HAMILTON'S 2SLGBTQIA+ SLO-PITCH SOFTBALL LEAGUE WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME
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 the draft model, where all players are categorized according to ability and selected by coaches in a closed-door draft. You can sign up with a buddy, ensuring 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 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 2024 Sponsorship Deck, please email: commissioner@scisa.ca
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY?
Registration fees may vary depending on our costs each year, but for the 2024 season, play in the Sunday division costs $125 and play in the Thursday division costs $95.
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 | commissioner@scisa.ca |
| Vice Commissioner | Lauren Oldfield | vicecommissioner@scisa.ca |
| League Administrator | Nick Dika | admin@scisa.ca |
| Communications Director | Ash Moffatt | communications@scisa.ca |
| Events Director | Dayna Gedney | events@scisa.ca |
| Treasurer | Josh Czerniga | treasurer@scisa.ca |
| Secretary | Eric de Man | secretary@scisa.ca |
| Umpire in Charge | Paula Lattanzio | umpire@scisa.ca |
| Director of Player Experience | Adam Benn | playerexperience@scisa.ca |
SUPPORT POSITIONS
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| League Ambassador | Tina Handley |
| Player Development | Mike Sonne |
| Merchandise & Graphics | Lee Bondzio |
| Equipment Manager | Charlene Radke |
| League Archivist | Rebecka Sheffield |
| Board Advisor | Ashley Letts |
| Board Advisor | Blaine Perry |
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Where we play is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We understand the spirit of that agreement to be that you take only what you need, and you always ensure there is something left in the bowl. We further acknowledge this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Purchase of 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
As the number of Indigenous children whose lives were stolen in residential schools continues to climb to an unconscionable figure, we grieve with Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. We stand in solidarity with murdered and missing Indigenous women, girls, transgender and two-spirit people. We recognize that colonial violence against Indigenous peoples is ongoing, in hospitals, in foster care, in the justice system, in land appropriation, in the fact that Indigenous people make up a large part of our neighbours experiencing houselessness. As we grapple with unprecedented wildfires and extreme weather exacerbated due to climate change, we know we have much to learn from the traditional stewards of this land.
As members and allies of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, a community whose right to exist proudly and publicly has been hard fought for, and is still being fought for in Hamilton, we know that learning about the rich history of this land and our roles as residents, neighbours and caretakers is only the beginning. We need to understand how we benefit from systems of oppression and seek to dismantle them.