Sports

Canton Summer Softball Tryouts This Weekend

Canton will have a team in the Girls Summer Hockomock League for the first time in over five years.

Canton gals get ready to play some this season. The Hockomock Girls Summer Softball League is holding tryouts on Friday and Saturday. Canton residents, ages 11 to 14, (grades six to nine) are eligible to tryout for Canton’s summer softball team.

Canton resident, realtor and mother of two is the softball coach and she is looking for talent.

“I’m going to take 12 to 15 girls,” the coach said. Tryouts are being held on April 22 and April 23 at Memorial Field in Canton. “I’m hoping we get a good turnout.”

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Interested softball players do not need any experience to tryout for the team. “We may find a girl that’s never played but just has some great raw talent and she’d end up being a superstar–you just never know,” said Reissfelder, who has coached the Recreation Department team for the past three years.

She recalled coaching eight and nine-year-old girls on the Lucky Lions. “My first year, I had the Lucky Lions, some had never even seen a softball before,” the coach said of the recreation team. “One little girl closed her eyes when I threw the ball at her.”

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Despite their newness to the sport, “we won it all,” Reissfelder said. “We won every single game and were undefeated every season.”

Now, she is hoping to bring that winning streak to the Hockomock League. It has been over five years since Canton has had a team in the Hockomock League.  The coach’s sister, Jillian MacPhail, and Martin Devane will be assistant coaches for the new team.

“I decided to recreate the wheel here so I’m going to be the town rep and I’m also going to coach one team,” said Reissfelder, who is also coaching the Recreation Department’s Spring League team.

“This year we are kind of getting our feet wet,” the former softball player said. “We have never participated in this division. We’ll see how everything works.”

The coach has already purchased all of the softball equipment, but girls that make the team will need to pay $150 fee to participate, which covers the uniforms.

“I have been soliciting sponsors,” the Canton mother said. “It’s not an expensive league to participate in, however some families can’t afford $150.”

Reissfelder is seeking sponsors and would put a sponsor’s name on the equipment, the uniforms and the practice t-shirts. Any interested sponsor can contact Reissfelder at br5229@msn.com.

The five-week season runs from June 20-July 28. Tryouts will be held on April 22nd and 23rd from 10:00 a.m. - noon at Memorial Field. Girls must attend both days of tryouts. For additional information or questions, e-mail Britta Reissfelder at br5229@msn.com.


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