Our history

The beginning

Softball Ulster was established in March 2008, to set down the structure for softball in Ulster. This sport was introduced to Ulster in March 2007 by Carrie Trundle and Maarten Blanken who started the Belfast Softball Club with the help of Softball Ireland. May 2008 saw the first introductory softball league - the Ulster Summer Softball league- in Belfast. Five teams took part in this event making it highly successful.

The next step

It is the aim of Softball Ulster to get more people playing softball and to get more teams/clubs established in the Ulster region. A strategic plan is drafted and the 2nd version to be adopted at the 2008 AGM can be downloaded here in  .doc form.

Third Team - That makes a Belfast league!

A third team, The Aviators, formed in July 2008 as a result of the Ulster Summer Softball league. With a third team in Belfast it looks like we can now start a summer long league in 2009. For August-September 2008 we will establish a mini version of this league between the three teams.

And a fourth team takes up Softball

In August 2009, as a result of the second Ulster Summer Softball league a fourth softball team enter the Belfast world of softball.  This team, the sliders joined the second half of the Ulster league playing the Aviators, Brawlers and Smokin' Aces. This team is run by Kalifa Pilgrim, and trains in south Belfast.

Softball hits Ulster Universities

A number of events took place in both Queen's University and Ulster University in October 2009.

Queen's University formed an Intervarsity team, after a number of events during Welcome Week of 2009. Queen's Softball Club with the aid of Softball Ulster held the first leg of the Intervarsity competition in Belfast on Nov 7th and 8th at Queen's Playing Fields on Malone Road with teams from Queen's, Belfast, Limerick, UL, UCD and NUI Galway. Also in 2009 the Queens and Ulster University played their first friendly softball game in the 3G pitch.

Softball Ulster also supported Ulster University in a cross border initiative. Maarten Blanken and Chris Patterson introduced softball to over 80 children from the age 5-17 at Jordanstown.

2010 sees a fifth team added to our circle

The 2010 season of Softball brought the making of the Jets softball team, the fifth team in the Softball Ulster League. The Aviators Softball Club under the leadership of Neil Watson work hard at recruiting new players to start the - Jets in March 2010 and had them ready to take part in the Ulster Legue by May 2010. Good Job!

2011 and Ulster keeps growing

As softball Ulster has been growing over the last years it is no surprise that in 2011 another team joined the Softball Ulster League. The Braves was formed at the end of 2010 and have been training hard to join the established teams in the 2011 Ulster League.

Useful Documents:

SU constitution
Strategic Plan
Minutes of Inaugural meeting
Funding for clubs