Softball season in full swing
Rankin league sees the highest number of teams sign up in more than five years
Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
KANGIQLINIQ/ RANKIN INLET
Rankin Inlet is known primarily as a hockey town. But a jump in the number of teams signed up for softball this summer shows that there is enough room in Rankin for two sports to be popular.
The community's co-ed softball league kicked off at the end of last month with eight teams signed up to play. That's two more than were signed up last year and the highest number of teams taking part in the last five years, according to league president, Kandace Kusugak.
"This is the first time in quite some time that we've had eight times, which is really great," said Kusugak.
The plan for this season is to have each team play each other once before July 14. After that, the league will decide whether or not to break the group into two divisions.
Kusgak said in all likelihood the league would end up being split into a competitive division and a recreational one so that all teams could complete a double round robin and playoffs by the end of the summer.
"Having eight teams with a double round robin might affect playoffs because we'll run out of sunlight," she said."We want to have our league wrapped up before September long weekend."
There are two games scheduled to take place every night from Monday to Thursday — the first beginning at 6:15 p.m. and the second at 7:30 p.m. — until the end of August.
In addition to the regular season, there are at least two tournaments on the schedule for the summer.
The biggest tournament is the Calm Air Cup, which, like the league, will be split into competitive and recreational divisions. The tournament is scheduled to take place from Sept. 1 to Sept. 4. Kusugak said she is hoping communities from around the Kivalliq will come to Rankin to play in the tournament, although she conceded the high cost of travel might prevent some of the from coming.
The top two teams in the competitive division will qualify to go to the national co-ed softball championship the following year
Last year the Juggernauts, the team Kusugak plays for, qualified and will be going to this years' nationals in Niagara Falls. Balls Deep was the other team to qualify but will not be attending.
If two teams from Rankin Inlet qualify only the highest ranking team will be eligible for a pot of $15,000 to cover the travel costs to the national tournament.
Rankin will also be hosting a men's tournament in August, although those dates have yet to be finalized.
