Ontario Intercollegiate Women's Fastpitch Association

OIWFA Sponsors

"The OIWFA would like to extend their sincere thanks and appreciation to the following sponsors for their generous support:"

The OIWFA received a $500 donation from Parmalat Food Inc. This donation will help offset the 2006 OIWFA Championship Tournament expenses. The University of Toronto, the 2005 OIWFA Champions, will be hosting the Tournament.

Rawlings, the supplier of the official ball to the OIWFA, has agreed to donate balls for the 2006 Championship Tournament.

The BMO Financial Group donated $500 towards the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for the 2005 Championship games. In addition, BMO Financial provides banking services for the OIWFA.

September 14, 2005

		Gemini Motors, the Subaru and Jaguar dealer in the Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph area, has donated $250 to each of the Women's Fastpitch teams at the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University. www.geminimotors.com

OIWFA Media Release, January 10, 2005

It was announced today by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport (CAAWS) that the Ontario Intercollegiate Women's Fastpitch Association (OIWFA) was one of 12 recipients of its WISE (Women in Sport Encouragement) Fund grants of $850.00.

The CAAWS WISE Fund was developed in response to the ongoing financial need within the sport community. The Fund is made available on an annual basis to assist active girls and women and/or organizations offering sport programs targeted to girls and women. Over 600 applicants vied for the 12 grants of $850.00 each as compared to 255 applications received in 2004. For more information on the CAAWS and its WISE Fund please contact the CAAWS at www.caaws.ca

The OIWFA is a Women's Fastpitch league comprised of 12 member teams from Ontario Universities. Whereas a couple of teams are fully funded by their respective University, some receive some funding and a couple of teams receive no funding at all. The monies received by the OIWFA will be used to offset the costs of the 2005 OIWFA Championship Tournament to be held by the University of Guelph in October 2005.

The OIWFA wishes to thank the Provincial Women's Softball Association, Softball Ontario and Softball Canada for their support. Without the letters of support from these associations, we would not have been able to make a successful application to the CAAWS.

We would also like to thank the CAAWS for the continued support of Women in sport, no matter what the sport.

"Anyone interested in offering services or financial support to the OIWFA is asked to contact Kevin Gordon, OIWFA Convenor.

Goals of the OIWFA

The goals of the OIWFA are:

To give women who are attending an Ontario University a place whereby they can participate in a sport that they love and have played most of their lives.
To foster new friends and give new experiences to the women/student athlete of each team by introducing them to other universities, to players from the other universities, and to foster respect and admiration for their fellow "competitors".
To use Fastpitch Softball as a vehicle to help promote their University within their community.
To help promote Women’s Fastpitch Softball.

History of the OIWFA

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze
2002	Brock University	McMaster University	University of Toronto
2003	University of Ottawa	University of Guelph
2004	University of Guelph	University of Windsor	University of Western Ontario
2005	University of Toronto	University of Ottawa	University of Western Ontario
2006	University of Western Ontario	University of Toronto

2000

October

Danielle Galt (President of the York University Women’s Fastpitch Club) and Bekki Vineberg approach Doug Parry (Head Coach of Mohawk College at the time) looking for help to establish a league for Women’s Fastpitch at the Ontario University Level. Danielle explains that the York Fastpitch Club has been meeting regularly in a gym during the school term with no one to play. Last weekend in October 2000 sees York playing its first game (an exhibition game with Mohawk College)

2001

May

Doug Parry approaches McMaster University regarding the formation of a Women’s Fastpitch Club at McMaster University in Hamilton. Permission granted.

September

York and McMaster putting teams together. Three weeks later Doug is informed by David Cooper that the University of Toronto is holding tryouts for a Women’s Fastpitch team as well.

CanAm Classic Tournament at Durham College sees the first Ontario University game played between York and McMaster. York, McMaster and the University of Toronto schedule exhibition games between themselves and other rep/club teams. Word starts to spread.

November

Durham College of the OCAA supplies a meeting room, at no cost to the University teams, for a "first" meeting. By this time, the University of Ottawa is fielding a "Club" team. Also in attendance at this meeting were interested parties from Brock and many others who had an interest in Women’s Fastpitch Softball.

The Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association (OIWFA) is born. Founding members are York, McMaster, University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa. It is decided to put out the word once again and to meet in March 2002.

2002

March

Along with York University, McMaster University, University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa, the following teams joined the league for the 2001 season---Brock University, University of Western Ontario, Wilfrid Laurier University.

May

The University of Guelph joins the OIWFA, giving the OIWFA 8 teams for a balanced schedule for September 2002.

July/August

The University of Waterloo fields a team. Waterloo is asked to play exhibition games for the 2002 season.

October

Brock University wins the first OIWFA Championship. McMaster gets silver and the U of Toronto gets Bronze.

November

The University of Waterloo is accepted into the OIWFA. Now 9 teams.

2003

March

Queens' University accepted into OIWFA. Now 10 teams. The University of Windsor decides to field a team for exhibition games only.

September/October

The University of Ottawa wins Gold and Guelph wins Silver (there was no Bronze medal game).

2004

March

The University of Windsor and Carleton University join the OIWFA for the 2004 season. This brings the OIWFA up to 12 teams. A team from Quebec had expressed interest to join the OIWFA for the 2004 season but was not accepted. They are being asked to play exhibition games with OIWFA teams this year.

September/October

The University of Guelph wins Gold, Windsor wins Silver and Western wins Bronze.

2005

January

The OIWFA received a grant from the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport (CAAWS) for $850 to go towards funding the 2005 Championship Tournament.