HAMILTON'S 2SLGBTQIA+ SLO-PITCH SOFTBALL LEAGUE WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME
Player Registration for the 2026 Season is now closed, but you can still register as a non-plaYing member here.
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We provide an outlet for the queer community and allies to connect through the great game of softball. Come meet like-minded people and share the spirit of friendly competition, in an environment that promotes inclusion, good sportsmanship, community and camaraderie.
Steel City Inclusive Softball Association (SCISA) is a safe and fun space for Hamilton’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies to play softball and build community. We welcome players of all sexual and gender orientations, religions, nationalities, body types and abilities. As queer Hamiltonians, we acknowledge that it doesn’t always feel like the city we love, loves us back. Involvement with our league will provide an outlet for players and local businesses to show that the future of Hamilton is compassionate and progressive. The love that lives here is stronger than hate.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW DO I JOIN A TEAM?
Many leagues only invite established teams to register. SCISA uses a draft model in which all players are categorized by ability and selected by coaches in a closed-door draft. You can sign up with a buddy to ensure you know at least one person on your team for the season. What’s great about the draft is it gives all players a chance to get to know each other. Within a few seasons, you’ll have friends on every team!
WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN TERMS OF PLAY AND LEVEL OF COMPETITION?
The primary focus of this league is to have fun and build community. We encourage healthy competition and focus on making sure each team has a balance of new and experienced players. If your focus or priority is high-level competition, you may want to play in our competitive division on Thursdays rather than our recreational division on Sundays.
Rookies - no need to worry if you have never swung a bat or thrown a ball! Throughout the year, we’ll host mini-workshops and skills sessions to help new and returning players develop skills, confidence and knowledge of the game.
WHEN AND WHERE ARE GAMES?
Our season begins after the May long weekend and runs to the end of September at Eastwood Park in the North End of Hamilton, Ontario. Our recreational league plays on Sundays (excluding long weekends), and our competitive division plays on Thursday evenings.
CAN I VOLUNTEER IF I DON'T PLAY?
Players of all skill levels are encouraged to join SCISA, from those who travel for tournaments every year to those who just picked up a bat for the first time. Our league can’t run without volunteer support! If you’re not interested in playing softball but still want to be a part of the community, we have a role for you! Reach out to events@scisa.ca.
ARE YOU SEEKING SPONSORS?
Yes! We are seeking league sponsors to help fund permits, equipment, team jerseys and more. In-kind sponsorships are also welcome. We support our sponsors with promotion and patronage wherever we can. If you would like a PDF of our 2026 Sponsorship Deck, please email: partnerships@scisa.ca
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY?
Registration fees may vary depending on our costs each year, but for the 2026 season, play in the Sunday division costs $135 and play in the Thursday division costs $105. Check out our "Registration Info" tab for more information and ways to get involved!
WHAT IF COSTS ARE A BARRIER TO ME?
We do have a small reserve fund set aside for players in financial need! Please email Jeff Lindstrom, to request support at commissioner@scisa.ca.
CURRENT BOARD
| Position | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Jeff Lindstrom (he/him) | commissioner@scisa.ca |
| Vice Commissioner | Jessie Rendl (she/her) | vicecommissioner@scisa.ca |
| League Administrator | Jake Maurice (he/they) | admin@scisa.ca |
| Communications Director | Bryan Feheley (he/him) | communications@scisa.ca |
| Events Director | Jovan Madjercic (he/him) | events@scisa.ca |
| Treasurer | Scott Strybosch (he/him) | treasurer@scisa.ca |
| Secretary |
Alex Zavarise (she/they) |
secretary@scisa.ca |
| Umpire in Charge | Paula Lattanzio (she/her) | umpire@scisa.ca |
| Director of Player Experience | Hannah Willms (she/they) | playerexperience@scisa.ca |
| Director of Community Partnerships | Andy Sprung (he/him) | partnerships@scisa.ca |
SUPPORT POSITIONS
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| League Ambassador | Tina Handley (she/her) |
| Merchandise & Graphics | Lee Bondzio (he/him) |
| Equipment Manager | VACANT |
| League Archivist | Rebecka Sheffield (she/her) |
| Board Advisor | Ashley Letts (she/her) |
| Field Set-up | VACANT |
| Head Scorekeeper | Caileigh Morrison (she/her) |
AFFILIATIONS
In August 2022, SCISA became a member city of International Pride Softball (formerly NAGAAA), joining a network of 20,000+ 2SLGBTQIA+ players and allies across more than 50 cities in North America.
At its core, iPride exists to create safe, welcoming, and inclusive opportunities for people of all identities, backgrounds, and skill levels to participate in the sport of slo-pitch softball. Our decision to join was rooted in a desire to connect SCISA to something bigger than ourselves - a broader, values-aligned community where leagues can learn from one another, share ideas, and build more inclusive and sustainable spaces for play.
Since joining, iPride has influenced SCISA in meaningful ways. Our draft model, elements of our rules/bylaws, and many of our approaches to league structure, equity, and play have been shaped by collaboration with other member cities. In fact, SCISA itself was founded by individuals who first connected through iPride - this network is part of our origin story.
We also recognize that participation in iPride has sometimes been misunderstood. While iPride offers opportunities to travel and compete in tournaments across North America - including the Gay Softball World Series - it is not solely about competitive play or travel. Nor is it limited to any one type of player or identity. The iPride community is as diverse as our own, with leagues that prioritize recreation, inclusion, and community-building just as much as competition.
We understand that not all members are able - or feel comfortable - to travel, particularly given current political and social realities. Participation in tournaments is just one aspect of iPride, and not a requirement to benefit from our membership. The value extends far beyond the field:
- Access to shared knowledge and best practices in inclusivity, accessibility, and community-building
- Ability for our members to participate in various iPride committees with members from all over North America
- Support with league structure, player ratings, divisions, and fair play
- Opportunities for collaboration and connection with other leagues across Canada and the U.S.
- A broader network of 2SLGBTQIA+ community, advocacy, and leadership
While different members may engage with iPride in different ways, we believe SCISA is stronger because of this connection. It challenges us to grow, grounds us in a larger movement, and opens doors to ideas and relationships that help us better serve our own community here at home.
We remain committed to ensuring that our involvement with iPride reflects SCISA’s values - centring inclusion, accessibility, and belonging - and to continuing to explore how this partnership can best support our members, both now and into the future.
In 2026, the iPride Board met with representatives from SCISA, CGSL (Toronto), and WESA (Vancouver) to discuss ways to strengthen the relationship between Canadian member cities and iPride - especially during this politically turbulent time. We agreed on three focus areas for the 2026 calendar year. To read iPride's letter to Canadian member cities, CLICK HERE.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississaugas. This land is governed by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek Nations to share and care for the resources of the Great Lakes region. We recognize that this land remains home to many Indigenous peoples, and we are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, play, and build community here.
We also acknowledge that this is sacred and stolen land. Colonization is not a chapter of history that has ended - it continues today. We see its impacts in the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in foster care, in ongoing barriers to housing and healthcare, in violence against Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, transgender, and gender-diverse people, and in the continued displacement of Indigenous communities from their lands and rights.
As a 2SLGBTQIA+ league, we know that inclusion does not happen by accident. The rights and freedoms many of us enjoy today exist because people before us challenged systems that excluded them. We also know that those systems continue to affect many people in our communities. At a time when transgender rights are increasingly under attack across North America, and when Indigenous communities continue to advocate for justice, sovereignty, and safety, we are reminded that equality is not something we achieve once - it is something we must continually protect and expand.
A land acknowledgement is not an ending; it is an invitation. It calls us to learn whose land we are on, to listen to Indigenous voices, to challenge discrimination when we encounter it, and to build communities where everyone can participate with dignity, safety, and a sense of belonging.
As we gather to play, we commit ourselves to the spirit of the Dish With One Spoon: to share what we have, to care for one another, to take only what we need, and to leave enough in the bowl for those who come after us.