Founded in the fall of 2010, Girls Prairie League Softball (GPLS) is entering our ninth season of play in 2019. At the core of our mission, GPLS seeks to grow the game of softball and provide the highest level of competition for its member teams.
Operating as a multi-weekend league with alternating hosts, GPLS teams play across Alberta and Saskatchewan with set regular season schedules, providing certainty and convenience to teams' schedules. This set schedule enables teams to play more games in a weekend; meaning more at bats, more innings pitching, more defensive opportunities, and more development for both teams and individual players.
Thus far, the results have spoken for themselves. As proud affiliates of Softball Alberta and Softball Saskatchewan, GPLS members have increasingly dominated the medal podium at their respective provincial championships which they attend.
In 2014, GPLS hosted our first ever coaching development clinic. This event was instructed by Canadian Senior Women's National Team head coach, Mark Smith. This event was a huge success with great attendance from coaches across the prairies. This clinic not only helped improve the calibre of coaching on the prairies, but also provided coaches with professional development points which are now required for coaches to maintain their National Coaching Certification Program status.
After great demand 2016 saw GPLS introduce a developmental division for teams competing at the 'B' category for their respective provincial championships. Response has been exciting as this division has seen great participation from many communities and has grown to match the size of the 'A' division.
From starting with 21 teams in our first season, GPLS has grown to include over 70 teams from all corners of Alberta and Saskatchewan. With continuing growth and success, GPLS will continue efforts to grow the game and raise the standard of excellence for softball on the prairies. Through partnership and cooperation with groups such as the WCSA, ASUA, and others; GPLS will continue to drive the development of competitive softball on the prairies and in Canada.