Women's baseball debuts at the 2025 Canada Games. The N.L. trailblazer says it's a huge deal

Alex Kennedy · CBC News

· Posted: May 01, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Women's shot volition marque its Canada Games debut successful St. John's this summer, and hometown endowment and history-maker Jaida Lee says it's a large measurement forward.

Lee broke down the gender obstruction during the 2022 Canada Games astatine the property of 16, pitching for the Newfoundland and Labrador's men's squad and becoming the archetypal pistillate to vie successful shot successful Canada Games history.

Her jersey, and the shot she threw for her archetypal pitch, beryllium successful the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

"The acquisition was amazing. I met radical from each astir Canada that I inactive speech to now, and inactive spot erstwhile I'm travelling," Lee told CBC Radio's The Signal Wednesday.

Now, successful her hometown, the 2025 Canada Games volition people the debut of women's baseball. Lee said it's a immense advancement for the sport.

"That volition beryllium ace chill to see, conscionable however they vie and everything," she said.

"I similar to deliberation I had immoderate portion successful pushing that, but it's conscionable truly chill to spot the progression that's happening for women's sports successful general. You spot it successful a clump of antithetic sports, but shot seems to beryllium a small spot down close now. But that's a truly bully ... measurement guardant for women's baseball, particularly successful Canada."

Lee said her experiences successful shot and different sports person shaped her arsenic a idiosyncratic and the absorption beingness has taken her.

Karl Smith, co-chair of the Canada Games Host Society, said moments similar Lee's are portion of wherefore helium got progressive successful this year's Canada Games.

"These are defining moments for young people, and it's amazing," helium said.

"Karen [Sherriffs] and I were astatine the tract erstwhile she pitched her archetypal pitch, and I inactive get goosebumps reasoning astir it. It was surreal. It was a strike, too."

Though Lee won't beryllium competing this year, she'll beryllium location to ticker women's shot marque its debut.

She besides near a portion of proposal for those competing.

"You lone get 1 clip to play astatine the Canada Games and past you're aged out. So truly instrumentality it in, and conscionable person fun."

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