Sooke’s Slo-Pitch league has wrapped up for the season, seeing a successful conclusion to both their league play and their annual Invitational.
The Sooke Invitational Slo-Pitch Tournament has been an annual affair since the early 90’s, according to Jason Dumont. Dumont, who started playing with the League in 1992, has been organizing the tournament for the past eight years. He currently plays for the Hawks.
This year, the number of teams registered with the Invitational were down. Usually, said Dumont, there are over 30 teams registered; this year, they were down to 20.
Dumont figures the biggest reason for the decline in numbers is because of the increased number of other events running concurrently during the August long weekend. An increase of competing island events such as Duncan’s Sunfest drew a lot of people — and teams — away from Sooke’s Slo-Pitch Tournament.
Attendance is crucial to the financial health of the league. The annual tournament serves as a fundraiser for the league to help out with costs throughout the year. While the fees paid by the teams at the Invitational typically go back out as prizes, the funds that go toward the annual league costs come from sales at the Concession, the Beer Gardens, and from 50/50 ticket sales.
This year was the first year with an open beer garden. The B.C. Government changed the regulations earlier this year, lifting the requirement of a fenced-in beer garden.
Dumont found it to be “very successful,” adding that the key benefit to the new openness concept is that it “keeps families together” throughout their attendance at the event.
The number of teams within the league itself has also diminished over the years, going from upwards to 20 down to this season’s 12.
With the number of teams down, Dumont would like to see more teams, and more players. The rewards are many, including “the enjoyment of playing ball,” said Dumont. “It’s a very social game.” The camaraderie is high, there are trophies to be won in the regular season, and it’s open to both men and women.
People interested in exploring the playing with the Slo-Pitch League in Sooke can contact Dumont directly on his cell at 250-744-8852. Individuals aged 19 and older can participate. Individuals or teams can join.
As for next year’s Invitational tournament, the league is currently contemplating a change to hosting it on the long weekend. There are a lot of competing events on the island. No decision has yet been made, though, as the benefits of hosting the event on a long weekend are equally appealing.
Invitational Slo-Pitch tournament results
A-division
B-division
C-division
Regular season results
The regular season results for the A-Division are also in, with the Foul Ballz coming in first place, Shattered Dreams nailed second, and Dawg# placed third. The B-Divison champion was Scared Hitless.