Exact dates, location and fees for the 2024 program are not finalized. Cost for 2023 was $350 for the January-end of April time frame.
Please contact Sarah Shotton if you have any questions about the program
Boundary Change approved at the November 25, 2023 Softball Manitoba AGM
Minor “AAA” Female Classification - Boundaries of Softball Manitoba:
The boundaries for Softball Manitoba’s Minor “AAA” Rural Regional Organizations shall be those recognized by Softball Manitoba (as per Sport Manitoba’s 2016 MB Games Rural Map/Boundaries). Players representing their Rural Regional Organizations must reside within these boundaries.
Urban Boundaries / Catchment Areas: For this the City of Winnipeg is divided into 4 quadrants with each quarter representing the 4 current ‘AAA’ softball organizations. The following organizations would exist in the areas below:
Manitoba Angels - west of the Red River, north of the Assiniboine River, as per the electoral boundaries of the City of Winnipeg. Adding athletes residing in the Westdale Community Club catchment.
Manitoba Thunder - East of the Red River, north of Provencher/Dugald Rd, as per the electoral boundaries of the City of Winnipeg. Adding athletes residing in the South Transcona Community Club catchment and the Rural Municipality of East St Paul.
Smitty's Terminators - west of the Red River, south of the Assiniboine River, as per the electoral boundaries of the City of Winnipeg.
Winnipeg Lightning - East of the Red River, south of Provencher/Dugald Rd, as per the electoral boundaries of the City of Winnipeg
Softball MB recognized that there was a large gap between the community level softball and the AAA softball leagues. Some players in the community A leagues felt they were not getting enough development or challenged, while the AAA league was left with a very small pool of players to choose from during tryouts and subsequently an almost non existent pool to call up from. The result was that community softball associations were "stacking" one team, while making the other "developmental", when the reality is ALL community softball should be developmental. By creating the AA program, associations can now have the more "stacked" team for those more developed players with their own provincial tournament of the same caliber, while creating a safe, fun, developmental environment for the rest of the kids who just want to play.
Because the registration numbers are not very high, the players that play on the AA team will still have to play on their community A team. The goal will be to incorporate some leadership of these players on the A teams for the ones who might need more skill development in softball. "A" team Coaches may ask their AA players to set up drills, or help new players on a one on one basis to teach them how to throw or catch, or just simply teach the rules of the game.
The idea of AA softball is to hopefully establish it's own league. Much like hockey. The kids that don't make AAA, usually play AA, and those that don't make AA, usually play A. Subsequently, when AAA needs a player, they pull up from their sister AA team, and when AA needs a player, they will pull up from the A team. But this will take time to establish in softball. Especially in the urban associations where numbers of registrants is much lower than the rural. BUT, we are not there yet.
CLICK HERE for more information from Softball Manitoba about the AA Program
CLICK HERE for more information from Manitoba Thunder about the AA Program