Category: 2018 Season Updates

Updates for 2018 Season

2024 Season Registration

We are excited to finally open registration to new players for the 2024 season! 

The Field of Dreamers Cooperative Softball Association was formed in 2017 with the intention of creating a recreational softball space based on the principles of mutual aid, body liberation, and radical re-imagining of sport. We invite you to be part of this history! 

ABOUT FIELD OF DREAMERS COOPERATIVE SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION

Field of Dreamers began as a political project that not only seeks to create a space of play that affirms non-binary, trans* and other gender non-conforming identities but also that emphasizes the participations of Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and people with body types/skills that are typically not given respect in organized sport.  

What makes our league different?

  • We see our league as a political project, and many of the players in the league are connected to grassroots movements in the city
  • We are a relational league – all of our captains, organizers, umps, mentors, and cheerleaders are also players in the league. This means we run the league through each of us taking responsibility for participation, safety, coordination, and field prep. We also see ourselves as part of the Trinity Bellwoods community and seek to create positive and supportive relationships with other park users
  • We organize our league into 5 houses (Credit, Humber, Don, Rouge, Garrison) that represent the waterways that give life to this city
  • We prioritize mutual aid and mentorship – all skilled/experienced players have a role in teaching, coaching, and sharing skills with beginner/intermediate players
  • We refuse the ‘co-ed’ sport model, instead constructing rosters through self-identified experience/skill and emphasizing that all players should be valued, respected, and given opportunity to learn, succeed, and fail!

2024 REGISTRATION:

  • The 2024 season will be played from Sunday, May 5, 2024 to Sunday, October 6, 2024
  • Games will be played, as usual, at Diamond #1 (SkyDome), Trinity Bellwoods Park. 
  • Game #1 will begin at 8PM and Game #2 will begin at 9:30PM
  • Registration fees will range on a sliding scale, depending on your ability to pay from $0-$130 this season, with an option to contribute to a solidarity fund that will help pay for another player’s registration 
  • Registration will be open from Thursday Feb 29th, 8:00AM – Monday, March 5th 11:59pm ET
  • We will be registering substitute players following open registration; this is a great way to participate if you can’t commit to a whole season and/or just want to try things out! Stay tuned for details.

TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE

PAYMENTS

Once the registration period is over, you’ll hear back from us if your registration has been processed. Please note, registration is not first-come, first-served, but occurs in tiered priority.

KEY QUESTIONS

Q: How does registration work? 

A: Field of Dreamers does not operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.  We instead use a progressive registration process that emphasizes communities we seek to centralize in our league. Our league prioritizes the registrations of BIPOC queer/trans* folks, BIPOC folks in general, and other trans*/non-binary folks.  

We register new players in batches using a progressive system of registration that prioritizes folks who identify as part of the above communities. All other players who wish to register are then added to rosters thereafter and/or are invited to play as subs for the season (which gives you priority registration in subsequent seasons) if we run out of spots!

Q: What happens if roster spots fill and I don’t get into the league? 

A: While we wish we could accommodate all players who want to play in the league or spots are limited by our permit and capacity. We offer folks an opportunity to sign up as substitute players in the season, and those players are given priority to register in the following season. 

Q: How are teams decided? 

A: Teams are organized through our yearly draft. We draw on the self-represented skills you fill out in your registration form to divide each team evenly with players of a similar skill set. Once registered, you’ll be contacted to let you know about jerseys, draft day, and the opening week skillshare! 

Q: Can I register as a team or play with a friend? 

A: You cannot register a team in Field of Dreamers. Players are instead sorted into teams based on the draft. However, you may list one friend to be your “buddy.” Be sure that this same friend chooses you as their “buddy” too! When you are registered, you will be linked together in the draft and will be placed on the same team.

Let’s Make Baseball!!!

2018 Playoffs – Championships – September 16 2018

DREAM ON SWEET DREAMERS

Summer wandered back into our lives to grace us with beautiful weather for the final game of another successful Field of Dreamers season.  As we tuck this season in, draw the comfy sheets, and play some soft music on 2018, let us remember the spirit that ran through the Credit River Comrades, the Don River Valley Cats, the Humber River Humdingers, and the Rouge River Blush.  Each of you gave to this league in an immensely spirited way and we are thankful to all of our players, subs, fans, and volunteers who help make each season possible.

Despite the sleepy start, the two final games were filled with action that was modulated by the affable Robin Smillie who took the mic to call play-by-play for both matches and her hosts Colin Hastings and Andrew Stokes who provided thrilling colour commentary!! But the real question remained, would the Comrades make one final push at the Eastern door to secure the bronze medal game or would the Valley Cats scratch and claw their way back into the third spot?  Would the Humber River Humdingers be singing “We Are the Champions” or would the Rouge River Blush make all their doubters hush?

If you are curious as to the results then you’ll have to keep reading to find out!

Continue reading “2018 Playoffs – Championships – September 16 2018” →

2018 Playoffs Round 1 – September 9th

SHINE bRIGHTLY ALL YOU DREAMERS

Tropical depression Gordon hung low as the wind swirled and the skyline was filled with pink, blue, and purple luminescence.  Some gentle soul had already decorated SkyDome with pastel streamers as though they knew that the Dreamers would be taking the field for an extra special occasion.  It was the magic of playoff baseball, where puppies grow to be puppers and bugles sound the coming of fall. Where Valley Cats howl at the night sky and Comrades prepare for the October Revolution.  Where Blush ready themselves for homecoming and Humdingers…um….keep humming? Anyway, it is a beautiful and glorious time and the rains held out so that for yet another week we could all make baseball together.

In the spirit of the playoffs, captains readied themselves, with one sending out this little sweet note, ” Not that I think we are in short supply of generosity as a team at all but, sometimes the play-offs bring out our more competitive sides. While it is certainly fun and engaging to have high stakes situations and to perform at one’s best, we also want to remember the priorities of this league. Let’s keep being generous to the other teams and to one another. We’re still all in this together!”

And together they began under the grey dusk of fall.

If you are curious as to the results then you’ll have to keep reading to find out!

Continue reading “2018 Playoffs Round 1 – September 9th” →