Written by OntFast Sunday, 31 January 2010 15:54

The Softball Ontario Fast Pitch Umpire Committee is pleased to announce a great opportunity for young female umpires.  Open to young women aged 15 – 18 years of age, an innovative “GIRLZ RULE” umpire clinic is being offered on Saturday, March 27th in Toronto at the Sport Alliance Building (the home of Softball Ontario).  Attendance is limited to thirty-five participants, so apply today to participate in this great clinic.

Softball Ontario is extremely pleased to offer this clinic at NO CHARGE to each of the thirty-five successful applicants due in part to a Sport4Toronto funding initiative as well as the injection of funding from the Softball Ontario program.  The clinic will be instructed by three of the country’s finest elite female umpires – Noreen Atkinson, a Softball Canada Level V from Georgetown, who participated in the 2007 Junior Women’s World Championship in the Netherlands. Daryl Way, also a Softball Canada Level V from Brampton - a fixture at supervising Canadian Championships and Lesley Pipher, a Softball Canada Level IV who participated in the 2008 Senior Women’s Canadian Championships as an umpire and the 2009 Senior Women’s Canadian Championships as a participant.

The “Girlz Rule” clinic will offer great benefits to the thirty-five fortunate young women who will be participating on Saturday, March 27, 2010 clinic in Toronto.  Each of the successful participants will receive a dynamic clinic that has been designed to address the concerns specific to those young females who will be in a position of authority for the game of softball.  With benefits similar to those offered by the Junior Development and Intermediate clinic programs, the successful participants will be offered the opportunity to interact with three of the best female officials in the country. 

Each participant will receive:

• A six hour, interactive clinic with Noreen Atkinson, Daryl Way and Lesley Pipher.
• Accident and Liability Insurance - $5,000,000 coverage for protection in the event of litigation or injury while on the diamond  for all games including exhibition, regular season, playoffs and tournament play.
• A yearly subscription to the E-newsletter – Jr. Blue – specifically designed to address the concerns of our young officials  and provide them with the necessary support of our program.
• A “Junior Development Umpire” T-shirt.
• A Junior Umpire Handbook and Clinic Manual
• A Softball Canada Rule Book – A $10 value!!!
• A Complimentary “Stair-Step” package – A $25 value!!!
o Including the Softball Canada Level 1 exam package.

Upon completion of this clinic, these thirty-five young officials will also receive the “Stair-Step” package to receive the identical benefits as a fully Registered and Carded Umpire.  As part of this package, the participants will receive, at no charge, Softball Canada Rule Books and the level 1 exam packages.  The Stair-step program will allow these young officials the opportunity to participate in Member Association Qualifiers, Elimination tournaments and Provincial Championships including PWSA House-League Select events for the 2010 season.

In all, the total value of this clinic is $65!!  Apply today to take advantage of this awesome opportunity.

It is hoped that a great number of young female officials and the Associations that support the future of our sport will take full advantage of this excellent clinic offer and apply today!!! 

To apply for participation in this clinic, please visit the Softball Ontario website for a copy of the Girlz Rule Clinic application form and send the completed form into the Softball Ontario office by Friday, March 12th, 2010.  Successful applicants will be contacted with more details regarding the clinic shortly after this deadline.

Please note that the Member Associations of Softball Ontario (OASA, PWSA, ORSA and SPOA) are in full agreement that the Umpire Program of Softball Ontario is the only body recognized for providing valid insurance to the umpires of the Province.  Ensure that your Association and officials are properly protected on the diamond by contacting Stephanie Sutton at Softball Ontario ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) to set up a clinic for your area.