N.L. minor softball team barred from tournament for having two female players

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — A minor softball team from Newfoundland is sitting out a St. John’s tournament this week after being barred from the competition for having two girls on the roster.

Fighting Squirrels coach Barry Smith said Friday that organizers of the Constable William Moss Memorial Softball Tournament told him they would try to accommodate the team if he separated the boys and girls when registering players from his under-12 squad.

Smith submitted his team with the original roster of nine boys and two girls, but received an email stating his team could not be accepted because the tournament is not coed.

Smith says he was surprised the organizers stuck to what he considers an antiquated approach to the sport.

“I was absolutely floored that they would sit 11 kids rather than let two girls play on our team,” said Smith.

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“I gave them every opportunity to let the kids play, to say, ‘You know what, let’s let the past be what it was, but there’s a great opportunity to have a group of kids who are dying to play in this tournament.’ But they said no.”

There are girls’ and boys’ teams playing in the under-14 and under-16 age brackets, but no girls’ division in the under-12 bracket.

Smith said he didn’t believe it when other parents told him his team was likely to be rejected if he submitted a coed roster. He tried talking with organizers first, but always stood his ground that the team would participate as is, or not at all.

Ross Crocker, tournament organizer and former president of Softball NL, said they have turned away teams with similar requests in the past, but usually coed teams from small communities are matched with players of the same gender from other teams so everyone can still participate.

Crocker said this option was presented to the Flying Squirrels, but they chose not to split the team.

“We had another team that took three girls. I mean, I don’t know what else we could do,” said Crocker.

“We don’t have a coed division because then we’d have to make up another set of rules and regulations and everything else. And that’s basically where we’re to.”

Crocker, who has organized the tournament since 2001, said organizers take all participants’ recommendations into consideration and he’s thinking about creating an under-12 girls’ division for next year.

But, whether that division plays will depend on registrations — Crocker says two teams aren’t enough to warrant creating a new division.

Smith said the organizers’ suggestion isn’t good enough, as it would still mean splitting up his players.

“If the girls are good enough and want to play in a more competitive environment, then they should be allowed to do it in any sport — basketball, soccer, baseball, hockey, anything,” said Smith. “If a girl wants to compete, she’s allowed to compete. And that’s it.”

The William Moss tournament initially started as a collaboration between Softball NL and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, named in memory of RNC Const. William Moss, who was killed during the 1959 Badger Riots.

Volunteers decided to keep the tournament going when RNC organizational presence waned, but the associations and players are mostly still associated with Softball NL.

Dave Feener, executive director of Softball NL, said the organization is interested in taking over control of the tournament given policies that conflict with Softball NL’s views.

“It’s beyond us to know why they chose not to let girls play on boys’ teams, because it is a Softball Canada policy and one that we promote ourselves,” said Feener.

“It goes against the grain of what we’re promoting, and it goes against the grain of what our association feels and believes should be taking place. It’s just not fair, really.”

Feener says Softball NL’s president suggested the issue of management be discussed at an upcoming board meeting. He said a meeting with the RNC is also on the table, to ensure the tournament is more in line with both organizations’ beliefs and policies.

“Times are different now and we should be doing our utmost that kids get to play in every opportunity possible … there should be not excuse here,” said Feener.

The Fighting Squirrels of Conception Bay South chose not to participate this year if the whole team couldn’t play, but Smith hopes that next year the organizers will take a more inclusive approach.

“I have nothing but respect for volunteers, coaches and people who give their time, but sometimes you have to intervene and think, ‘Do we have the best practice, to meet the needs of the kids and the changing community?’” said Smith.

“I think all sports need to evolve.”

Holly McKenzie-Sutter, The Canadian Press

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