Sports | DrumhellerMail

Step up to the plate with slo-pitch

    Batter up!
   The snow is melting and the weather is warming, which means residents will soon be hitting the ball diamonds after spending months cooped up indoors.
   The Drumheller Slo-Pitch Association is looking for a few more residents to step up to the plate. There is currently room for four more teams. Individual players are welcome to sign up as well, which is a great way to get active and meet new people.
   “At the (Sports, Arts, and Recreation) Expo I met a few people who were new to town and wanted to get out, play some slo-pitch, and meet new people. We’re always looking for spare players and anyone who is looking to join a team,” said Kadena Pierce, who helps organize the league. “There are always teams looking for spare players. I have a list, so if teams need a player, they can give me a call and I can get them the number of a spare player.”
   The season is shaping up to be business as usual for the most part, though there is one change in store for the final tournament of the season.
   “We’re planning on doing a home run derby this year. We’ve wanted to do it before, but didn’t have enough time. So, we shortened the games to fit in both a men’s and women’s derby. I know some people have been itching to show their stuff,” said Pierce.
   Potential players and teams only have a little more time to sign up. Slo-pitch teams from across Drumheller will be stepping on to the Newcastle diamonds on Friday, May 3.
   “We’d like to tentatively start May 3, depending on the weather. If the diamonds are still under water, we’ll have to delay things a little, but we’re hopeful,” said Pierce. “It’ll feel good to get back out there.”

Zariski represents Alberta Golf at Masters, Pacific Coast AGM

    While many duffers are waiting for the snow to recede from the greens or heading indoors to simulators, Tom Zariski will be on some of the finest golf courses in the world next week.
   Zariski is set to become vice president of the Alberta Golf Association (AGA). He will be going to the Masers Tournament at golf’s hallowed Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. From there, he will be heading to Las Vegas for the Pacific Coast Amateur Golf Association annual general meeting.
   He is being sent on the trip as part of his responsibilities for the AGA.
   “Alberta Golf is a member of the Pacific Coast Amateur Golf Association and they have a championship every year. This year it is in Capilano,” said Zariski. “It kind of moves around the northwest states and British Columbia and Alberta.”
   He said legends such as Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson have won this prestigious tournament as amateurs.
   The AGM will be at Tournament Players Course Summerlin in Las Vegas. He will have the opportunity to golf as well as attend sessions and meetings representing Alberta Golf.
   “It’s my kind of AGM,” chuckles Zariski. ‘This was my first time at this, I was asked to be a trustee by Alberta Golf.”
   Zariski’s interest in golf goes beyond simply serving as a board member. He aspires to be a golf rules official at the Olympics. He just finished a four-day course to recertify as a Level Four official, which is the highest level. He expects to be one of the walking officials at the Capilano tournament.
   “This is pretty exciting because you will have the amateur golfers from all of North America, and Capilano is regarded as one of the best courses in all of Canada,” he said.

Ball starts rolling for soccer season

    Now that the snow is finally melting, the outdoor soccer season in Drumheller is set to begin.
   The Drumheller Minor Soccer Association is gearing up for the upcoming season and there is room for more players. To that end, they have reopened registration for their house teams, which includes kids from the ages of three to nine.
   “Registration was quite low compared to previous years,” said Marnie Chapin, fundraising coordinator for Drumheller Minor Soccer. “I think it probably had a bit to do with the weather and people not thinking about soccer. Plus, there are quite a few other sports out there too. But, there’s space for more players in all our teams.”
   However, due to the team deadlines of the Big Country Soccer League, registration for the U12 team is closed.
   Drumheller Minor Soccer is also moving forward with plans to improve the soccer fields in Drumheller.
   “We’ve updated all of our nets and we’re going to purchase some new nets for our U6 guys,” said Chapin.
   The ultimate goal is to construct a field house at the fields.
   “We’re still fundraising to make the field house dream come true. We’re doing really good. Hopefully in the next couple years we’ll get the field house built, depending on what grants are available,” said Chapin. “It’ll be a place where we can run tournaments, people can use the washroom, or it can be used for storage. We’re not looking at anything huge.”
   The second registration night is on April 11, 6 p.m., at the Badlands Community Facility.

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