A high turnout at Sylvan Lake Slo-pitch League’s annual general meeting last Monday indicated a strong interest in the league, as organizers gear up for the start of another season.
About 20 teams were at the community centre to find out what’s in store for the new season.
“Some of them are just trying to get into the league, but most of them were returning teams,” said former league president Doug Smyth. “We always take the returning teams first, and then if we still have space, we’ll allow the new teams to come in.”
There’s space for just 16 teams in the league, which holds its games Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning May 5.
According to Smyth, its popularity has grown steadily in recent years.
“It just seems to get busier and busier,” he said.
Part of its allure, he added, lies in its ability to provide fun for a wide variety of people.
“We’ve always tried to set up the league to be fun and social,” he said.
It’s open to anybody over the age of 18, although underage players are allowed to play with written consent from a parent or guardian.
There won’t be many changes made to the league this year, according to Smyth.
Organizers, however, have scheduled another meeting to discuss plans for double headers.
“There are teams that want to go through with these double headers, and most of the teams don’t want to do that,” said Smyth. “We didn’t plan anything towards the double headers or anything like that, so we gave ourselves another two weeks.
“We’re going to do a vote on it. By then, we’ll know all the figures.”
The season runs until early August, when it wraps up with a year-end tournament.
More information is available on the Sylvan Lake Slo-pitch League Facebook page.