New Player FAQ

Welcome to the New Player FAQ.

Jump to:
How do I join a team?
When are the games and practices? What is the time commitment?
Where are the games and practices?
What equipment do I need?
How much does it cost?
Will I get a uniform?
What if I don’t know how to play softball, or want a refresher?
What style of softball does the Mabel League play? What is the style of pitching?
What kinds of social activities are there?

How do I join a team?
We are accepting new players of all skill levels.

Send the Registrar an email with your name, phone number, whether you’ve played before (and at what level) and email address. This information will be forwarded to all of the teams. Teams that are looking for players will contact you to set up a meeting/practice.

The Mabel League is not like other leagues you may be familiar with who accept applications and fees and then assign you to a team.  Our league is team based.  Teams submit rosters and registration fees to the League.  It is up to teams to find their own players.  There are many existing teams who often need to add players to their rosters.  If you send your information to the registrar as outline above, teams needing players may contact you. You can also attend Meet Mabel, an event held in February each year to introduce potential new players to teams looking for players.

We encourage all interested new players to consider starting a team.  Please see “Join as a Team“.

When are the games and practices? What is the time commitment?

The season runs from late April until late July. Many teams will start practicing in March or early April.

Games can be scheduled any day of the week, except Mondays and long weekends.

Weekday games are at 6:30pm and weekend games are at 4:30 and 6:30pm. Games generally run for about 90 minutes.

Teams will usually play 1 or 2 games per week and teams may individually set up practices as well.

Where are the games and practices?

All of the games are played on softball diamonds in East Vancouver, typically just minutes away from Commercial Drive. Our usual fields include: Beaconsfield, China Creek, Clark Park, Rupert Park, Trout Lake South, Templeton, & Woodland.

What equipment do I need?

All you need is a glove. Cleats (no metal – rubber cleats only) are strongly recommended by the league to prevent injury on wet and/or slippery fields. Many players also use batting gloves.

Many teams will supply bats, batting helmets, bases, balls and catchers gear, but please confirm this when joining a team.

Mabel League members get a 10% discount on equipment at Abbie’s Sporting Goods on Main Street.

How much does it cost?

For the 2020 season, team fees are $1200 (plus a refundable $200 forfeit bond) per team.  How the team finances these fees is up to the particular team, but generally they are divided amongst each team’s players.

Will I get a uniform?

All teams are responsible for their team uniforms, so one will be supplied by the team you join.  If you join a new team, you may be asked to fundraise or contribute to the purchase of the team’s uniforms.  Please confirm this when joining a team.

What if I don’t know how to play softball, or want a refresher?

We run pre-season skills clinics with a certified national level coach who covers various aspects of the game such as batting, pitching, catching, fielding etc, for a variety of different skill levels.

We also run a pre-season rules clinic for those who want to learn or brush up.

What style of softball does the Mabel League play? What is the style of pitching?

We play fastpitch softball, where the pitches come straight across the plate and strikes must go through the batter’s strike zone. (This is different from slow-pitch, where the pitches are “lobbed” and strikes must land on home plate.)

Pitchers must use “modified fastpitch” style pitching, rather than “windmill”, in Recreational and Intermediate. In the Competitive division, teams have the option at the beginning of each game to consent to windmill-style pitching.

What kinds of social activities are there?

We are a very social league, and teams tend to socialize throughout the year.

We also host many official social events each year, which may include:

  • Meet Mabel: a pre-season meet and greet events for new and returning players
  • a Kick-off Tournament at the start of the season
  • the fun LIL tournament on the first weekend of June, where we invite out of town teams to participate, and costumes are encouraged!
  • social events on the Friday and Saturday nights of the LIL tournament

If there is anything else you are curious about, don’t hesitate to email us!