Whitehorse is becoming a regular stop for the Canadian Women's National Softball Team.

The team will be checking in for the second time in a year for its senior women's national team selection camp at the Pepsi Centre Complex from June 29-July 7.

The camp will give fans the opportunity to watch inter-squad games from June 30-July 2 and double headers on July 3-4, as well as open practices in the mornings.

"Jobs are on the line, so it'll be pretty interesting,” Softball Yukon executive director George Arcand said.

It's a great opportunity for the city in the lead up to Whitehorse hosting the International Softball Federation XIII Women's World Championships in 2012, he added.

"We want people to meet Team Canada, understand who they are because of the Worlds coming the following year, so if they know who Team Canada is, they can follow them, they can cheer for them and maybe meet the girls,” he said during Softball Yukon's meet and greet at the Westmark Hotel last night.

"We'll be doing everything we need to do hopefully this summer to get ready for the Worlds, so that we don't have a whole lot to do the following year, because we don't have a lot of time.”

Whitehorse has made itself a popular destination for Softball Canada.

The women's national team faced off against Team USA at the Pepsi Centre for a six-game exhibition series played between Whitehorse and Surrey, B.C., last July.

In 2008, the Yukon capital was the site of the International Softball Federation's Junior Men's World Softball Championships.

And once you're in there with Softball Canada, you're golden, Arcand said.

"It does make a difference. If you get in, you do a good job, you're welcome to come back.”

Again and again and again.

But hosting national and international events does more than showcase the world's top players.

"It bolsters the sport in the Yukon,” Arcand said.

"In '08, when we held the junior men's, we now have a senior men's league back. It brought the interest back, it brought some people out, got them enthused, got them excited, so now we got senior men back playing fast-pitch. That's a result of hosting the World Championship. That's what it did for us, as well as put us on the front burner with Softball Canada and internationally.”

Last night's annual meeting, in conjunction with the Whitehorse Coed Slo-pitch Softball League, focused on matters closer to home.

Namely, an umpire shortage.

As of last night, eight umps were registered to call games this season.

Softball Yukon has been trying to attract more, Arcand said.

An umpire clinic for the slo-pitch league was held on April 15-16.

There will be a fast pitch umpire clinic held on May 13-14 for the first time in roughly 10 years, he noted.

Anyone watching the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs can see the difficult job referees have to do.

But Arcand said the difficulty in attracting umpires is less about heated on-field debate.

"It's not because people are yelling at them or anything. It's more like they want to play, they don't want to umpire, and so it's difficult to find enough people that just want to umpire.

"That's probably the biggest detriment to getting enough people.”

Anyone interested in becoming an umpire can still sign on by calling Softball Yukon at 667-4487.

"There's no reason people can't come along, get an exam and write it if they choose to be in umpire,” Arcand said.

There's certainly no shortage of teams in the coed league.

Thirty-seven teams signed up last night, an increase of roughly one or two teams by the end of last season, Arcand said.

Slo-pitch, fast pitch and minor softball – registration for which was made free five years back – combine to make softball one of Whitehorse's most popular sports during the summer months.

"It's a big sport for summer,” Arcand said.

"It's one of the biggest summer sports. Soccer is quite large, but it's a minor sport, where softball is quite large and it's a minor and senior sport. We're a big summer sport, always have been.

"I think it's something that everybody can do a couple times a week; they can get out and socialize and get some exercise and have a good time. You can play whatever level you want – there are five different levels within coed, so whatever your skill level is, you can do that. That's part of it.”

There has been an increase at all levels, especially at the minor level after it was made free.

"Then we saw an increase in kids who prior to that either didn't play or couldn't afford to play. Now it's free, we probably get 300 plus kids every year,” Arcand said.

"Our minor program is based on participation, not necessarily elite levels.

"Numbers are still growing.”

So is the skill level.

Arcand also announced last night that the U16 bantams will be moving across the street after outgrowing the minor league fields.

"Softball Yukon is large because we have the complex, and we also do all the maintenance of all the ball parks in town and do the organizing.”