By TERRY PUGH
The girls of summer are back.
The Twin City Angels – ranging in age from tykes to teenagers – are pumped to be back on the diamonds for the 2025 season.
With 550 registered participants and 54 teams, the Twin City Softball Association (TCSA) is one of the largest minor softball programs in Saskatchewan.
“It’s always exciting when a new season kicks off,” said TCSA President Heather Chatfield of Warman in an interview May 6. “We had pre-season indoor training this year at the new Martensville Recreation Centre, and now we’re back on the diamonds in Warman for the start of the real season.
“It’s only eight weeks – from the beginning of May to the end of June. But, it’s a very busy eight weeks.”
The TCSA had its beginnings about a decade ago when the minor softball associations in Warman and Martensville combined their programs under the ‘Twin City Angels’ name. Last year, the two organizations officially amalgamated into a single association with a new title.
“Female softball is definitely growing in popularity right across the province, and especially in this region,” said Chatfield, noting the biggest increase in TCSA player registrations is among the small fry.
“Our U5 to U11 program has record participation this season,” she said.
The TCSA has teams in all divisions from U5 to U17 age groups.
“From U5 to U11 the program is co-ed,” she said. “From U13 and up to U17 it’s female players only. We have different tiers for each division.”
She said the U5 to U11 teams play in a TCSA house league with games in Martensville and Warman, while the U13 to U17 teams play in the Saskatoon Minor Softball League, with games in Saskatoon and Warman.
“The most competitive teams are the ‘A’ level teams in U13, U15 and U17 age groups,” she said. “They compete in tournaments every weekend; and at the end of the season they play in provincial championships, We also have other teams that compete in provincials.”
Chatfield said many Twin City Angels teams have seen success on the diamond.
“Our current U17A girls team has won provincial championships for the last two years in a row,” said Chatfield. “They’re a unique team in that we have about nine girls who have played together for the past four seasons. We’re really looking forward to seeing what they bring to the provincial tournament in Regina July 4-6; and the national championship later that month.”
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The TCSA is hosting one of the biggest events on the Softball Canada stage this summer, when 24 teams from across Canada converge on Warman’s Prairie Oasis Park July 30 to August 3 for the 2025 U17A Canadian Girls Fastpitch Championship.
The Twin City U17A Angels is the host team. The roster includes: Ainsley Beattie, Alexis Kreese, Ashlyn Chatfield, Carlee Wright, Eabha Anderson, Emma Frisky, Jordan Zazula, Jordyn Loberg, Kamryn Hooper, Memphis Haraldson, Sofia Laskowski and Taylor Townsend. The coaching staff includes: Dan Hooper, Kevin Anderson, Krystin Chatfield and Tracy Frisky. Mel Loberg is team manager.
The TCSA has hosted large tournaments before, including the provincial U15B championship in 2023, which saw 32 teams participating.
But, the Canadian championship is a whole new level.
“It’s a big undertaking,” said Chatfield. “This is the first time our communities have ever hosted a national fastpitch championship. We put in our bid to host this event a year and a half ago and we got the green light. We’ve got support from the communities of Warman and Martensville, and some sponsorships.
“And now, we’re looking for additional corporate sponsorships as well as people who can help out as volunteers. We’ll need about 150 to 175 volunteers for scorekeeping, taking tickets, grounds crews, and other tasks. This is a great opportunity to help your community and take in some top-tier softball action.”
Anyone interested in volunteering for the national championship can contact Heather Chatfield via email at tcapresident22@gmail.com.
The diamonds at Prairie Oasis Park in Warman will be seeing some major upgrades in preparation for the national championship.
“We’re having two electronic scoreboards installed next month on Diamonds 5 and 6,” said Chatfield. “There’s also a sound booth being installed for Diamond 6 that will be sponsored by Warman Home Centre.
“The Warman Slow Pitch Association is building a concession and storage facility that will be situated between Diamonds 4 and 5; and the City of Warman is upgrading Diamond 2 to a shale infield. We’ll also see new fence rail caps on the diamonds and other improvements.”
Chatfield said softball offers girls an opportunity to enjoy the sport, develop strong friendships both on and off the field, and learn good sportsmanship.
“Having a good team atmosphere is so important for young people to learn life lessons,” she said.