Foothills Girls Baseball Program

Foothills Little League Girls Baseball is a thriving program dedicated to empowering young female athletes through the game of baseball. Designed for players of all skill levels, the league provides a supportive environment for girls to learn, grow, and excel both on and off the field. With nearly 100 girls enrolled in the 2024 season, the program continues to flourish as a cornerstone for developing athleticism, teamwork, and confidence in young players.

At the heart of Foothills Little League Girls Baseball lies a mission to inspire a lifelong love for sport while fostering a sense of community among players and their families. The league is committed to offering girls a platform to compete, succeed, and showcase their talents. By promoting inclusivity and diversity, the program aims to create a level playing field where every athlete feels valued and is given the opportunity to compete.

Our commitment to athlete development extends beyond the diamond. Through development sessions, practices and games our players build essential life skills such as leadership, resilience, and team collaboration. Whether stepping up to bat or making a pivotal play in the field, every girl is encouraged to embrace challenges, set goals, and strive for personal and team success.

Foothills Little League Girls Baseball also prioritizes fair play, sportsmanship and building meaningful connections with teammates and coaches.

As participation numbers grow, Foothills Little League Girls Baseball remains steadfast in its dedication to nurturing the next generation of female athletes. The program’s historical success underscores our community's enthusiasm and commitment to supporting girls in baseball. With a bright future ahead, the league continues work to expand its reach and impact and ensure that more young girls have the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of this timeless sport.

Our Strategy
Foothills Little League has adopted a multi-year strategy to grow and strengthen girls baseball. Our strategy is focussed on:
1. Enrolment
2. Retention
3. Skills & Competitive Play

Increasing Girls’ Enrolment Across All Divisions
Foothills Little League Baseball is committed to growing girls’ participation across every level of our league. With a focus on recruiting athletes during their formative years, our goal is to provide a competitive team for athletes of all ages, ranging from 4-16.

T-Ball (Ages 4-5)
Enrolling girls aged 4 and 5 in T-Ball is a vital first step in introducing them to the fundamentals of baseball and building a lifelong love for the game. At this formative stage, young players develop essential skills such as hand-eye coordination, basic throwing and catching techniques, and an understanding of teamwork and sportsmanship. T-ball provides a fun and low-pressure environment where girls can build confidence, make new friends, and develop a sense of belonging within a team.

Coach Pitch (Ages 6-7)
Enrolling girls aged 6 and 7 in coach pitch baseball is a crucial step in building on the foundational skills learned in T-ball and advancing their understanding of the game. At this stage, players transition to hitting a moving ball, which enhances their hand-eye coordination, timing, and focus. Coach pitch baseball also introduces more structured gameplay, allowing girls to develop a deeper understanding of positions, rules, and teamwork. By participating in coach pitch, players refine their throwing, catching, and fielding skills while gaining confidence in their abilities.

Minors (Ages 8-10)
The Minors Division is a three-tiered structure ensuring players of similar skill levels are grouped together, creating balanced competition and opportunities for growth.  Whether they are new to the game or seasoned players, every girl is encouraged to join, as evaluations help place them in the appropriate tier to match their abilities.  Minors athletes receive targeted coaching, regular practices and experience competitive game situations that challenge players without overwhelming them. The division  promotes confidence, teamwork, and a deeper understanding of the game.  By participating in the Minors Division, girls compete in a supportive atmosphere that encourages both athletic improvement and team development.

Majors/Nationals (Ages 11-12)
The Majors/Nationals Division offers an exciting and challenging opportunity for girls aged 11 and 12 to elevate their baseball experience. In this tiered division, the top players are placed on one of the two Majors teams, while the remaining players join Nationals teams. This division introduces a more competitive and dynamic schedule, with game nights varying based on interlock matchups against teams throughout north Calgary. In addition to games, players can expect 1-2 weekly practices tailored by their coach to focus on skill refinement, teamwork, and strategy.

Intermediates (Age 13)
The Intermediate Division provides an exciting and crucial step for 13-year-old girls as they transition from the Majors/Nationals Division to more advanced levels of play.  Competing against teams from north Calgary and surrounding areas, this division offers players a platform to refine their skills and grow within the sport. With games played on diamonds featuring 70-foot base paths and a 50-foot pitching distance, players adapt to the increased challenges of the game while learning and mastering full baseball rules, including lead-offs, pick-offs, and balks.

Junior (Age 14)
The Junior Division offers an excellent opportunity for 14-year-old girls to continue developing their baseball skills while transitioning to larger diamonds and more advanced levels of play. Competing against teams from north Calgary and surrounding areas, players in this division build on the fundamentals and strategies they’ve learned in previous levels while adapting to the challenges of a full-sized field. This stage is critical for enhancing their understanding of the game, improving technical skills, and fostering mental toughness through increased competition.

Seniors (Ages 15-16)
Our most competitive level of play, Seniors is the final cohort of baseball in our league. Girls playing at this level will have graduated through all prior divisions of play and be focussed on skill building and competitive team play.

Year-Round Engagement to Increase Retention
Retention of female players is a cornerstone of growing girls’ baseball in Calgary, and fostering year-round engagement is central to this goal.
Beyond the traditional spring season, Foothills Little League hosts off-season clinics, training sessions, and events to keep our female players connected to the sport and each other.  These activities not only help players maintain and improve their skills and confidence but also build a sense of community and belonging. The league aims to create an environment where female players feel valued, supported, and excited to return each season, ensuring continued growth and sustainability of the program.

Fostering Skills and Competitive Play
Foothills Little League is dedicated to raising the level of skill and competition among its female players by offering expanded development opportunities. These initiatives include specialized female-led development camps, hitting sessions, and coaching. By providing structured opportunities for skill-building and competition, Foothills ensures that our female players are equipped to succeed at every level of the game, no matter who they are competing against. Additionally, the league seeks to connect our most ambitious players to regional and national tournaments, fostering a competitive spirit and inspiring players to achieve their fullest potential.

Did you know:

  • In 2024 there were 85 female players in our league and we formed four all-girls teams in T-ball, Coach Pitch (2) and Minors 'A'.   The number of girls playing baseball at Foothills has doubled in the past four years!

 

  • During Registration girls have the option of selecting either an all-girls team or co-ed.  We always make sure to place multiple girls on co-ed teams.

 

  • Girls have the option of either playing in their regular age group or they can play down one year, this is the player's choice.  Please contact our Registrar if you would like to play down a year.

 

  • There are multiple special events set up for girls baseball this season.  There will be a Girls Clinic in May and Pre-Season Girls Training.

 

  • Multiple former Foothills players have played on U14 and U16 Provincial Alberta Girls Teams and one former player recently played on the Canadian National Women's Team.

 

  • In December 2023 two current Foothills Players were invited to play in the Leighton Accardo Tournament in Arizona with the top U12 Female players in North America

 

  • Female baseball (U16) will debut at the 2025 Canada Summer Games
Studies have concluded the benefits of girls playing sports:
  • Girls who participate in sport are less likely to be depressed, more likely to reach higher academic goals and more likely to demonstrate improved self-confidence (Merkel, 2013)

 

  • Girls who play sport are 11% more likely to say they’re “happy the way they are(Girls’ Index Impact Report, Ruling Our Experiences, 2017)

 

  • Statistics show that 41% of girls between ages 3 and 17 don’t participate in sports, and 84% of adult women don’t participate in sports at all.

 

  • Girls are participating in sport at rates much lower than those of their male counterparts. (26% of 5-17 year old girls average 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity everyday vs. 48% of 5-17 year old boys*)

 

  • If a girl hasn’t participated in sport by the age of 10, there is only a 10% chance that she will be physically active as an adult. (CAAWS, 2016)

 

  • By the age of 14, girls are 1.5x more likely to drop out of sport than boys. (Girls in Sport Study, Gatorade, 2017)

 

  • According to an EY & espnW survey 94% of women in C-suite positions played competitive sports and 80% of Fortune 500 female executives played sports when they were young