Take Me to Play Softball

Softball in Vaudreuil-Soulanges

What comes to mind when you hear “softball”? Maybe you imagine an underhand pitcher, an oversized yellow ball, and young girls chatting in left field between innings. While there’s some truth to that image, there’s much more to this sport, especially in the Lac Saint-Louis region, where joy rules — and queens collect wins.

Friday night. 7 PM. A damp spring evening at Cité-des-Jeunes. I walk into the gym with my 7-year-old daughter, whose throwing arm impressed the whole family last summer. We’re greeted by a bustling gym full of girls ready to shake off a winter without home runs. My daughter Clémence searches for a partner to throw with — and finds one.
"Be careful, Clémence. Throw it like this... Remember a ball to the face hurts..." I say — all those unnecessary things we say to a kid who just wants to have fun.
Within a minute, she’s in her element. I slip away to chat with Johanne Beaudoin, president of both the Presqu’île and Lac Saint-Louis softball leagues.

It’s Not Baseball

Let’s be clear: softball is not baseball. While they look similar, they’re distinct. Softball was born in Chicago in 1887 — decades after baseball was codified — and entered the Olympic Games in 1996 in Athens. After a 12-year absence, it returned for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.

It features a larger, yellow ball, underhand pitching, and smaller base paths. “It’s a fun sport,” says Johanne, who's been involved since childhood and whose daughters now play. “The girls cheer each other on, sing, and form strong social bonds. Parents often think it’s boring, but when coached well, there’s lots of defensive action and solid hits.”

A Girl’s Game

In the greater Lac Saint-Louis region — covering Châteauguay, Lakeshore, Valleyfield, Presqu’île, Saint-Lazare, and Île-Perrot — softball is largely a girls’ sport. While some areas in Québec offer coed leagues, here, it’s high-pitched excitement all around.

“In other regions, softball’s declining because baseball scoops up the girls,” says Johanne. “They can’t promote softball in schools there. We can.” That advantage has fueled local growth, even with competition from soccer.

“When they’re young, soccer dominates,” she admits. “It’s hard to recruit — more matches, more players. Softball isn’t well-known or rich. It’s not in school phys-ed programs.”
Determined, she focused on building player numbers by developing U12, U13, U14 teams. This is the first year they field a U14 team.

Among the Best in Québec

Lac Saint-Louis girls consistently rank among the province’s best. “We’re too strong,” Johanne confesses. “If you win our local end-of-season tournament, you usually win provincials.” But her aim isn’t just to build champions — it’s to nurture passion and skills. “As players grow, goals shift, but the foundation is joy and development.”

If she had a magic wand? “I’d level the competition. Our local league is great, but once you hit AA or AAA, fewer girls continue. Other regions struggle. In Ontario, 10-year-olds pitch like 13-year-olds here.”
In the U.S., the sport thrives. Schools have year-round teams and dedicated fields. Here, the season runs from May to August — or September for provincial play.

This summer, two major tournaments will stop in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, including one in Île-Perrot in late June with AA teams from the U.S., Ontario, and Québec.

Two Gloves Later

I return to the gym with a head full of questions — and answers. “Parents think differently about boys and girls in sports,” Johanne says. “A hockey-playing boy in AA? Parents spend big, dreaming of the NHL. A girl in elite ringette? A trip to Gatineau? ‘That’s expensive!’”

That opens a discussion about gender in sport, but little Clémence needs attention. Her cheeks are red after her first practice.

I ask a veteran player what keeps her coming back for a seventh season.
“I love the team spirit. I play to have fun, not for the score,” says Alexia Poulin.
Her dad Dave adds, “Sports teach life skills. Being on a team prepares you for society.” Another dad, Michel Carrignan, can’t wait for games to begin: “It’s so fun when we start! We spend summer going from park to park.”

Watching your child run, laugh, and grow through softball — beneath warm skies and high-pitched cheers — sounds like a perfect way to live.

“Daddy, can I get a glove?”
“Yes — if I get one too.”