Other Alberta Athletes

Alberta has a long and distinguished sports history that includes hockey, football, and a significant contingent of Olympians. Other popular sports in the province include curling, skiing, figure skating, baseball, swimming, golf, rowing, canoeing, and many more. Alberta's varied geography lends itself well to a variety of sport and recreational pursuits.

With the Canadian Rockies running along the western boarder of the province, skiing is widely available to Albertans. The Alberta Alpine Ski Association has a membership of over thirty ski clubs and encourages participation from five-years-old to adulthood.

Baseball has had a long history in Alberta with the formation of the Alberta Amateur Baseball Association in the early 1900s. The Association organized the Provincial Championship, but expanded in 1964 to all levels of play, from Pee Wee to Senior. By 1971, the growth of baseball was clear as there were 539 teams playing in 104 communities in Alberta. The Association changed its name to Baseball Alberta, and played a significant role in the development of the Canadian Rule Book and the first National Baseball week.

Calgary was awarded the opportunity to form a professional baseball team, the Calgary Vipers, in February 2005 as a part of the Northern League that has been in existence since 1902. Baseball in Edmonton is active with the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the Northern League, who started play in the city in 2005.