Softball Canada is in the process of developing a strategic plan for the 2015-2018 period. As part of an extensive consultation process, we really need your feedback on various Softball Canada programs and on the initial work done on the new strategic plan. Your input is highly valued.

Below you will find links to English and French versions of our Strategic Plan survey.



ENGLISH: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K522NKC

FRENCH: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3R25JSB

The 50/50 prize draw from Saturday at the U14 A/Sr. B Women Provincials has not been claimed.

The winning number is 816610.

If you have the winning ticket please contact Bruce Luebke at 204-721-0242 to claim your prize.

The Minor Division of Softball Manitoba is looking for a volunteer to be the Bingo Chairperson.

The Bingo Chairperson is required to attend every fourth bingo as the Minor Bingo Chair. This position would be more suitable to someone living in Winnipeg.

If you are interested in volunteering for this position please call: Renee Danchuk at 204-226-5749 and she will advise the details of this position.

Thank you,

Renee Danchuk
Ken Stewart
Robert Goertzen

Minor Directors
Softball Manitoba

Home Run Sports Training Centre U12 & U14 Softball Camp

Home Run Sports Training Centre is hosting a Summer Softball Camp for U12 & U14 softball players.

Mondays and Wednesdays - 5 Sessions (August 6th - August 20th).

It's a great way to get some extra instruction and repetition heading into try-outs.

• Hitting

• Fielding

• Throwing Mechanics

The 2015 Western Canada Summer Games are being held in Wood Buffalo Alberta August 7-16, 2015.

Check out Team Toba's Blog to see Coach Haylee working hard to choose Manitoba's team.http://teamtobasoftball.blogspot.ca/

You can follow the team on Instagram @ toba_softball

Location: Riel Park, St. Vital

Dates: August 9, 16, 23, 30. September 6, 13, 20, 27.

Session 1: 9:00 am - 10:00 am - maximum number for this session - 12 (Session is Full)
This session is dedicated to players who are fairly new to pitching instruction

Session 2: 10:00 am - 11:00 am - Maximum number for this session - 12 (Session is Full)

Session 3: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Maximum number for this session - 12 (Session is Full)

Cost: $150.00 per participant (A parent catcher is required at each session)

To register contact Greg at bouch18@mymts.net and include your child's birthdate and full name.

The 2015 Western Canada Summer Games Softball Event will be held in the Wood Buffalo Community of Fort McMurray, Alberta from August 11-15, 2015.

Softball Manitoba is holding a High Performance Development Camp June 21-22, 2014 at the John Blumberg Softball Complex. During this weekend we will be evaluating and identifying players for the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games Softball Team. Athlete Eligibility includes Females born in 1997, 1998, 1999 & 2000.

Please complete the Registration Form and submit the form and registration fee to our Office by Friday, June 13, 2014. If you cannot attend but would still like to be considered for the 2015 Program we would request that you still send in your registration form and payment by June 13th. If you have questions about tryout conflicts please email Haylee O'Neill. Late Application Forms and Fees will not be accepted.

These tryouts are intended for those athletes who are committed to playing softball at an elite level. The 2015 U18 team is a High Performance team that will train throughout the year leading up to the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games. For your planning purposes there will also be training/evaluation camps held on August 16-17and 23-24 as well as September 13-14 and 20-21 for those athletes who are part of the top 30 athlete pool.

Good Luck to all!

Any questions regarding the tryouts may be directed to Haylee O'Neill at honeill@live.ca.

If you have any questions regarding the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games Program please contact Don Klym at donklym@mts.net

Softball Manitoba is pleased to announce the Coaching Staff representing Team Toba at the 2015 Games:

Head Coach - Haylee O’Neill, Oakville MB
Manager - Val Pelleck, Winnipeg MB
Assistant Coach - Niki Little, Winnipeg MB
Assistant Coach - Stephanie Kababie, Winnipeg MB
Assistant Coach - Tara Nykoluk, Winnipeg MB

Haylee O’Neill - Haylee returns from the 2013 Canada Summer Games Program, where as Head Coach directed Team Toba to its highest finish ever with a 9-2 record and a Silver Medal. National and Provincial recognition followed including being named the 2013 Softball Canada Home Run Sports Coach of The Year, Softball Manitoba Coach of the Year, Global Winnipeg’s August-2013 Coach of the Month and Sport Manitoba’s-Coaching Manitoba’s IMPACT Female Coach of the Year.

Haylee’s other work with Softball Manitoba includes Master Learning Facilitator responsible for the NCCP Coach Education Program in our Province, along with training and preparing our other Coach Clinic Instructors as well as training and preparing our Junior Clinicians for Inner City programs and other Athlete Development opportunities. She has graduated from Simon Fraser University and Providence University College with an M.A. in Psychology and currently is a Coach with Softball Canada’s National Team. She was a member of the Women's National Team Player Pool from 2003 to 2005 and participated in the 2001 Canada Summer Games as a player.

Val Pelleck – Val also returns from the 2013 Canada Summer Games Program as the 2015 Team Toba Manager responsible for the Club’s Finances as well as on and off field planning. Added to all of this is her work as the Team’s Blog Master – stay tuned on our website as she hopes to have this up and running for the 2015 Program very shortly. Val’s Softball Games experience also includes the 2001 Games as a player. She has also participated in several Westerns and Canadian Championships as a Player and Official. She recently attained her Level IV Officiating status and works as an Instructor at the University of Winnipeg in the Faculty of Kinesiology.

Niki Little – Niki is the 3rd returnee from what was an excellent Coach-Management crew with the 2013 Program. Niki participated in the 2001 Games as a player as well and also participated as a player and coach in several Western and Canadian Championships. Her main focus was working with the outfielders in 2013 as our Apprenticeship Coach. Softball Manitoba will benefit from this as she builds on that role for the 2015 Program.

Stephanie Kababie – Stephanie Kababie – Stephanie played 2 years at Three Rivers Junior College and is a graduate from Columbia College (Missouri) where she played an additional 3 years. She has worked as a Skills Instructor and CANpitch clinican with Softball Manitoba these past few years and was a player with Team Toba in 1999. Steph has also participated in Western and Canadian Championships and even more impressively – played on the National Guatemalan team in the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Tara Nykoluk – Tara was an outstanding leader on the 2013 Games squad as one of the 3 captains named to direct the club providing great player to player guidance. Additional experience within Softball Manitoba’s High Performance Program includes the 2007 Manitoba Games, the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games and the 2009 Canada Summer Games – all as an athlete. Tara played Softball at Galveston College and also attended the University of Manitoba. she has also competed in countless Western and Canadian Championships and works with Softball Manitoba as a Junior Clinician.

Softball Canada is extremely pleased to announce a new and exciting partnership with Tim Hortons as the new title sponsor of the Tim Hortons Learn to Play Program. Under the terms of the new four-year agreement, Tim Hortons will help Softball Canada grow the program throughout the country.

“Our Learn to Play Program is an exceptional program to give young athletes their first experience with the sport of softball in a relaxed and fun-filled environment” said Softball Canada President Kevin Quinn. “The program’s manual allows first time coaches and educators to feel comfortable they have the tools needed to teach young athletes about our sport. We would like to thank Tim Hortons for their assistance as the title sponsor of this fantastic program and we look forward to working with them to help increase participation at the grassroots level.”

Originally launched in 2004, the Tim Hortons Learn to Play Program is a revolutionary way of introducing the sport of softball to children aged five to ten years old which falls in the Active Start and FUNdamentals stages of Softball Canada’s Long Term Player Development Model. The program includes activities that foster the involvement of ALL players as they experience excitement, enjoyment and success. Activities and lead-up games are patterned after informal playground games that promise FUN and LOTS OF ACTION.

In addition to introducing the sport of softball to children, the Tim Hortons Learn to Play Program is designed to be easily administered. The Learn to Play Manual is designed to be easily implemented by a volunteer coach and contains lesson plans, easy to follow instructions, a letter to parents about the program, progressions for teaching basic skills, and lead up games.

“Tim Hortons is very proud to introduce the Tim Hortons Learn to Play partnership with Softball Canada,” explains Rob Forbes, Senior Director Marketing and National Sponsorships. “It is our hope that through this program even more children will have the opportunity to come out and have some fun, learn a new sport, and make some new friends. We believe that community programs such as this help create a foundation for a life-long appreciation of the benefits of team work and sportsmanship.”

-SC-

For more information, please contact:

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca

Michelle Robichaud
Manager – Public Relations
Tim Hortons
(905) 339-5047
robichaud_michelle@timhortons.com

All athletes who make the final roster for the Senior Women’s National Team are eligible to receive Athlete Assistance funding through Sport Canada
• Regional Camp Registration: $100.00
• Registration Deadline: May 9, 2014

For athletes travelling from out of province to attend a regional camp who are looking for reasonable accommodations we recommend the following:
Sheridan College http://www.stayrcc.com
Breakaway Motel http://www.breakawaymotel.com
Ramada http://www.ramada.com

This Bursary is to be presented annually by Softball Manitoba to a student/athlete who exhibits exemplary sportsmanship and dedication to Softball. The deadline to apply is August 1st.

Softball Manitoba offers two bursaries - Softball Manitoba Bursary and the Eugene Michalow Memorial Bursary. The deadline to apply is August 1st.

Softball Canada offers the Ethel Boyce Achievement Award for all registered softball players enrolled at a Canadian Post-Secondary Institution. The deadline to apply is September 15th.

The first draft of the 2014 Competition Calendar is ready to view. Please note that this is only a draft and there may be some changes made.

The U12, U14, U16 Coaches Guides are now available for sale at the Softball Manitoba office. The cost per manual is $30.00

The U16 guide contains a season’s worth of practice plans (34 practices in total) divided into four training phases (including indoor and outdoor practices), with each phase having its own objectives and outcomes. Our coaching guides will assist softball coaches with the critical skill of developing and conducting sequential and well-organized practices.

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Softball Canada along with the Player Development Working Group is pleased to announce the launch of its new Triple Play website, targeting softball players aged 10 to 18 years old. The website can be accessed by visiting http://www.tripleplaysoftball.ca

'Our Triple Play Program is now a reality and its excellent website is now launched' said Softball Canada President Kevin Quinn. 'This website is a very exciting tool which has sections for players, coaches and parents. This will eventually provide young athletes the opportunity to see how they match up against other athletes across Canada and will provide some very useful information for coaches and parents as well.

For more information click on the link above or contact:

Mary Cahill
Manager - Domestic Programs
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3107
mcahill@softball.ca

Softball Canada and Softball Manitoba are pleased to announce a Youth Development Program called Learn to Play. All Schools, Minor Softball Associations, coaches and Youth Organizations are welcome to contact us to learn more about this new and exciting program.