A Moncton women’s slo-pitch team is still glowing after their recent trip to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The Hot Flashes brought home silver from the Slo-Pitch National Women’s Championships held August 2 to 4.
“It’s been about a year and a half, playing in Maritimes. Last October, we qualified for nationals, came second in the Maritimes, and qualified for Masters Nationals, so that’s over age 35. Then we were supposed to go to Saskatoon to play in the Masters national competition. But there were some changes in the schedule and the removal of the Masters division, so we actually got put into a women’s division,” says Angela Hoffman, who is a player.
That meant going up against women of all ages.
“We were facing 20-year-olds and people half our age, but we brought wisdom with us, and experience,” says Coach Angele Bastarache.
The members of the Hot Flashes team are from all across New Brunswick. They’re a core group of around 11 or 12 women.
“A lot of us are working mothers, so life gets very busy. Sometimes we have players that can’t make it to Nationals or big tournaments and we bring on new players, but the idea is to make the strongest team possible in New Brunswick with players over 35, “Hoffman adds.
The Hot Flashes, are proof, that you’re never too old for the ball field.
“I think it’s extremely important for women over 35 women in general, to be involved in sports. There’s this community that we’ve put together that is so supportive. I think for a lot of us, it’s an outlet. It’s a chance to decompress and let go. I think it’s extremely important for mental health, work-life balance, home-life balance,” Hoffman adds.
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While competing in Saskatoon, there was an outpouring of support for the Hot Flashes, and they represented New Brunswick well.
“We went there with a support group of three people, and we left there with crowds. Everyone was congregating at our field and cheering us on, because of our energy and they could see we were having fun. And the chemistry of the team was palpable,” Bastarache adds.
She says overall, their team was just a well-oiled machine.
“We were just hoping to go in there and use our strengths, our maturity, our wisdom, our ability to come and work together as a team. We were going to use that as our strength, and it worked out really well. We didn’t fall apart at all in that tournament. We really came together as a team,” Hoffman says.
Hoffman and Bastarache are both members of the Moncton Ladies Slo-Pitch League, which is open to all levels of players. Some teams are a little more competitive, while others are made up of both beginners and veteran players.
Their season is just wrapping up, but if you’re a woman and Slo-Pitch is something you’ve considered playing, it could be the place where you’ll find a team.
“There’s a woman we met who is from Saskatoon. Every tournament, she always goes there and picks a team to cheer for. She picked us. She was 70 and had only stopped playing the last few years. She played till her late 60’s,” Bastarache stated.
Hoffman is currently recovering from a broken arm. She was rushed to hospital during Slo-Pitch Nationals in Saskatoon after suffering the injury, but that certainly isn’t stopping her.
At 42 years old, she has a great love for the sport. She hopes to be just like that 70-year-old woman they met in Saskatoon, and still on the field 20 years from now.
