INUVIK
With five teams already signed up a week in advance of the 2016 NWT Women's Slo Pitch Territorial Championships this weekend, it's shaping up to be a banner year.

Chelsea Larocque of the Inuvik Benchwarmers runs the bases during the 2014 territorial slo-pitch tournament. The territorials return to town this weekend. - photo courtesy of Inuvik Slo-Pitch Association

"If June 10 (another tournament) is any indicator, we'll have anywhere between seven and eight teams this year," said Jeff Amos, former organizer and coach of the returning champion Angels team. "It can only grown from here. It's taken off big time."

Karla DeBastien, last year's MVP and member of the winning team, said she is looking forward to the tournament for lots of reasons, chief among them, the chance to play with the team in a bigger tournament.

"I'm just looking forward to having good weather and playing some ball," she said. "That's what it's all about."

While she admitted that being part of last year's winning team - not to mention MVP - brings with it some added pressure for this year, she also said the tournament is a good time for newer players to give the sport a try.

"Some women don't like to play in the co-ed league," so a women's tournament is a good chance to give ball a try before deciding if they want to try the league.

The north and south of the territory were split into regions for softball four years ago, owing to the high cost for teams to travel to the capital for qualifying tournaments. This way, teams from the Beaufort Delta can participate and move on to the national level.

Amos said he remembers how in the 1970s and 80s there were men's and women's fastpitch leagues in Inuvik as well, but that with the population decrease, the number of pitchers fell to untenable levels. Slopitch, by contrast, is open to many more people, resulting in its massive popularity, both in the community as well as in the region.

"I'm looking forward to getting to see all the players and teams from last year," Amos said. "It's always great to see new players too, and it'll be nice to see all the community teams out. Ball is big all over, in all the communities."

Still, Amos said there will be enough competition to keep things interesting. Several teams have been gearing up to take on the defending champion Angels.

"I know there are a few teams who are going to try to take our title," Amos said, laughing.

Beyond that, however, the tournament will feature some non-game antics and perhaps a home-run derby just to keep things interesting. Whatever happens, the tournament is sure to be a good time for both teams and spectators.

"Rain or shine, the games will go on," Amos said.

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