Author: shortstop

Photo Op

Look your best June 14.  John Flanders will be taking team photos.   We will have the photos  as soon as possible for you to download.

No Minimum Number of Women Players

With regard to the minimum number of women needed in order to play, there was a claim that a team must have 2 women in the lineup or forfeit the game. This is not the case. There is NO established minimum. However, I would remind everyone that when short of women, you can ask someone from another team, playing at the other time slot, to play for you. In the game in question, one team had 3 women and the other had 1. Both teams were playing with 10 defenders.  In keeping with the spirit of the league, we should try to have a full complement of women whenever possible. Perhaps this can be reviewed by the next rules committee.

Opening Breakfast Cancelled

Hello Slo-Pitch Players
 
In light of the growing concern over Covid and with the additional consideration of the latest public health advice on limiting indoor gatherings, the League Executive has decided that our Welcome Breakfast at the Hometown Sports Grill on April 26  should not take place.
 
We are close to the start of the season and it would be a shame to jeopardize that by holding an event that could lead to an outbreak among our members.
 
Those who have submitted payment, or have payment held over will receive refunds. Let us remain optimistic that we can have a season-end breakfast.
 
Together with the Team Captains, we have finalized the 10 team selections. You should be hearing from your Team Captains soon.
 
Regards…Robin Boyd, League President

KICK-OFF BREAKFAST APRIL 26

Hello ballplayers!
After a two-year, pandemic-induced hiatus, we are finally back!
We are pleased to announce that the Kick-off breakfast will be on this year. The Breakfast will be held at Hometown Sports Grill located at 1525 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1H 7Z1. It is booked for April 26th at 9:30 am. Since we have not been able to have breakfast in the past 2 years, the cost has gone up by $2.00. New members will pay $17 and members that have left their $15 with the league are asked to pay $2 at the door.  To help the Treasurer avoid making change, please bring exact change.
If you intend to attend the breakfast, please reply to this message no later than April 16.   ottawa60plusslopitch@gmail.com
This year we will be playing a 10-team schedule with 120 players, an excellent turnout. Over the past two years a number of players have retired but some new members have joined up so we still have enough people for a full league.
Your team Captain will be contacting you with more details after we finalize the team player selections.
Our season is scheduled to run Tuesdays from May 10 through September 27 including playoffs. Each week there will be 3 games at 09h30 and 2 games at 11h00.
We have an informal arrangement to make up any rainouts on Wednesday the following week or when diamonds are available for use.
With the lifting of all provincial COVID restrictions and mandates, we will be able to play without any special measures.
The pandemic is not over, but we are hopeful that the worst days are past. It is still in everyone’s interest to maintain a safe environment and not take unnecessary risks or expose our fellow players to danger.
With this in mind, the league executive encourages you to follow whatever measures you feel comfortable with and to recognize that not everyone will evaluate the situation the same. Let’s all be respectful of others and not let differing approaches become a point of contention.
I would like to remind everyone that the RA Centre is a smoke-free facility including the playing fields, diamonds and surrounding grounds. We have been asked to emphasize this with our members. That includes tobacco, vaping and other smokable substances.
Finally, please look out for our Rules of Play and Waiver form which will be emailed to you shortly. Due to insurance requirements, each player will have to submit a completed and signed form before being allowed to play. There are no exceptions to this requirement.
We have waited a long time for play to resume so let’s get out there, reconnect with fellow players and have fun playing ball.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the ballpark and post game activities, especially the sponsor lunches.
Your league president…Robin Boyd

Theresa Carron Obituary

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that the league has lost a long standing and much liked member of our Slo-Pitch family. Theresa Carron passed away on Sunday March 20, after a lengthy battle against cancer.

Theresa was one of the ‘Valley Girls’, three women that travelled together from up the Valley to play ball with us each week.

Theresa was a great spirit. There were times when her cancer treatments prevented her from playing. Sometimes she was just there to support her team. She would do whatever she could to make things better.

Theresa and her husband Ed, sponsored one of our teams and her legacy will live on with Ed’s Salvage being one of our sponsors again this year.

She will be dearly missed
Robin Boyd, President

https://ottawacitizen.remembering.ca/obituary/theresa-carron-1084703027

2022 Registration

Registration for the 2022 Slo-Pitch season is now starting.

After 2 years without summer baseball, we are very optimistic we will be playing in 2022. We have to be mindful, however, that we still live in a pandemic world and as witnessed over the recent past, things can change very suddenly. Our priority for our seniors’ league is to ensure we maintain a safe environment to have fun playing ball. To this end, it is the Executive Committee’s expectation that all players have full COVID vaccination. 

Our registration form has gone digital this year with a fillable pdf that you can simply email back to us or print it out and mail the completed form back the old way. There is a registration form for both returning and new players. Check under the Registration tab in the top menu to download the form if you did not receive one by email. Please return the form by March 8, 2022.

I am also pleased to say that the registration fee has not increased this year.

The League will also be sending you a waiver form in the near future which is required for insurance purposes. 

We are also planning the return of the League’s Opening Breakfast. Details will be sent out by email to registered players. You can also check for news on our website.

Let’s work together to return to playing ball again in a safe and responsible manner, reconnecting with our fellow players and having fun once again.

Robin Boyd
President, Ottawa 60+ Slo-Pitch League

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT REGISTRATION HERE

Planning the 2022 Season

Hello Everyone,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have missed playing ball during the 2020 and 2021 summer seasons and we continue to face uncertainty into the new year with a large number of cases and ongoing provincially mandated restrictions. Still, it is important to remain optimistic that we will be able to play this summer.

To this end, the Executive Committee will be doing everything possible to get playing again this year in a safe and healthy environment. It is, of course, too early to say when the league games will start or what the playing regulations from Ottawa Public Health will be but we will send out a Return to Play document as the playing season approaches.

We would also ask that if you know someone else in the 60+ age group, including those who turn 60 during the year, who might be interested in playing that you ask them to send an email to ottawa60plusslopitch@gmail.com . You can also direct them to our website for more information about our League and recent news.

Finally, we are planning to reinstate our annual pre-season kick-off breakfast depending once again on Public Health Guidelines– details to follow.

Stay safe and let’s get ready to play ball and have fun!

Robin Boyd
League President

2021 Election Results

Peter ATKINSON has agreed to serve as VP Operations,
Dan STANKOVIC has agreed to perform the role of Secretary.
Since there were no other names submitted, both are acclaimed.

This completes the League Executive and there will be no election held this year.

2021 Elections

Every year at this time, the League holds elections for the Executive Committee that is responsible for all league activities. We aren’t playing this season, but we expect to be next season. That’s why we need a few people to step forward to join the Executive Committee and help guide the League as we organize for next season. Please consider getting involved, either as a candidate or by persuading another capable individual.

Absence from Ottawa is not a barrier to holding one of the positions as meetings are held virtually. You can be located anywhere and still participate. If we can’t find people willing to join the Executive Committee the league will be at risk.

This year two of our five Executive positions are up for renewal, VP Operations, and Secretary.  You can find the job descriptions HERE

In a normal year we would conduct the vote by secret ballot at the diamonds but since we are not playing this year we’ll use electronic means for our election.

July 19 to August 9: Nominations
August 14-20: Elections online by Doodle poll.

Following the close of nominations the candidates will be announced and instructions provided on how to participate in the vote.

Nominations (or questions) can be submitted by sending an email to elections.ottawa60plusslopitch@gmail.com

When submitting nominations please include the names of two nominators and the contact information for the nominee.

Gerry Lelievre has kindly volunteered to look after the elections account and the nomination process again this year. To ensure confidentiality only Gerry has access to the elections account. 

Stay safe
Robin Boyd, President
president.ottawa60plusslopitch@gmail.com
https://ottawa60plusslo-pitch.ca