Yogi Berra, historic catcher for the New York Yankees, had his own unique form of wisdom. In fact, some of his most famous phrases will straight up give you the giggles:
- "He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious."
- "I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did."
- "Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical."
And finally, as the cherry on the top: "Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too."
Is this turn of phrase silly? Absurd, even? Perhaps. But, to some folks, it might also be quite profound.
For 2SLGBTQ+ people, fighting for their right to love the person they love is a constant struggle. Same-sex couples have been legally recognized across Canada since 2005, but many members of the community continue to face judgement, prejudice, and ridicule for being their authentic selves. It is not a surprise that they seek places of safety—in organizations that make them feel welcome, wanted, and heard.
The East Coast Rainbow Softball Association (ECRSA) is one such place. The ECRSA is a sports organization for 2SLGBTQ+ members and their allies that supports camaraderie, a passion for sport, and the joy of just having fun.
Getting on base
In the early 2000s, Curtis Cartmill lived in Vancouver, British Columbia. Born and raised in Halifax, he left the city in 1997 to attend graduate school at the University of Waterloo and eventually found himself working on the West Coast. Curtis had always been interested in sports—particularly curling and soccer—but in 2006, he decided to try out for softball. Vancouver's West End Slow-pitch Association (WESA) was a volunteer-lead league that began in 1978. Their focus was the LGBT+ community, with their slogan saying it all: WESA: Together in Pride. Curtis played with the WESA that summer but did not return the following year. By September 2006, he had returned to Halifax to start a new company with his father.
With the cold settling in, Curtis directed his attention to Winter sports, but his time with the WESA had made an impression on him. There were already 2SLGBTQ+ softball teams in Halifax, he thought, Why couldn't there be a whole Pride league? As he took to organizing teams of curlers for the Mayflower curling league, he also began planning the first season of the ECRSA for the summer of 2007.
Play ball!
Curtis began to promote the league in the community both by word-of-mouth and in print, and he found other people who were as interested in a 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive league as he was. An organizing committee was formed that included Curtis, Kelly Pittman, Ashley Wambolt, and Liz Thomas. Although Mary Ann Daye wasn't officially a part of the organizing committee, she also played a significant role. Mary Ann was part of an HRM lesbian softball team that was planning to go to an international women's tournament that same year, and she brought the whole team into the ECRSA. The organization took a lot of inspiration from the WESA to plan its organizational structure and league rules. Although the team was focused on the 2SLGBTQ+ community, the team has always welcomed supportive allies to join the association.
In that first year, the ECRSA had four teams: C-Vision, Mollyz Diner, Blue Moon, and The Pirates. The opening game was held at the Gorsebrook Park Field. The C-Vision team was victorious that first year and won the league championship.
Here's the wind-up, and there's the pitch!
In 2023, the league had five teams. Team Purple, coached by Dianna Prest, won the 2023 ECRSA Championship.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the teams have not sought sponsorship. Robert Aikens, current treasurer of the ECRSA executive, says: "Prior to COVID, we had a sponsor for each team; however, as they were all small businesses, we did not approach them during COVID or the last few years." This means the ECRSA relies on a registration fee to pay for field rentals and other expenses, which varies from season to season.
Wanna be on deck?
Joining the ECRSA is certainly a commitment. The league plays thirty-nine regular-season games, plus mid-season and end-of-year tournaments. But if you are part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community or a dedicated ally and love the sport, it is well worth the investment.
More of a spectator than a player? No problem! The ECRSA would love to see you cheering from the stands cheering on the teams!
To learn more, check out the ECRSA website and the ECRSA Facebook page!
Special thanks to Curtis and Robert for their assistance with this blog!
Sources
Robert Aikens, Treasurer, ECRSA
Curtis Cartmill, Founder, ECRSA
East Coast Rainbow Softball Association
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