Parksville will have its version of the “Battle of the Sexes.”
The inaugural Bayshore Home Health Challenge Cup, slated for Friday, June 8, at the Parksville Community Park diamond, will feature a slo-pitch challenge match between a senior women’s team and a senior men’s team.
“The Oceanside communities are in for a unique experience.” said Randy White, organizer for Parksville’s first challenge cup. The ladies’ squad, known as Unstoppable, consists of players age 60 to 70 years old. They are no pushovers, accordin to White, who organizes the indoor seniors slo-pitch league at Arbutus Meadows.
“I have been watching them and they are darn good,” said White. “I thought it would be good to profile these ladies and pit them against the men’s over-70 team. They are keen to show that women in their 60s and 70s are as as competitive as ever and participation in this slo-pitch challenge can show that good health and agility is not hindered by age.”
White said it will also be good to feature the senior men to the community.
“We get to show that softball is not limited to people under 50,” said White. “It will show that this kind of activity is available to people who are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. We have people 80 years old still playing.”
White said it’s going to be a fun game as the ladies are excited to see whether the men “have the stamina” to play seven innings against them
The men’s team told White, “we are not as good as we once were but we are as good once as we ever were and we are going to show it on the eighth.”
A special umpire was selected for the challenge. White said the men asked for Steve Gilmour, a quality and qualified umpire from Parksville but the Gals wanted a lady umpire as well.
“Thanks to much research by the gals they have secured the services of a qualified lady ump from Quebec” said White.
Dier La Francois will be in town on June 8 and is well known as a very good umpire. White said she will ensure the guys get no special breaks from Gilmour.
The game will start at 10:15 a.m. and the public is invited to come out and cheer.
