Female baseball players get a league of their own in Nova Scotia, games start in June

For the first time in Nova Scotia sports history, an all-women baseball league has been formed.

Close to 60 players divided into four teams will play all of their games in the Bedford-Sackville area beginning June 3.

"I've been trying to get it started for a few years now so I'm very excited that it is finally coming together," said Jen Donaldson, one of the leagues lead organizers. "The feedback we are getting so far has just been amazing."

The league will be known as Nova Scotia Monarchs Baseball, Women's Division.

Donaldson says she realized there was a need for the league because when young women age out of minor baseball there is no place for them to continue playing the sport. Most move on to play in softball leagues.

Baseball is much different from softball. Baseball uses a smaller ball and the game is played on a bigger field. Pitchers throw overhand and are much further away from home plate.

Players who have signed up to play in the new women's league range from age 18 to 64.

"I played sandlot baseball with the boys in my neighbourhood when I was growing up, but when it came time to join a league the stop sign came up and I wasn't allowed," said BJ Atkinson, a 64-year-old from Dartmouth.

"I ended up playing softball all my life but when I saw chatter about a new women's league on Facebook, I said, 'This is going to be great. I will finally get a chance to play baseball.'"

While Atkinson will be the oldest player in the league, Neela Anderson will be the youngest.

The 18-year-old from Lower Sackville has always played on boys teams in minor baseball but is looking forward to playing in a league that is women only.

"The fact that we finally have a women's league after minor baseball that women and girls can go to is just phenomenal," said Anderson. "Honestly, I'm just so happy that I can now keep on playing baseball and not with boys for a change."

While the league will consist of all women players, a men's team has been instrumental in getting the new league up and running.

The Nova Scotia Monarchs are comprised of male players who play on 10 teams in two age groups, 45 and over and 60 and over. Many of the Monarchs players have been helping out with coaching the women at indoor facilities and they have also been supplying them with equipment to use.

"This league is long overdue, women play in so many sports so it's time to have a women's baseball league," said Monarchs president Gary Foran. "In January, I spoke with some of our guys about women not having a place to play and we all said we've got to make this happen."

Donaldson says the support from the Monarchs organization has been crucial to getting the league going.

The first year for the new league will see each of the four teams play 12 games. All games are scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays, but there will always be a week off between games and no games will be played on holidays.

"It will be good for the ladies because it's not a huge commitment of time," said Donaldson. "They can still go to the cottage for weekends when we aren't playing or whatever other things they might want to do, so it shouldn't really disrupt their summer lives too much."

Donaldson says she is hoping the league can have a smooth first season.

While she doesn't want to get ahead of herself, she is hoping the league might be able to expand in the 2024 season so more women will get a chance to play baseball.