Indoor Training Centre fun, exciting football final in photo roundup

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

A Timbits Saturdays group comes together for a big cheer.

Off-season time at the Indoor Training Centre can be tonnes of fun.

All it takes is seeing a session of the Saskatchewan North Central Softball Academy’s Timbits Saturdays program to be reminded of that tidbit. Our lead photo of our photo roundup comes from a Timbits Saturdays session held on December 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. It shows the coaches and players coming together for a cheer following the conclusion of one of those hour-long periods.

These days the Indoor Training Centre is enjoying its peak period as various sporting groups are using it for training sessions like baseball, football, lacrosse, softball and track and field.

Activities from Timbits Saturdays offer up arguably the cutest photos. That program offers softball instruction to children aged three to 11 in one-hour long sessions that are held Saturday mornings at the Indoor Training Centre from October to February.

The young players participate in activities and games that are patterned after informal playground games that promise fun and action. The activities are set up in a way to allow players with high and low skill levels to be involved.

A young players makes a throw at a Timbits Saturdays session.

Players also participate in basic drills that teach the proper forms for throwing, catching and pitching. On the hitting side, players take part in drills that work on proper stance and swinging before proceeding to hit balls off a tee into a net.

Some of those drills are used with older age groups to help reinforce the basics. The second photo of the photo roundup shows a young player taking part of an infield throwing drill at a Timbits Saturdays session on December 2.

On top of those drills, the players will do some activities that are basically playground games along with some short simulated mini games at the end of the session. Ultimately, the main focus of the program is to try and ensure the players have fun and develop a love for the game.

Besides Timbits Saturdays photos, the photos in this photo roundup capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds, which include photos from an exciting championship football game and training sessions from various sports. In this photo roundup, the majority of these pictures were taken by our Communications Coordinator in Darren Steinke.

Without further ado, here is a selection of 15 shots we hope you enjoy.

Monster game for Crusader

Receiver Britton Tabler of the Holy Cross High School Crusaders had one of the best games of his career in the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association’s 6A provincial football championship game held on November 11 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. Tabler caught 11 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown. The Crusaders ultimately lost a 12-10 heartbreaker to Regina’s Miller Comprehensive Catholic High School Marauders.

Tough slugging on the ground

Holy Cross High School Crusaders running back Aulain Penner gets corralled by a number of defenders from Regina’s Miller Comprehensive Catholic High School Marauders on November 11 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The Crusaders and Marauders were going at it in the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association’s 6A provincial football championship game. The Marauders would take the contest 12-10.

Marauders celebrate a three-peat

The players from Regina’s Miller Comprehensive Catholic High School Marauders raise the championship trophy in celebration of winning the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association’s 6A provincial football title game on November 11. The win marked the third straight year the Marauders claimed the 6A football crown.

Eyeing up the details

A hitter concentrates on his mechanics during a drill at a Going Yard Training Centre session on November 21 at the Indoor Training Centre. Players use the sessions with the Going Yard Training Centre to work on improving the fine points in their game.

Perfecting infield defence on the bases

An athlete, right, from a JQFP Softball session works on fielding defence on a base inside a batting cage at the Indoor Training Centre on November 22. The JQFP Softball coaches showed off an innovative way here to help players improve infield defensive skills on the bases. JQFP Softball coach Jon Equina, left, oversees this drill.

Family welcome for Iris

The Gordie Howe Sports Complex Management Corporation was pleased to welcome Iris Lapierre as the new Administration Manager to the Gordie Howe Sports Complex family. Iris comes to the Gordie Howe Sports Complex after having spent 29 years with the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools having retired in October. She is pictured here on November 22 working at the front desk of the Indoor Training Centre.

Running to create space

An athlete with the Sentinels Lacrosse Club motors to an open space in the offensive end of the field during a practice session on November 27 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Sentinels are an elite field lacrosse program that runs junior varsity and varsity teams from September through to December.

Tuesday morning camper found

We had a visitor to the overflow campground on the morning of Tuesday, November 28. We believe the visitor jumped the fence as there are no holes in it. We opened the door and the visitor left for a next destination. Johnny Marciniuk, who is our Operations Manager, checked in with the photo of our visitor.

Securing out at first

An infielder follows the ball into her glove fielding at first base during a 222’s Fastpitch practice session at the Indoor Training Centre. The 222’s were focusing on perfecting various defensive skills in the infield on this day.

Finesse throw

A player uses perfect touch to let a Frisbee fly during Saskatoon Ultimate Disc-Sport Society game action on November 30 at the Indoor Training Centre. Saskatoon Ultimate Disc-Sport Society league play is a staple happening at the Indoor Training Centre during the winter months.

A helping hand

A coach helps a young hitter to set up properly in order to hit the ball during one of the SNCSA’s Timbits Saturdays session on December 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. The players taking part in the Timbits Saturdays have a lot of fun and improve greatly over the winter months the program is run.

Feeling the need for speed

A base runner round second base at seemingly warp speed during one of the SNCSA’s Timbits Saturdays session on December 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. The player was taking part in a mini game that closes out the one-hour period the Timbits Saturdays program run.

Set for the relay

An infielder for the Saskatoon Giants sets to make a catch at second base before making a relay throw to first on December 6 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Giants were taking infield defensive repetitions in order to prepare for the 2024 spring and summer baseball season.

Selects break it down

Members of the Saskatoon Selects program conclude a training session with a cheer on December 6 at the Indoor Training Centre. Many spring and summer club squads do off-season work as a team unit to build skills and unity.

Up and away

Two athletes get some air time going up to battle for a Frisbee during Saskatoon Ultimate Disc-Sport Society league play at the Indoor Training Centre on December 7. Those taking part in Saskatoon Ultimate Disc-Sport Society action make some incredible plays on the turf.

SNCSA’s Timbits Saturdays aims to create love for softball

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

A youngster works on her swing at a Timbits Saturdays session.

The reward of watching youngsters improve keeps pulling Danielle Bertoncini back into coaching with the Saskatchewan North Central Softball Academy’s Timbits Saturdays program.

Bertoncini is an outfielder with the University of Saskatchewan Softball team and was contacted about a year ago about helping coach with Timbits Saturdays. The Timbits Saturdays program offers softball instruction to children aged five to 10 in one-hour long sessions that are held Saturday mornings at the Indoor Training Centre at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex from October to February.

Players that sign up for the program will take part in a total of six one-hour sessions.

They participate in activities and games that are patterned after informal playground games that promise fun and action. The activities are set up in a way to allow players with high and low skill levels to be involved.

“When they get better, it is very exciting to see,” said Bertoncini. “I’m very proud in all the kids that we see throughout the years.

“It is awesome to see them get better. It is just an unbelievable feeling. That is why I love coming back every time.

“I’m just like, ‘Yep. Sign me up,’ because I want to comeback. Seeing the kids get better is awesome. You really get to know the kids too and how they play and that kind of thing.”

The Timbits Saturday’s program is in its third season of operation. It was developed after the Indoor Training Centre opened on March 1, 2019 and first hit the field from October 2019 to February 2020.

Noreen Murphy, who is the Timbits Coordinator, said the SNCSA was looking to offer this fun instructional program in the off-season during a time that wouldn’t conflict with other activities youngsters might be involved in. The Saturday Morning time slot was a perfect fit.

Danielle Bertoncini teach pitching to a youngster.

“With the facility being available early in the morning, we just wanted to build off of that, so parents would know that this is always when it is going to be so they could schedule around the family events and activities for the kids,” said Murphy. “It has been pretty consistent.

“We sellout every time we put it out there. We’re excited about that. Lots of kids are learning more skills.”

During the Timbits Saturdays sessions, players participate in basic drills that teach the proper forms for throwing, catching and pitching. On the hitting side, players take part in drills that work on proper stance and swinging before proceeding to hit balls off a tee into a net.

Some of those drills are used with older age groups to help reinforce the basics.

On top of those drills, the players will do some activities that are basically playground games along with some short simulated mini games at the end of the session.

Murphy said the program tries to help young players develop physical literary, but the main focus is trying to ensure they are having fun.

“I’ve always said any time you are instructing whatever you are instructing it doesn’t matter the kids need to have fun at the end of the day,” said Murphy. “If they are not having fun, they won’t comeback.

“That is a huge part of it. You will see when we instruct or teach different skill sets in the sport of softball that we include different activities that don’t look like softball, but they are building the foundation of the ABCs I call them agility, balance and coordination. Those are the pieces that you need to be a strong player and athlete eventually.

“We work on those things. They’ve had a lot of fun here, so that is what it is at the end of the day.”

Kelsey Rokosh has a young daughter in the Timbits Saturdays program, who is always pumped up at the end of the sessions about what took place and immediately looks forward to coming back.

Youngsters practise pitching at a Timbits Saturdays session.

Rokosh said her daughter plays softball in the spring and her family was looking for a way to get in some extra skill development in the off-season. She said the Timbits Saturdays program fit her family’s schedule perfectly.

Rokosh watches the Timbits Saturdays sessions from the spectator loop on the second floor of the Indoor Training Centre and enjoys watching her daughter part in the action on the field below.

“They look really organized,” said Rokosh. “The kids look like they are having fun.

“We can see that they have learned some new skills.”

She was also impressed with how well the coaches interact with the young players.

“The coaches seem really great,” said Rokosh. “They are really involved, and they seem really supportive of the kids.”

Bertoncini said it has made her feel good to be able to come out and coach at the Timbits Saturdays sessions and give back to the game.

She has enjoyed teaching the basic skills of the game to young players. She said it has helped her game, because at the elite adult levels there is a lot of focus on the intricacies and strategies of the game.

“It is honestly good for me, because it is good to go back to the basics,” said Bertoncini. “At the end of the day, ball is very simple.

“Ball is about catching the ball, throwing the ball and receiving the ball, and then hitting the ball as well. It is really good to comeback to square one. Playing for the U of S, it happens really quick, and you have to be on your toes at all times.

“At the end of the day, we want kids to come out and play and that is how the sport continues to grow in Saskatoon here. It is good to comeback to square one and kind of slow it down again and get the little kids to really enjoy their time.”

A youngster throws the ball at a Timbits Saturdays session.

During the sessions, Bertoncini hopes she can help instill a love for the sport of softball like she has for the game. She wants them to have a great experience with the game, so they will keep coming back to it.

“We are just making sure we have them have fun in it, so they continue to play as they get older,” said Bertoncini. “That is often where people drop off.

“If they are not having fun in the sport or certain things are not going well, they tend to drop out. As long as we can make sure they are having fun and pushing themselves to be better, I think that is all we can really ask for.”

For more information about programs offered by the Saskatchewan North Central Softball Academy, feel free to check out sncsacademy.com.

Softball A-programs get set for season

Junior aged teams flock to Indoor Training Centre

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

A Selects batter drives the ball in a batting cage.

For the Saskatoon Minor Softball League’s A-level programs, off-season work is in high gear.

Since January, the A-teams from the junior age groups of the Hustlers, Lasers, Phantoms and Raiders regional Saskatoon city zones have gathered for regular sessions at the Indoor Training Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds along with the city-wide Selects zone program. 

“Right now they are in the process of going through all their (evaluations) for the people that they have registered right now,” said SMSL President Vanessa Kosteroski. “They want to get their A-teams going and get them picked and get that part going.”

The zone programs are doing evaluations for their A-teams in the under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-19 age levels that make up the junior age group. Players heading to these sessions are put through position specific drills and are graded on how well they do.

The majority of the hitting and pitching drills take place in the pitching tunnels and batting cages at the Indoor Training Centre. The infield and outfield drills are held on the large indoor field turf fields.

“Right now as far as the (evaluations) go, our pitchers tryout for a pitcher,” said Kosteroski. “Our catchers tryout for the catchers program.

“The rest of them who are trying out for first base, second base, third base, infield and outfield, that is all part of the (evaluations). They are graded on that.”

A Hustlers player sets to throw the ball during a drill.

Kosteroski said the coaches from the zone programs have assistance when it comes to doing the evaluations. The zone programs bring independent evaluators in and some zones utilized the SkillShark athlete evaluation software program, which helps grade skills and athletic attributes.

“They go through all the performances,” said Kosteroski. “They enter it into the SkillShark program.

“Then, it spits out a number. It is really quite a good program. One or two of our zones don’t use SkillShark, but they have their own independent evaluators, which is fine, and they do that.”

This year Kosteroski said the zone programs have had to do a little more work in scheduling than in past years due to Public Health Orders brought in to combat the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

In past years, sessions could include anywhere from 20 to 30 players. This year zone programs are trying to get evaluations and training done with players split into groups of eight.

On top of that, the softball zones are trying to work the scheduling of training sessions in a way that respects the needs of other sporting communities that use the Indoor Training Centre.

“It is a lot different than normal,” said Kosteroski. “Once our A-program is created and our teams for A are picked, the players know who they are playing for.

A Lasers player fields a ground ball in the infield.

“Their coach then sets up times, and they get to go and practise and put all that to good use after that. They are trying to get as much in as they can before the actual season starts. It is not easy when everybody else needs the facility as well.

“Everybody is just happy to be out playing.”

Kosteroski it has been extremely valuable for the SMSL’s zone programs to use the Indoor Training Centre, which officially opened for public bookings in March of 2019.

Before the Indoor Training Centre opened, zone programs most often did evaluations and training in school gyms. In gyms, it was hard to do outfield work as the ceilings were usually too low.

When her children grew up playing softball, Kosteroski remembers that some of the sessions held in gymnasiums could be adventurous.

“Back in the days when my kids were in gymnasiums, you had balls flying everywhere and hitting kids in the head,” said Kosteroski. “It was chaos.

“Our zones are very appreciative of it (the Indoor Training Centre). We’re kind of spoiled now, because if we had to go back, we would be in trouble.”

Kosteroski said the ability to be able to use the Indoor Training Centre allows the zone programs to get a head start for the upcoming season.

“Our A-program, it helps them out immensely,” said Kosteroski. “We have some B-teams that book it as well and have their teams go in there and practise, because it is team bonding as well.

A Phantoms player fires a ball back into the infield.

“It becomes a very big deal when you can do that. It has been a really good thing that is for sure.”

In the past, teams have been able to hold scrimmages at the Indoor Training Centre. In 2019, the SMSL held its under-12 and under-14 city championships there, when heavy rainy weather made outdoor diamonds unplayable.

“We had our city championships in there two years ago, and it was great,” said Kosteroski. “The kids loved it.

“People created awareness in the community. Parents were aware of it that had never been in it, didn’t know anything about it and kind didn’t even know it existed. For things like that, you can’t go wrong.”

The Hustlers, Lasers, Phantoms and Raiders regional zone programs do run teams in the under-six, under-eight and under-10 age levels that make up the Timbits softball age group. Those teams don’t get going until the middle or the end of April.

The Saskatchewan North Central Softball Academy does run an off-season Timbits Saturdays program at the Indoor Training Centre, which usually runs from November to February, to give those players an extra chance to play the game.

Kosteroski said the Timbits programs focus on instilling a love for the game in players aged 10 and under. The A-level junior age groups do more off-season work as competition becomes a little more serious.

“With Timbits, it is a little bit different,” said Kosteroski. “They just want to go outside and be apart of something.”

A Raiders play sets to field a ball at third base.

Overall, Kosteroski said the SMSL zone programs enjoy the time they get to be in the Indoor Training Centre during the off-season taking part in the game they love.

“My zones are really appreciative,” said Kosteroski. “Our coaches just love it.

“They know it is a safe environment. They enjoy working with the people and the staff there. Everything has been really good.”

 

For more information about the Saskatoon Minor Softball League, feel free to check out their website smsl.ca.