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Fastball league looking to expand

As Fastball Yukon prepares for its third season of the Whitehorse Fastball League, organizers are looking for more ballplayers in hopes of expanding the league to five teams.

As Fastball Yukon prepares for its third season of the Whitehorse Fastball League, organizers are looking for more ballplayers in hopes of expanding the league to five teams.

“Our goal is to build on the success we’ve had the last couple years,” said Matt King, a director of Fastball Yukon. “We had four teams last year, we’re hoping to have a solid showing of four teams again this year and possibly expanding to more teams if we have enough interest.”

A fifth league team would be great, a young team would be better. In addition to expanding the league, Fastball Yukon would like to assemble a midget-age squad to become the territory’s representative team at major championships.

“We’re hoping to interest some younger folks to come out for fastball and if we have enough interest we could create a midget-age team for fastball that could be coached by some of the more experienced players in the league,” said King. “The goal is that they will take up the sport and will continue to play through their lives, and possibly, down the road, have a team that could represent Yukon at western- or national-level fastpitch tournaments.

“We think it’s a good opportunity there for young people who haven’t played fastball before to learn about the sport and get interested in it.”

It’s a great time for Yukoners to take an interest in fastball. Whitehorse will be hosting the ISF 2012 Women’s World Fastpitch Championship this July. The Yukon capital will again be the centre of the softball universe when Whitehorse hosts the 2014 Junior Men’s World Championship for a second time next year, having hosted the event in 2008.

“There will be an opportunity to watch ball at that level with women’s players from around the world,” said King. “It’s a good year to get involved in fastball.”

Fastpitch Yukon will be holding a preseason practice on Monday at the Canada Games Centre’s Fieldhouse at 5:30 p.m. The practice will be followed by Fastball Yukon’s annual general meeting at 7 p.m.

For more information, contact Fastball Yukon at fastballyukon@gmail.com.

“Ideally they sign up before the league starts on May 7, but even if there is interest after that, they can come out after May 7 and sign up for a team,” said King.

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com