By Ryan-Alexander McLeod, for the Surrey Now-Leader
SURREY — A new instructional league is looking to change the perception that the ball diamond is a place where boys play baseball and girls play softball.
The Girls Baseball Instructional League is holding its opening day at Surrey’s Holly Park starting Saturday (May 26). Open to girls age 8 to 12, the league is built for anyone – regardless of skill level, said league coach and organizer Stacy Fournier.
“If you play already great, if you’ve never played still come out,” said Fournier. “It’s another avenue for girls to be able to come out and play baseball. We want to get the word out that girls can play baseball.”
Young girls who enjoy baseball might look up to the Vancouver Canadians or see some of their favourite MLB players on TV, but baseball has a history of being “for boys,” said Fournier. This is why she feels it’s important to help girls and let them know they aren’t only relegated to playing softball. They have a choice.
“I love the game, I’ve been playing since I was five and I want to pass that along to as many girls as I can,” Fournier said. “At this age, girls participation in sport tends to drop off significantly, so keeping their confidence up and making it fun is important.”
Fournier added that baseball is a great way for young girls to make new friends, spend time outside and learn a lot of great life lessons.
“It’s sad to see girls not playing sports all the way through their young lives and if that’s what they want to do, we want to support it.”
The Girls Baseball Instructional League will feature one hour of skills development every Saturday with skills coaches and the group will then split off to play some games. The first hour is broken down into baseball fundamentals to give the girls the confidence they need to step onto the diamond.
“Our all-female staff want to create an empowering environment for the girls to learn the basics of baseball and make sure to build their confidence,” said Fournier.
The league will run on Saturday afternoons in Surrey at Holly Park and Lionel Courchene Park for seven to nine weeks.
To register, visit baseball.bc.ca/girls or call 604-586-3315 for more information.
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