Lethbridge to host provincial slo-pitch tournament
That success launched a generational love of the games in southern Alberta for both recreational athletes and more competitive players.
'For those that don't know, the legacy of slo-pitch in Lethbridge and southern Alberta goes back almost 50 years and I don't know that everyone realizes how successful the city has been in the past, going back to the '80s, but also to present day,' said Kevin Chubb, former coach and manager for the Lethbridge Dodgers and Alberta Cardinals.
That 1980s dominance wasn't a fluke, either, as multiple Lethbridge-based teams were victorious at the national level.
'Lethbridge actually won four championships in a row between the Schwartz Angels, Great West and the Super Sam's teams. In 1989, the women's teams got in the mix and they also won two national championships in 1989 and 1991. That was the women's Lethbridge Val Matteotti's Suntana's,' said Chubb.
Story continues below advertisement
While a smaller city like Lethbridge winning so many titles across Canada may be a bit surprising, Chubb says it's actually quite easy to explain.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'Baseball. Almost every elite slo-pitch player has a baseball background and when you look at Lethbridge and southern Alberta, you've got the Vauxhall Baseball Academy, the Prairie Baseball Academy, you have Lethbridge Little Leagues, you have other academies, you have American Legion, you've got Bulls Baseball.
'There are others that I'm not even including… I can not stress that enough that our success in the past has been because of baseball players giving slo-pitch a chance.'
The sport is huge in Lethbridge as of 2025, with dozens of teams spread across multiple leagues competing in the sport every summer evening.
'We have 11 diamonds down here (in Softball Valley) and they're full every night. We usually get about 250 people down here,' said Hank Stoffer, facility manager at Lethbridge's Softball Valley.
He says the level of play in slo-pitch tournaments like the 2025 Men's and Women's Softball Alberta Provincial Championships, which will be hosted at Softball Valley this weekend, is better than most people expect.
'It's going to be some of the best ball you're going to see. The winners of these will get to go play for the Canadian Championships and that's a pretty high-level softball…. There's the recreational aspect of slo-pitch that's played down here, but there's also some very, very high level that's here that people should come watch. I think they'd be suitably impressed,' said Stoffer.
Story continues below advertisement
Off the field, events like the 2018 Canadian Slo-Pitch Championships, also hosted in Lethbridge, are major money-makers for the city.
'In 2018, it was estimated that we brought in $3.5 million when we hosted the national championship here for that week. So, an event like (the provincial championships) could probably look to be $250,000-$300,000 throughout the city, in the restaurants, in the hotels, general spending.'
The tournament runs from July 11-13 and, on the men's side, features eight teams. These include Evolution Sports Cardinals, Hype, Gators, AEG Evolution Sports Trappers, Cruisin Auto Astros, Wasted Potential, Faded and The Valley.
Meanwhile, 10 teams will compete on the women's side. These include the Valley Vixens, Black Widows, Aftermath, Squad, Calahoo Erins, Two Guys Pizza Aces, Animal Kingdom, Laces, Evolution Sports Carnage and Vengeance.
Both Chubb and Stoffer say they are eager to see the sport continue to grow, but that often means baseball players need to truly give the sport a chance. They say this tournament and the exposure it provides for the sport could help more athletes take part in the next step of the everlasting legacy of slo-pitch in Lethbridge.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
5 hours ago
- Global News
Lethbridge to host provincial slo-pitch tournament
In the 1980s, Lethbridge, Alta., was home to several dominant slo-pitch and softball teams that went on to win national titles. That success launched a generational love of the games in southern Alberta for both recreational athletes and more competitive players. 'For those that don't know, the legacy of slo-pitch in Lethbridge and southern Alberta goes back almost 50 years and I don't know that everyone realizes how successful the city has been in the past, going back to the '80s, but also to present day,' said Kevin Chubb, former coach and manager for the Lethbridge Dodgers and Alberta Cardinals. That 1980s dominance wasn't a fluke, either, as multiple Lethbridge-based teams were victorious at the national level. 'Lethbridge actually won four championships in a row between the Schwartz Angels, Great West and the Super Sam's teams. In 1989, the women's teams got in the mix and they also won two national championships in 1989 and 1991. That was the women's Lethbridge Val Matteotti's Suntana's,' said Chubb. Story continues below advertisement While a smaller city like Lethbridge winning so many titles across Canada may be a bit surprising, Chubb says it's actually quite easy to explain. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Baseball. Almost every elite slo-pitch player has a baseball background and when you look at Lethbridge and southern Alberta, you've got the Vauxhall Baseball Academy, the Prairie Baseball Academy, you have Lethbridge Little Leagues, you have other academies, you have American Legion, you've got Bulls Baseball. 'There are others that I'm not even including… I can not stress that enough that our success in the past has been because of baseball players giving slo-pitch a chance.' The sport is huge in Lethbridge as of 2025, with dozens of teams spread across multiple leagues competing in the sport every summer evening. 'We have 11 diamonds down here (in Softball Valley) and they're full every night. We usually get about 250 people down here,' said Hank Stoffer, facility manager at Lethbridge's Softball Valley. He says the level of play in slo-pitch tournaments like the 2025 Men's and Women's Softball Alberta Provincial Championships, which will be hosted at Softball Valley this weekend, is better than most people expect. 'It's going to be some of the best ball you're going to see. The winners of these will get to go play for the Canadian Championships and that's a pretty high-level softball…. There's the recreational aspect of slo-pitch that's played down here, but there's also some very, very high level that's here that people should come watch. I think they'd be suitably impressed,' said Stoffer. Story continues below advertisement Off the field, events like the 2018 Canadian Slo-Pitch Championships, also hosted in Lethbridge, are major money-makers for the city. 'In 2018, it was estimated that we brought in $3.5 million when we hosted the national championship here for that week. So, an event like (the provincial championships) could probably look to be $250,000-$300,000 throughout the city, in the restaurants, in the hotels, general spending.' The tournament runs from July 11-13 and, on the men's side, features eight teams. These include Evolution Sports Cardinals, Hype, Gators, AEG Evolution Sports Trappers, Cruisin Auto Astros, Wasted Potential, Faded and The Valley. Meanwhile, 10 teams will compete on the women's side. These include the Valley Vixens, Black Widows, Aftermath, Squad, Calahoo Erins, Two Guys Pizza Aces, Animal Kingdom, Laces, Evolution Sports Carnage and Vengeance. Both Chubb and Stoffer say they are eager to see the sport continue to grow, but that often means baseball players need to truly give the sport a chance. They say this tournament and the exposure it provides for the sport could help more athletes take part in the next step of the everlasting legacy of slo-pitch in Lethbridge.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Merchbot enters Bombers' starting lineup
Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans can now purchase team merchandise at Princess Auto Stadium the same way they might buy a bag of chips in a workplace break room. Manitoba-based Vidir Solutions Inc. launched its merchandise vending machine at the Bombers' 2025 CFL season home opener last month. Referred to by the company as 'merchbot,' the machine allows fans to purchase hats, hoodies and T-shirts with a few taps on a touchscreen. Vidir is advertising the machine as the first of its kind to be found at a North American sporting event. It's designed to revolutionize how athletic programs manage merchandise sales. 'We wanted to create something that would cause some sizzle and some buzz,' said Mario Fontes, director of sales and marketing. 'We feel that the merchbot has some value for all kinds of sports organizations out there.' A family-owned business, Vidir makes an assortment of specialized automated material handling units. The business is headquartered about 100 kilometres north of Winnipeg in Arborg, with an additional manufacturing facility in Teulon. Vidir's vertical storage solutions are used by some of the biggest retailers in the world, including Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes. According to the company, the merchandise vending machine product improves a sports team's operations by automating the merchandise sales process in a compact space, improving the speed of service while maximizing on-hand inventory quantities. The challenge with the Bomber Store at Princess Auto Stadium, Fontes said, is it gets busy and the lines at the tills can get long. There's a potential for lost sales if people lose patience and leave the store before making their purchase. 'This (merchandise vending machine) allows teams to have multiple facilities in the building where people can pick up their hat or jersey away from the store,' Fontes said. The Bombers' machine is 2.1 metres tall, 1.5 m wide and 1.5 m deep, but Fontes said the company can manufacture merchandise vending machines more than three times that size. He added that Micro Center, a computer retail chain in the United States, is already using Vidir-created machines at six of its stores that are similar to the merchandise vending machine. The Micro Center machines are 7.3 m tall, 4.8 m wide and 1.8 m deep, and are self-serve kiosks where people can purchase different colours and gauges of 3D printing filaments. Vidir employees build the software that runs these machines. The software allows customers to track their inventory with ease. 'It's not just a hardware solution — it's a software solution as well,' Fontes said. He calls the Bombers' machine a test unit and envisions Vidir building six- and 7.5-metre-tall versions for sports teams. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'We're very happy about the product,' said Fontes, who declined to share how much such a machine might retail for. The merchandise vending machine has worked out well for the Blue Bombers, said Wade Miller, team president and CEO. 'For them to create something that helps us save space in our stadium and allows for vertical storage … it's fantastic,' Miller said. 'It allows us to carry more product than we usually would in that area (of the stadium). As our fans get used to it, we look forward to growing it.' Vidir Solutions was founded in 1986 by Willie Dueck, a farmer and entrepreneur. The company has more than 250 employees in Canada and around 20 in the U.S. It provides products to 45 countries. Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Meyers, Riders return from bye week as CFL's only remaining unbeaten team
And then there was one. Receiver Dohnte Meyers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders returned from their bye week Monday as the CFL's lone undefeated team. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-1) fell from the ranks of the unbeaten last week with a 37-16 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Saskatchewan (4-0) doesn't have the luxury of easing back into its season. It hosts Calgary (3-1) on Thursday night. 'It's always focus once you step into the building for a work week, especially when it's a West opponent,' Meyers said. 'Whoever we line up against we've got to let them know it's Riders football that they're playing.' The five-foot-11, 186-pound Meyers has emerged as a starter this season, his second with Saskatchewan. He has 15 catches for 208 yards and team-high two touchdowns. And he's shown versatility, opening 2025 at wide receiver before being shifted to slotback for Saskatchewan's last two contests with injuries to Samuel Emilus and Kian Schaffer-Baker. Meyers has no concerns about the Riders struggling to reclaim their mojo after a week off. 'I feel like we have a lot of veterans on our team — from the coaching staff to players — who've been on championship teams,' he said. 'This isn't their first rodeo. 'They have a lot of years and experience so they understand what it takes to be a professional and the frame of mind and competition level that need to be going on in practice.' Meyers had 24 receptions for 349 yards and a TD last season over four contests. After hauling in an 18-yard Trevor Harris scoring strike, Meyers suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the Riders' 26-21 Labour Day loss to Winnipeg. 'Dohnte is a gifted, young player with immense talent whose 2024 campaign ended much sooner than anticipated,' said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Meyers' Florida-based agent. 'But he's off to a fast and productive start this season, which speaks to his high character and work ethic. 'I have no doubt Dohnte will emerge as a dominant force in this league.' Meyers' rise with Saskatchewan has been a patient one. He signed with the Riders in October 2023 and began last season on the practice roster before being added to the active roster for the club's 22-22 tie with Ottawa on Aug. 8. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native, who turned 25 on Sunday, had eight catches for 101 yards in that contest, his CFL debut. 'That (four games in '24) was pivotal for me, especially as a professional athlete and younger player,' he said. 'Although you practise all year long, game experience is when the bullets are live and there's nothing quite like it. 'Although I got hurt, I was able to build off all of those experiences coming into this year. It allowed me to have a clearer focus in the off-season regarding what to expect and get ready for while having something in my game to critique. It allows you to hit this year with a full head of steam, get back stronger and be a better version of yourself.' The '24 season also allowed Meyers to immerse himself into Canadian football. 'The waggle, spacing, the time clock and time management are all things you've got to get acclimated to,' he said. 'You just get more used to it and I kind of felt that sense of being more settled coming in. 'The waggle was something I focused on this off-season, same with playing on the wider field and spacing. I think that's helped me transition into this year much more efficiently.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Harris guided Saskatchewan to its first three wins before missing its 37-18 win over B.C. on June 28 with a head ailment. Backup Jake Maier threw for 170 yards and a TD in the contest while running back A.J. Ouellette ran for 139 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. 'There are no plays off in this offence because we (receivers) are involved in the running game,' Meyers said. 'The thing with A.J. is he's so explosive, it can be an inside run that breaks outside and back inside and A.J. could jump over somebody, it's crazy. 'That's what makes things so deadly. We've got Trevor back there, we have A.J. and there's so many other guys who're explosive that you just don't know what can happen on any given play.' Harris is expected to return under centre Thursday night. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2025.
