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Slo-Pitch

Grande Prairie Slo-Pitch League struggling with space

Sep 21, 2019 | 7:00 AM

The Grande Prairie Slo-Pitch League went before the city to ask for more to be done at South Bear.

Sue Lambright with the Grande Prairie Slo-Pitch League presented to the Community Living Committee on behalf of the league and says they are desperately running out of space and they have a wish list for the city.

“I don’t think they realized what happened after they took over because the improvements at South Bear Creek are incredible, but we were having diamonds drop like flies.”

Lambright says they have gone from 19 diamonds to only 10 usable adult diamonds now.

A total of 196 slo-pitch teams registered in Grande Prairie this year, with 52 of them signed up to play twice a week.

While the Lady’s Slo-Pitch still plays at Parkside, Lambright says this isn’t an option for the co-ed teams due to the ‘big bats’ often hitting the ball out of the diamond and onto Resources Rd.

Netting was put up, but Lambright says they still had issues with balls flying out.

They have also lost Leisure Centre diamond #1 because that is the future site of the new G.P. Composite High School.

In her presentation, Lambright gave her wish list to the committee to review, asking specifically for them to complete diamond #4, construct diamonds #11 and #12, source more possible diamonds, and to put up lights at diamond #3.

Playgrounds on the east and west side and washrooms and concession on the west side were also requested so that children had places to play while the league uses the diamonds, and the washrooms and concession could be accessed by both the league and park users.

Combined with the growth of the league and the ongoing construction, Lambright says they are willing to do whatever the city needs from them to get the ball rolling.