My name is Paddy, and I’m a Rookie.
I am very honoured to follow Peter Atkinson and assist your dedicated Executive for our 2026 season. In my six playing years, I have watched Steve, then Robin, and now Peter demonstrate the traditions, respect and strong sense of community which our League was founded upon in 1992 back at Carlington Park. We are truly lucky to have had Peter’s leadership as VP Operations and more recently as our President. We are also lucky that each one of us, as Players, keeps these same values of social community and respect forefront as we play recreational softball, for fun.
New to the League? If you are one of our newer Players, Ottawa Seniors have a deluxe menu of three Affiliated Softball Leagues to choose. The 60 plus Thursday Men’s League is by name the most Competitive play. The 50 plus co-ed Monday League has some harder hit balls and quicker play with opposing pitchers. Our League however is unique because we pitch to ourselves, our amazing Captains take great effort to try to balance our teams equally, and we play for everyone’s enjoyment and success, not necessarily to win-win-win. Despite having played in all 3 Leagues like many of us, I still call myself a Rookie because I am still figuring-out recreational play. Find the right match, or two, for you. For myself, I continue to play while supressing my inner-Rookie.
If you are one of our older players, I have a special message for you as we approach 2026 and your decision maybe to play. We all share, like it or not, that our love for softball may someday come to a decision whether to hang up our cleats. Please don’t make the mistake of putting your glove away, too soon. Our League is more exciting because every pop-up or fly-ball is truly meant to be an adventure. If you find yourself sometimes forgetting how many outs, or need a washroom break mid-game, would rather sit than run all the bases, or you maybe don’t see the ball as well…you are “our kind of recreational player”. If you leave your League too soon, you could affect our great social fabric which we rely upon as a community of recreational players, and which you have personally helped to build. We tend to forget that losing a long-time Veteran Player we have all come to know as a constant, is losing a bit of our League. If you still want to enjoy softball for fun, our Captains and our League needs you.
Non-Playing Fun. Alternatively, your League has great opportunities for Volunteer Umpires, Scorekeepers, maybe non-playing Captains who really get what recreational play is, OR even help as a member of your Executive. If you want to still be part of our League, we will find a safe spot for you where you can continue to let your long-time fellow team-mates enjoy and maintain their friendship with you. Friends and a fun-based softball community keep us healthy and vital.
In closing, thanks in-advance to our Registrar John Parry who will be handling our applications along with Maureen our Treasurer, for their front-end work for 2026. Continued thanks to Ron for making all this information constantly available to ourselves and the world-wide-web.
Chris tells us to mark our calendars as our Opening Breakfast will be on Tuesday 28 April 2026.
Malcolm has been amazing to get operations ready so we can begin play on Tuesday 5 May 2026.
See you soon,
Paddy
president.ottawa60plusslopitch@gmail.com\