Baseball Day Gets Visit From Members Of The Canadian Women’s National Team
July 30, 2008 by Joanne Jordan
For the past few years, the LWF and Hammonds Plains Baseball Associations have been trying to encourage more girls to play the game of baseball, and both have seen real encouragement as registration numbers continue to increase.
This year, Holly Lapierre – Association President of Hammonds Plains, Barry Dalrymple – Executive Director of the LWF Association and Kent Pietracupa – President of the LWF Association, began organizing the first ever “All Girls Baseball Day” to showcase the girls and their skills.
On Sat. July 19, close to 100 girls from the two Associations, ages 4 – 13 years, came out to the Windsor Jct. Community Centre Fields for a fun-filled day. At 9 a.m., the 4-6 year olds played a game of parent pitch vs. the young girls from Hammonds Plains on one field, while on the second field the 7-9 year old LWF Rookie girls played against a team from Hammonds Plains.
To the delight of all present, two very special guests arrived from Toronto and were whisked directly out to the fields. Melanie Harwood and Autumn Mills, from the Canadian Women’s National Team, flew in just for the event and both were a tremendous hit with the players and parents.
The LWF and HP Mosquito’s teams, (10-13 year olds), played each other. The game was followed by a complimentary barbecue for the players who came out and participated in the day.
The undisputed highlight of the day was when the two Team Canada players set 
up a table and signed copies of their baseball cards and posed for photos and signed autographs and banners.
Afterwards a mini-camp of skill stations was put on by coaches, volunteers and parents. The day ended just after 5 p.m. with another set of Rookie and Mosquito games.
“There were so many highlights during the day and a wonderful time was had by all participants,” said Dalrymple. “We saw Courtney Barkhouse hit her first-ever home-run all the way to the fence on the small field, while Kaitlyn Colwell hit one all the way to the fence on the big field.”
And they were not the only players who made an impression that day. “After Jenna O’Leary powered a shot to centre field in one bat, a Team Canada player remarked that it would not be long before she is competing for a spot there (on the National Team),” said Dalrymple.
On behalf of the LWF Baseball Association, a letter of thanks was sent to the two National Players for flying in to be with the teams for their special day, and for their tremendous enthusiasm, and thanks were extended to Association Presidents Holly Lapierre and Kent Pietracupa as well as to the many coaches, volunteers and parents who helped out.
The event was such a huge success that Baseball Canada has sent out details of the day to all provinces and is looking at the possibility of making it into a National, yearly event.
“Our first-ever All Girls Baseball Day was such a huge success and so much fun for everyone. We are already planning for next year,” said Dalrymple. “We would really like to thank so many people and businesses for helping out, and for making it such a truly special day.”
I think it is great that Baseball is being encouraged for girls and also for boys. I was not aware that Windsor Jct. had a baseball field. When our boys were playing many years ago there was only a T-ball field and a Softball/Fastball field. In years past all the Baseball diamonds were carved up in favour of Fastball and Soccer fields. Baseball requires a much larger field than Softball as the space required for Baseball could accomodate two fastball fields.
In todays age with more and more Canadians having an impact in MLB, there is a renewed interest in the sport. I am pleased that there is now a place where a person can go to watch baseball innstead of fastball/softball/slowpitch.