Rise ball pitcher inducted into softball hall of fame

Wabigoon Lake’s Donna Chief has gained another level of recognition for her excellence as a softball pitcher.
“To be recognized for your individual contributions is quite an honour,” Chief said. “I had a nice rise ball –­ it got me four years of university too.”
The rise-ball pitcher was inducted into the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame May 7 for her individual contributions to the sport. She had previously been inducted into the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame in 2007 as part of the Manitoba-based Smitty’s Senior Women’s Fast Pitch team that won seven provincial championships, a bronze medal at the 1991 Canadian Championships and a bronze and gold at the Western Canadian Championships. She played with Smitty’s during the 1980s and 1990s.
“Smitty’s took me all across Canada,” Chief said. “I played in every single province except for Quebec.”
Chief won the Olive Little Award for the top female player in 1989 and the outstanding pitcher award in 1986.
“One of the highlights of my career was when I got to throw in that NAIG (North American Indigenous Games) game in 2002,” Chief said. “I pitched a no-hitter against Iowa.”
Chief learned her rise ball from another Wabigoon Lake pitcher who taught her how to throw it one summer.
“He was a really good pitcher,” Chief said. “He said ‘I think you can throw my rise ball.’ He showed me the pitch and I threw it a few times and he said ‘yes, you should be OK.’”
Chief joined the Smitty’s team in 1985 after they saw her pitch during a tournament in Kenora.
“I asked them if they had room for another pitcher and they thought that was a pretty good idea,” Chief said.
Chief began playing softball when she was about 12 or 13 years old, often joining the adults when they didn’t have enough players for a game.
“I had such a love for it and I had a pretty good glove even as a little girl,” Chief said. “I used to play third base to start off before I started pitching.”
Chief remembers practicing her pitches on her own and with the assistance of her father and an uncle.
“I spent a lot of time there in Dinorwic (near Wabigoon Lake First Nation) throwing balls against the fence,” Chief said. “I tried to pitch about 100 pitches a day with no catcher, unless my dad would do it for me.”
Chief no longer plays softball due to knee problems from arthritis. She had a full knee replacement two years ago.
“My initial injury was from volleyball, just being active,” Chief said. “It just sort of went from there.”
She hopes to coach in the future to give back to her sport.
“I’ve done some coaching and I think I’m ready to go back and give a hand to the youth.”