On behalf of the Olds Minor Softball board, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to all coaches, athletes, and families who contributed to the success of the 2025 season.
We are excited for the 2026 season, with the goal of building on the momentum of the past year and ensuring even greater success.
Pistols Softball remains dedicated to fostering the growth, development, and enjoyment of softball, from grassroots to competitive levels.
As we begin the new year, keep your eyes on the website and our facebook page for the most current information.On behalf of the Board, we look forward to another successful year of softball and the continued support of our community.
Sincerely,
Duane Lowe
President, OMSA
134
Olds Minor Softball
Home of the Pistols!
Dear Olds Minor Softball and Olds Minor Baseball Members, Parents, and Supporters,![]()
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We are reaching out today to provide a critical update regarding the future of minor ball in our community and the security of our local ball diamonds. ![]()
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I want to start by saying thank-you to our memberships who spoke up and reached out to voice your concerns. While the messages were heard, we unfortunately don’t have confidence at this time that our Town has listened to the concerns that our community or the Board Members have brought forward. ![]()
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Our position remains abundantly clear. Our associations are simply asking for the ability to schedule our teams based on our needs. Once we have worked through our schedules, we can identify the unused time and the town can make that time available to other user groups. We are asking the town to honor their own policy #901C that outlines the priority booking of recreational facilities. This policy was just reviewed and approved by council in June of 2026. ![]()
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4.1 Guiding Principles Facility allocation will be guided by the following:![]()
• Priority will be given to community-based and non-profit use that provides broad public benefit ![]()
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It is also important to clear up some misconceptions we have heard over the past 10 days:![]()
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1. The ORE Diamonds 4 & 5 will no longer exist in 2027. These diamonds were owned and operated by the Olds Regional Exhibition, not by the Town of Olds. ![]()
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2. The OR Hedges Diamonds 1, 2, & 3 are the diamonds the town is considering granting priority access to a private individual in turn removing priority access from our non-profit local associations (Olds Minor Baseball and Olds Minor Softball).![]()
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Effectively, Olds Minor Baseball and Olds Minor Softball could be set to lose priority booking to a total of 5 diamonds for the 2027 season. This would have a crippling effect on the programming our associations would be able to offer.![]()
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3. Usage![]()
a) The Town of Olds presented data to council that was misleading and seemed to intentionally support the town’s narrative that the diamonds are underutilized. ![]()
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i. Firstly, this data lumps weekday usage and weekend usage together. We have provided the town with a mock schedule for 2027 showing the weekday needs of Olds Minor Baseball and Olds Minor Softball and the utilization during those peak times is extensive!![]()
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ii. To the town’s own admission all weather related cancellations get calculated as unbooked time. Our estimation is that, between the 20 Pistols & Spitfires teams, we lost upwards of 500 total hours of weather related diamond usage in the 2026 season. This should have accounted for nearly a 20% increase in the data presented. Yet, all of these unused weather related hours were reported and presented to the council as simply unbooked hours.![]()
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The Olds Minor Baseball & Softball Board Members have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to protect our members. ![]()
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1. We have had daily communication between the two associations![]()
2. We have continued to meet with the Town of Olds & Mayor Daley![]()
3. We have built and shared mock schedules outlining the needs of our associations for the 2027 season![]()
4. We have been completely transparent in providing historical registration data and team formation information to the Town of Olds![]()
5. We have presented a powerful counter-proposal to the Town and Mayor Daley outlining how Olds Minor Baseball and Softball are willing to work collaboratively with the town to achieve a greater utilization of the diamonds and a guaranteed annual financial expenditure to satisfy the town’s concerns around decreased usage and revenue generation.![]()
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Despite the efforts laid out above, we have not been given any clarity from the town on their potential direction to hand priority use and total operational control of the OR Hedges ball diamonds over to a private individual. This would effectively strip our minor ball teams of our traditional "first right of refusal" for field bookings, threatening the very existence of our upcoming seasons. ![]()
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Privatizing a public asset at the expense of local youth sports is a dangerous path. Town Councils are elected to serve the public good, not to run a commercial real estate business. Public parks and sport diamonds are funded by taxpayers to provide equitable, open access to the youth of the community. Handing ‘first dibs’ to a private individual effectively privatizes a public asset, converting it into an exclusive venue for those who are welcome and/or who can afford it. If the Town privatizes the ball diamonds, they are signaling that ANY under-resourced facility (The Sportsplex, The Aquatic Center, The Municipal Library) could all be up for private takeover. Is the Town’s long-term strategy to completely exit the business of public recreation?![]()
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A private club can operate on a "pay-to-play" model that has the ability to price out local families. Olds Minor Baseball has competitive programming at the AA and AAA level but we also offer Community Based Programming for families.![]()
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Olds Minor Baseball Community Fees in 2026:![]()
5U/7U - $125 ![]()
9U - $150 ![]()
11U - $165 ![]()
13U - $175 ![]()
15U - $185 ![]()
18U - $230 ![]()
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Olds Minor Softball Fees in 2027:![]()
9U - $125![]()
11U - $375 ![]()
13U - $375 ![]()
15U - $375![]()
17U - $375![]()
19U - $375![]()
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Handing Public infrastructure to a private entity creates massive long-term liabilities for the Town. If the private club cuts corners on maintenance, lets the fields degrade, or eventually walks away, the Town will inherit ruined assets, zero staff to fix them, and a massive barrier to restarting minor sports.![]()
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We have offered the Town a solution that solves their administrative headache without hurting our kids. We have proposed an agreement where minor ball retains priority booking, helps manage scheduling, and provides a financial framework that would provide the town with consistent revenue generation.![]()
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How You Can Help Now…![]()
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We cannot win this fight alone. The Town Council STILL needs to see that the community stands firmly behind minor ball.![]()
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1. Spread the Word: Talk to your neighbors, local business owners, and friends in minor hockey, lacrosse, soccer, figure skating etc. This affects the entire fabric of recreation in our town.![]()
2. Continue to let your voices be heard. Call and/or email directly to our CAO Brent Williams, our Mayor Dan Daley and Councilors to voice your concerns.![]()
3. Mark Your Calendars: Consider attending the upcoming Town Council meeting on Monday October 26th @ 3:00 PM. ![]()
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Our goal is simple: to ensure that every child in our community continues to have an affordable, accessible, and sustainable place to play ball. Afterall, we are OLDS Minor Baseball and OLDS Minor Softball. We would like to think the town of OLDS would want to support the non-profit associations who have represented the Town of Olds with outstanding reputations and are respected across the Province of Alberta and into Western Canada.![]()
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Thank you for your continued support, resilience, and commitment to our community. ![]()
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Sincerely,![]()
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Duane Lowe - Olds Minor Softball President![]()
Jeff Clattenburg - Olds Minor Baseball President
OLDS MINOR SOFTBALL AGM![]()
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📅 Tuesday, November 3, 2026![]()
🕖 7:00 PM![]()
📍 Ralph Klein Centre, Olds![]()
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Our association runs on the dedication of amazing volunteers, and now we're looking for more people to step up and get involved!![]()
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We have some board positions up for election, and we need your help to fill them!
U19 ID CAMP REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! ![]()
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Cost to register: $25![]()
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registration.teamsnap.com/form/78412
SOCIAL MEDIA
HOME OF THE PISTOLS
Olds, Alberta
pistols.president@gmail.com