Another minor baseball season is on the horizon, marked by Sylvan Lake Minor Baseball Association’s annual general meeting and registration night at the multiplex last Wednesday.
President Darcy Glenn was pleased with turnout for both events. Although he hadn’t yet seen numbers, he believed this year will be a strong one for the association.
“We’re hoping to have one extra of our softball teams, and then we either have the same hardball as last year, or we might have one more,” he said. “It’s hard to tell until we go through and put everyone where they need to go.”
Another registration night will likely be held in coming weeks. Glenn is advising people to check the association’s website and community notices for updates.
The association’s board was also appointed during the meeting, and has a mixture of new and returning members.
“I think we have more new members, but we seem to have a small group that have been here for a long time, and we always have some that come and go,” said Glenn.
He added that several changes will be introduced this year, while others are being planned for the future.
All except one or two of the association’s teams will receive new uniforms.
In previous years, teams have worn similar uniforms to one another, whereas new ones this year will be individual to each team.
“Except from last year, the uniforms were pretty much all the same,” said Glenn. “This year, each team has their own colours.”
Glenn is concerned, however, with the town’s lack of ball diamonds, which he said makes scheduling games “a nightmare”.
“We’ve only got five diamonds and softball uses all the diamonds two nights of the week,” he said. “We’re pretty limited.”
Additional teams could make scheduling even more difficult, he added.
“You’ve got your home games, but then somehow you have to put practices in there, too.”
This year, there will likely be several teams in the categories of T-Ball, rookie, softball, mosquito and peewee, and one each in bantam and midget.
T-Ball and rookie have a mixture of both male and female players, while softball is strictly for girls Ñ although girls are able to play hardball, if they want to.
The season runs from the beginning of May until the end of June.
More information is available at www.sylvanlakeminorball.ca.
Joining Glenn on this year's board are Carla Hecht - vice president, Tammie Schwab - treasurer, Debbie MacDonald - registrar, Jodie Turner - secretary, Tom Schmitz - hardball co-ordinator, Andrea Ulseth - softball co-ordinator, Mandy Pollitt - T-Ball and 4-Pitch co-ordinator, Paula Tallon - equipment co-ordinator, Chris Levac - diamond co-ordinator, Tricia Schmitz - uniform co-ordinator, Jolene Frew - umpire co-ordinator, Dawn Burvill - fundraising co-ordinator, Lisa Dunlap - pictures, Annette Patey - parent liaison, and Sash Johannson - data base.