We will be welcoming teams from all over the world to Surrey, BC, and we want embrace them with open arms. We are hoping to get as many people as possible involved in our event to help make it a huge success. If you have not been involved, please be sure to look around our website and get a better idea of what we are trying to accomplish. If you like what you see, we would love to get you involved in one way or another – participating team, coach, volunteer, batgirl, umpire, sponsor, fan…you name it! If you’re already involved, we hope you can spread the word, and get as many other people as involved as possible.

One of the reasons why we host this event is to inspire the young athletes coming up in the sport of softball. We want them to come to our event – either as an athlete, batgirl, volunteer, or fan – and be inspired by the women that are playing before them. We have so many stories of girls watching their idol’s or mentor’s at a young age, wanting to be just like them, and then reaching their goal and becoming successful, both in softball and in life. This is what truly matters.

We hope you are inspired by our event, in one way or another, and continue to be a part of it. We look forward to seeing you this summer as we welcome the world to Surrey!

(Ottawa, ON) Softball Canada is pleased to announce that the Canadian Open Fastpitch Society, located in Surrey, British Columbia, has been awarded the honour of representing Canada as the Canadian bid City for the 2016 ISF Women’s World Championship. The bid will go forward to the International Softball Federation (ISF) Congress scheduled for October, 2013 in Cartagena, Colombia. At that time, the full membership of the ISF will vote on the awarding of the host City.

The Canadian Open Fastpitch Society is made up of volunteers who have a long history of hosting successful major softball events dating back to the early 1990’s. They currently operate the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship, which is slated to run from July 12 to 22, 2013. This event features International Women’s Teams and Senior Women’s Club Teams, as well as Futures U19 and Showcase 16U teams.

“Softball Canada is very pleased to be going forward with this bid” commented Softball Canada CEO Hugh Mitchener. “We will be working with a very experienced organizing committee in a City which is well-renowned in the softball world for hosting major international softball tournaments, which speaks volumes to the talents and abilities of this volunteer organization. Many of the teams that will be participating are familiar with the City of Surrey as a result of previous trips. There is a very positive feeling around this bid.”

Greg Timm, Chairman of the Canadian Open Fastpitch Society, calls the nomination an honour, “it is a tremendous privilege to represent Canada as the bid city for this important international event. As an organization we are known world-wide for hosting superior events, thanks to the dedicated group of over 400 individuals from throughout the community who volunteer annually at the Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship. Our vision is to run the best softball World Championship ever run in the history of ISF World Championships. This will help us to reach our goal of promoting and encouraging young athletes from our country to become involved in this sport by showcasing the world’s elite as well as by providing a spotlight on the up and coming stars of tomorrow. ”

The 2016 event will be the first time since 1994 that the Women’s World Championships has been operated as an Open Championship. Previously, the event has been a qualified tournament with participation capped at 16 teams.

Softball Canada has previously hosted Women’s World Championships in St. John’s, Newfoundland (1994), Saskatoon Saskatchewan (2002) and Whitehorse, Yukon (2012). Canada finished fourth at the World Championships this past July in Whitehorse. ISF World Championships are on a two year cycle. The next Women’s World Championship will be held in Haarlem, Netherlands in 2014.

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For more information, please contact:
Gilles LeBlanc
Manager – Marketing and Communications
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3105
gleblanc@softball.ca

The 2013 Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship will be held from July 12 – 22, in Surrey, British Columbia and will promote the development of the sport of fastpitch by helping young female athletes reach for their personal best. 2013 is promising to be an outstanding year for the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship as we extended invitations to national and elite club teams. This fantastic summer event is sure to be exciting for all ages and fun for the whole family.

The dates for each division are:
Women’s International: July 16 – 22
Women’s Elite: July 13 – 21
Futures & Showcase Gold: July 15 – 21
Futures & Showcase Select: July 12 – 15

We hope to see you at the park next summer for the 2013 Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship!

In preparation for the 2012 International softball season, the Team Canada coaching staff asked a group of National Team veterans to come up with a theme for their run towards the ISF XIII Women’s World Championship in Whitehorse. As a result, the team agreed on “The Quest”, representing Canada’s quest towards its second consecutive medal at the marquee event in women’s fastpitch. The inspiration behind “The Quest” comes from a 1,000 mile dog sled race that concludes in Whitehorse each year, representing a collective group pulling together towards one goal – winning a medal!

Another exciting fact is that Canadians across the country will be able to follow Team Canada’s progress over the next six weeks. TSN has confirmed that they will be airing the Title IX 40th Anniversary Celebration Game between Canada and the United States (June 24 at 9:00pm PDT, TSN2), the US World Cup of Softball round-robin game between the two countries (July 2 at 12:00pm PDT, TSN2) as well as the Gold medal game of the event (6:00pm PDT, TSN2). In addition to these three games on national television, fans will also have the opportunity to watch all 66 games of the ISF XIII Women’s World Championship (July 13-22 in Whitehorse, Yukon) via live web stream at no cost. Live scoring will also be available for all games, so there will be no shortage of softball action this summer! And if you can’t make it out to the park to watch Team Canada as they compete in the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch, there will be live web streaming for all of their games during this event as well!

The Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship will be the last opportunity for Team Canada to prepare to compete at the World Championship in Whitehorse, and we look forward to having the opportunity to compete against some very good teams. Make sure to follow “The Quest” as it makes its way from Oklahoma City to Surrey and all the way to Whitehorse!

Gilles LeBlanc
Manager – Marketing and Communications, Softball Canada

For the Women’s International schedule, click here.

For the Women’s Elite schedule, click here.

See you at the park!

The 2012 Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch Youth Clinics Features:

California A’s - MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012, 9-11:30am

Venezuelan National Women’s Team - TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2012, 9-11:30am

Worth Firecracker’s – WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012, 9-11:30am

Girls and boys ages 8-16

Where: Sunnyside Park

Price: The clinic fee is $50.00 CAD each clinic per child!

**We are also offering the option for players to register for all three clinics for the price of $125.00!

Every child participating in the clinic will also receive:

• One complimentary t-shirt (adult sizes)
• One complimentary child/teen admission for the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch valid for use on
  Wednesday July 4, 2012.

Don’t miss out! Space is limited and is available on a first come, first serve basis. Register today by clicking below for the registration form. Clinic supervision is provided only until the end time of the clinic as indicated below. Parents/guardians must pick up their child at that time. More details will be provided upon registration. For more information, click here.

Tell us why your team is the best and you could win a VIP day at our tournament! It’s easy! Girls 5-18 currently registered on a Lower Mainland softball team can create a short video telling us why you think your team is amazing. Submit your short video via our facebook page and you will be entered to win a private team coaching session with Team Canada and a team lunch and VIP seats at the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship.

Go to our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CanadianOpenFastpitch and click on the Video Contest for more details. The contest is open until May 27th, then voting begins! Also, don’t forget to follow us on twitter @CdnOpen.

• Team USA (2010 ISF Women’s World Champion)
• Team Japan (Silver medalist, 2010 ISF Women’s World Championship)
• Team Canada (Bronze medalist, 2010 ISF Women’s World Championship)
• Team Venezuela (5^th place finish, 2010 ISF Women’s World Championship)
• Team Australia (6^th place finish, 2010 ISF Women’s World Championship)

Other international teams confirmed include New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

The Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch will feature a Women’s Elite Division with both national teams and international club teams competing, including teams from Great Britain, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru and China’s Liaoning Women’s Softball Team.

The Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch will also include the Future’s (U19) and Showcase (16 & under) Divisions, which will include both a Gold and Select Level.  Teams confirmed from the Gold Level include the Ecuador National Youth Team, the Venezuela National Youth Team, and the Brazil National Youth Team.

The tournament is organized by the over 400 volunteers of the Canadian Open Fastpitch Society.



Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch By The Numbers: 

• One of the top three women’s fastpitch events in the world for 2012
• Amongst the largest women’s only sporting events in BC in 2012
• Largest fastpitch tournament in Canada
• 6 Divisions (Women’s International, Women’s Elite, Futures (U19), Gold and Select, Showcase (16U) Gold and Select Divisions)
• 80-100 participating teams from around the world
• More than 300 ballgames
• Over 1,300 participating athletes
• 100,000 expected attendance over the 10 day event
• 80 – 100 umpires from around the world
• 600 – 800 delegates (trainers, doctors, ISF representatives, coaches)
• 300 – 400 coaches from around the world
• Over 400 volunteers
• 5,000 hotel room stays

For more information on how you can get involved, please contact us by email at info@canadianopenfastpitch.com or by phone at 604-536-9287.

See you at the park!




]]> http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/did-you-know/feed/ 0 http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/scotiabank-canadian-open-fastpitch-looking-for-volunteers/ http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/scotiabank-canadian-open-fastpitch-looking-for-volunteers/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:04:35 +0000 brittney http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/?p=852 Continue reading →]]> The Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship, one of the top three Fastpitch tournaments in the world, is looking for committed volunteers to help support this exciting community event. From June 30 – July 9, 2012 over 80 teams from around the world will compete in Surrey at Softball City, Cloverdale Athletic Park, and Sunnyside Park providing a unique opportunity to volunteer with a high-profile sporting event within the community.

“Last year’s tournament would have been impossible without the 400 plus dedicated volunteers who helped make the event a success,” says Greg Timm, Chairman, Canadian Open Fastpitch Society. “Volunteering at the tournament is a perfect opportunity for teens looking to log community service hours, retirees or the family who likes to get involved.”

Volunteers of any age or background can take part in this event in areas such as: scorekeeping, security & parking, transportation, tickets & gates, field crew, and more!

Any youth born between 1998 and 2001 who is a member of Softball BC will have the opportunity to volunteer as an official Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch Batgirl and work closely with an elite fastpitch team throughout the tournament.

More details will be available at the next Volunteer Information meeting on Tuesday, May 1 at 7 pm at the Sandman Signature Hotel in Langley at 8828 201 Street. Interested volunteers can also complete a volunteer application form located online at http://canadianopenfastpitch.com/volunteers/new.

Each volunteer must commit to working a minimum of 20 hours during the event. In exchange for their time, each volunteer will receive free admission to all playing venues, one complimentary item of event apparel, and one complimentary meal per volunteer shift worked!

Please contact the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch Office by phone at 604-536-9287 or by e-mail at info@canadianopenfastpitch.com for more details!

]]> http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/scotiabank-canadian-open-fastpitch-looking-for-volunteers/feed/ 0 http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/participating-teams-now-posted/ http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/participating-teams-now-posted/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:39:29 +0000 brittney http://blog.canadianopenfastpitch.com/?p=1000 Continue reading →]]> The Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch has now posted the 2012 Participating Women’s International, Women’s Elite and Futures Gold teams!

In our Women’s International division, we will be hosting seven of the top International teams in the world, while the Women’s Elite Division will feature both National teams and International club teams competing for the top spot!

With only a few spots left in the Futures Gold division, we currently have teams hailing from four countries from around the world, including teams from four Canadian Provinces and six U.S states.

This year is looking to be our most competitive year to date, as all of the teams are vying for the top spot in their respective divisions in the Scotiabank Canadian Open Fastpitch International Championship. We are very excited to host what is sure to be an outstanding event this year!

We look forward to seeing all of these teams compete, as well as the many spectators they will bring to our event!

Women’s International & Elite Participating Teams

Futures Gold Participating Teams

Please continue to check our website for further updates!



 

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