Although the season for softball is nearing its end, there is still an opportunity to play early this September while also benefiting children in the community.
From September 6th-8th, the Morden Ball Diamonds will host the 3rd Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Slo-Pitch Tournament. Registration for the tournament is open until August 30th.
Jenelle Neufeld, the executive director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pembina Valley, says that this year, the tournament has a record-breaking number of teams at 10. Anyone who is interested in signing up is encouraged to do so quickly — registration closes at 12 teams.
The tournament, which has a $250 entry fee and a three-game guarantee, is co-ed, and each team is required to have at least three women on the field. The first game on Friday will begin after 5 p.m. To register, click here.
Neufeld says that this year’s event will have beer gardens for the first time.
“We're . . . excited to have that, and [to] just get some people out that maybe aren't slo-pitch players but want to come and take a look and have a cool drink,” she says.
According to Neufeld, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pembina Valley works closely with the Morden Slo-Pitch League, so many of the teams registered for this tournament also play in the league. Some teams, however, are brand new.
“We've had a couple of teams this year sign up that we haven't had in past years, which is absolutely amazing, and I think over the past two years there have been teams that have kind of just come together,” she says.
The tournament seems to attract players for a few reasons, including its timing in the softball season (it always happens the weekend after Labour Day, which tends not to have conflicts with other ball events), and its friendly atmosphere.
“I've heard that people have a lot of fun at [the tournament] and I think the beer gardens are a nice addition,” says Neufeld. “It's just one of those tournaments that anybody can play [in] and we're welcoming all different skill levels.”
Big Brothers and Big Sisters’ event is more than just a slo-pitch tournament.
“There are lots of ways that attending a tournament like this helps out. The word of mouth is absolutely one of the best ways [it supports Big Brothers Big Sisters],” says Neufeld. “Getting the community behind our events is something that is really important to me. It is kind of the best of both worlds. You get to do something fun and also support our organization.”
Neufeld says that the money raised from fundraisers like the slo-pitch tournament supports the children and youth in the Pembina Valley that access the services provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters.
“A lot of youth and children are struggling with a lot of different barriers and they're facing a lot of different adversities in their lives, and we are a proven solution to that. Mentoring is a proven solution. Research shows that having just one additional [adult] support is the single most important factor that can change the trajectory of a child's future,” she says. “We are very grateful and lucky that we [can] provide that for these kids that need it. At the end of the day, we're hardwired to need each other, and unfortunately, some kids don't have that supportive adult that they can lean on or count on.”
According to Neufeld, research also shows that 1 in 2 young adults report that they could think of a time when they did not have a supportive adult or mentor, but wish they had.
“We're just trying to support these youth and kids — the next generation that is going to be in our community and [will] hopefully do the same thing . . . for the generation to come.”
In Neufeld’s time with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pembina Valley, she has seen the impact of mentorship firsthand.
“I think the self-confidence is the number one thing that I've noticed,” she says. "With everything that goes into a mentoring relationship, at the end of the day, you are building this child up. You are laying the foundation for how they see themselves [and] how they see themselves fitting into the community. I think with that comes the confidence that somebody believes in them and that, in turn, the community believes in them.”
Mentorship also makes a noticeable difference at school.
“Another huge thing that I've seen specifically with the in-school teen mentoring is school attendance. The kids are a lot more likely to want to go to school if they have maybe that little extra reason to, and the teen in-school mentoring relationship is a huge factor in that.”
Neufeld says that in-school teen mentorship is something she would like to focus on as the school year gets underway.
“It is one of those mentoring relationships that is a huge benefit not only to the mentee but also to the mentor, because it is a high school student matched with a younger student and the high school student might get volunteer hours towards a credit. They are able to put these hands-on learning skills that they are obtaining on their resumes.”
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Pembina Valley is always looking for new mentors, especially men. Neufeld says that since she joined the organization five years ago, many of the children and youth on the waitlist have been male.
Regardless of who one is or which role they take in the mentorship dynamic, the experience is enriching.
“It’s just benefiting so many more people than you really imagine,” says Neufeld. “A lot of our volunteers . . . come to us and they say, ‘oh, I want to change a child's life,’ or, ‘I want to be involved [in a] mentoring relationship for the kid,’ but they don't realize that it's a relationship, so they are also going to be benefiting greatly, . . . and it's really amazing to see.”
Neufeld invites anyone who is considering mentorship to reach out. She says that while it has a huge impact on children, it doesn’t take as much time as people tend to assume.
“I always say any time is better than no time,” says Neufeld. “As long as there's transparency between the volunteer, us as the staff, and the family that we end up matching that volunteer with, it could be once [or twice] a month . . . . It could be whatever the volunteer has time for because like I said, any mentoring is better than no mentoring.”
To support what Big Brothers Big Sisters does in the community, learn more or ask questions about mentorship here, or register for its 3rd Annual Slo-Pitch tournament here.
~With files from Ty Hildebrand~