The Jody Waloshyn Softball Diamonds beside Pleasantdale School will be busy this weekend, as 9 teams from southern Saskatchewan are set to arrive for the U15B South Softball Provincial Championships.
Estevan Minor Softball is set to host the event, with the surging U15B Estevan Elite team being the home team. Marketing advisor for the club, Rebecca Foord, is thrilled for the event coming back to the city.
"We are so excited to be able to host the Saskatchewan U15 BGirls South Provincial Championships this weekend. Our first game is actually an Estevan game on Friday at 9:30 against our rivals in Weyburn. So it's going to be a great start to our weekend is having that Estevan and Weyburn rivalry start off the weekend."
By player size alone, the softball diamonds will see over 120 players, not including family members who will be watching. Foord, who is also the community development officer for the City of Estevan, said the city is ready to welcome the large influx of visitors.
"There's so much going on this weekend. It's hard to keep track. And...for the first time in quite a long time, hotels have been a difficult challenge to find. But I think everybody's got a place to sleep, and there are lots of events for people to take in if they're coming to be tourists in Estevan as well."
A busy event like softball provincials is not without its hiccups from time to time. Foord noted that one of the toughest parts of planning an event of this scale is attracting volunteers to work various positions throughout the weekend.
"Finding volunteers is the toughest thing. And that doesn't matter if there's 20 events happening in Estevan or one event happening in Estevan. We're quite a last-minute town, by all means. So I think it's just getting that word out there and letting everybody know that we still do need some volunteers for our concessions and to help with barbecues and all that stuff. Usually we fill our spaces, but it's just that final push in this final week to be able to get our volunteers."
"Our volunteers really help make this event successful from the diamond prep to the concession, to barbecuing, to doing the registrations, and just being there for the teams. It's really important, and it's a thankless job. So I just want to thank all of our volunteers in advance for what they do for us," she added.
Volunteers are still needed for the event. She urges the community to check out their Facebook page to sign up and to find out the available time slots.
Mother Nature seems to be on their side this weekend, as for the majority of the competition, the softball diamonds will see sunshine and clear skies. The only blemish on the forecast would be Sunday, as Environment and Climate Canada is calling for showers all day. She said that the weather will only be a small factor in the event.
"The good thing about having a softball season, just heading out into winter, into early spring and now into summer, is you've really gotten to play in every season and every part of the weather. A couple of years ago, we played in snow, we played in rain, and we've played in absolutely everything. So it just teaches everybody to be resilient and be mentally tough."
The U15B South Softball Provincial Championships start tomorrow at the Jody Waloshyn Softball Grounds. The first game is at 9:30 between the Estevan Elite and the Weyburn Wild. The opening ceremonies is scheduled for 6:00 pm.