by Morrie Frydberg. Canada will also have a women’s and master’s division team. The athletes are only a small portion of the approximately 600 Canadians making the trip in July.