By Anne-Laura Voyer

Publié le 15 juin 2026

From the moment I caught my first ball, I fell in love with baseball, and I knew it would be a part of my life. But, at that moment, I never imagined that ten years later, I would be forced to stop playing, because opportunities for girls were so limited. In fact, girls need to work twice as hard as boys to reach their full potential, which connects directly to SDG number 5, gender equality. It is time to give girls in small towns the field they deserve, because youth interest in this sport keeps rising, even if in some regions, there aren’t enough girls to form teams, and those girls are not always promoted or recognized enough. 

Every year in Quebec, the number of young people interested in baseball keeps growing, boosted by the Toronto Blue Jays’ success. In fact, every time the Blue Jays succeed, the interest rises (The Canadian Press, 2025). In 2025, that number continues to rise, “with an increase of close to 10 per cent, mainly due to women’s baseball” (The Canadian Press, 2025). Moreover, girls in Quebec are increasingly stepping up to the plate. “Baseball Quebec says nearly 5,500 girls were registered this year, up from 1,888 in 2014” (Turnbull, 2023). The future of female baseball is here, so it is now time to give these girls the fields they deserve in Quebec. 

In some regions, there are not enough girls to form a team. In fact, in Lac‑St‑Jean, Nicolas Dufour, President of Alma Minor Baseball League, confirmed in 2023: “So this year, girls and boys are playing on mixed teams” (Émond, 2023). I also asked a girl I played with this year about her future in baseball. She said, “My baseball career has finished this year. In midget, I must play with boys, and as a shy person, it is hard to earn their respect and make the plays I should be able to make.” She didn’t feel like she belonged, and with no girls’ team available, she decided to stop playing. 

In the Saguenay region, I believe minor baseball programs do not promote the sport enough for girls. When I first started, I didn’t even know girls could play in this league. I was supposed to play in Bantam, but they wanted me on the Pee-Wee team. It felt like they just wanted to place me and didn’t care about my well-being. Moreover, at this year’s local baseball gala, no female players were nominated or recognized, showing that girls’ accomplishments are often ignored. Saguenay Baseball should be proud of its female players and encourage them to grow in this sport. 

While baseball in Quebec continues to grow, girls are still far from being able to easily pursue this sport. In some regions, there are not enough girls to form teams, and local leagues often do not promote or recognize female players. The future of female baseball in Quebec is here, the talent, the dreams, and the passion are just waiting for the sport and the community to give them the place they truly deserve. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Émond, J. (2023, May 2). Baseball mineur d’Alma : La saison est lancée. Le Lac-St-Jean. https://www.lelacstjean.com/sports/593354/baseball-mineur-dalma-la-saison-est-lancee
This article talks about the start of the new season for Baseball mineur d’Alma. The season began a bit earlier this year, and there are about 200 kids signed up. The number of players stayed about the same as last year, and the fees didn’t increase. This year, the girls will play on mixed teams, and the club also added a batting cage and a pitching machine to help players improve. 

The Canadian Press. (2025, October 21). Blue Jays post-season success on the field encouraging Canadian youth to play ball. paNOW. https://panow.com/2025/10/21/blue-jays-post-season-success-on-the-field-encouraging-canadian-youth-to-play-ball/
This article talks about how the Toronto Blue Jays’ playoff success is really inspiring young people in Canada to play baseball. Baseball Canada’s CEO, Jason Dickson, says that whenever the Jays do well, “we see interest spike” in youth baseball. Maxime Lamarche from Baseball Québec adds that their postseason run is keeping baseball conversations alive even in late October—a time when it’s usually quiet. Baseball Québec saw almost a 10% increase in membership in 2025, especially among young players and women. The Jays are also helping grow the game by supporting grassroots programs across Canada.

Thames, A. (2024, November 2013). U.S. women's baseball players could soon have league of their own again. Complete Blood Count (CBC). https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/mlb/justine-siegal-womens-baseball-league-united-states-1.7382277
This article is about Justine Siegal, a huge trailblazer in baseball who’s pushing to create a women’s professional baseball league in the U.S. She’s one of the co-founders of this league (the WPBL), and she has a long history breaking barriers in the sport, she was the first woman to coach a men’s professional team and the first to throw batting practice to an MLB team.

Turnbull, J. (2023, September 21). Popularity of kids' baseball is exploding in Quebec as girls take up the sport. Complete Blood Count (CBC). https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/more-girls-playing-baseball-in-quebec-increasing-1.6964272
This article talks about the growing number of girls playing baseball in Quebec. It describes how more young girls are joining all-girls’ teams, and how total female registration has jumped from around 1,800 in 2014 to almost 5,500 today. Baseball Quebec has been working hard to make the sport more fun and accessible by improving coaching and creating more opportunities for girls. Baseball is becoming more popular overall too, with both boys and girls joining in. The article also shows how the sport helps girls build confidence, make friends, and feel part of a team.