Our first practice will be on Tuesday, October 27 at Prospector park in Apache Junction. The times for the practice are 9:00 – 11:00 AM.  We’ll be meeting in front of the post office and leaving the parking lot by 8:15 AM!

Also, the Thursday Fall League starts on Thursday, October 29th and the Monday Fall League starts on Monday November 2nd.  Rosters and game schedules will be announced in the next few days.

 

 

 

In an earlier email this summer, I posted –

“A reminder to all registered players – when you arrive at the park, please visit Dave Charlebois at 366 New Mexico (call or text 916-501-7000) to pay your annual dues($35). Dave will then provide you with your uniform at that time.”

The cost of membership was in error, as the board voted to increase the yearly membership to $60 last spring.  At the same time they also changed the associate membership fee to $40.

I apologize for the confusion.

Kevin Wike (Webmaster)

 

Hello, everyone!

I imagine many of you are either on your way back to Arizona or making final preparations for your return. With the fall season approaching, I wanted to share a few important updates with the membership.

Our Fall League is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 2, and run through Friday, December 7. At this time, I have not received any information regarding the Thursday league.

We still have an open manager position for the Thursday team. If you are willing to step up and take on this responsibility, please contact Jim Bellaire. We need someone to volunteer and help keep the team moving forward. Remember, without a manager, we cannot field a team. Let’s see if someone is willing to step up and help make this happen!

Finally, we have received only a handful of “expressions of interest” concerning the proposed hitting clinic. We will need at least six to eight firm commitments to make the clinic viable. If we do not reach that minimum, we won’t move forward with scheduling it.

Thank you, everyone. I look forward to seeing you back on the field soon and to another great season of softball!

Hello GCSA Members!

It’s hard to believe that today is the last day of September! Many of you are probably making plans to return to Arizona for the upcoming season, which means the start of another great GCSA season is just around the corner.

With the season approaching, an excellent opportunity has been presented to GCSA members who may be interested in improving their hitting. I wanted to pass the information along for everyone to consider.

The hitting clinics are put on by SLI Academy and the instructor is Steve Imlay, the academy’s founder.

Haden and I attended one of Steve’s clinics this past summer, after it was recommended to us by several players at SSV, where we were both playing. We were extremely impressed with the clinic and what Steve was able to do with our swings.

Steve is exceptionally well qualified. As a player, he has been inducted into the State of Indiana ASA Hall of Fame and the FSSA Legend Hall of Fame. He has won more than 35 National Championships and 38 World Championships, along with numerous All-American honors and MVP awards. Steve has also signed a professional softball hitting contract with Adidas and has worked with Softball Magazine as a professional hitting instructor at its Spring Training and Senior Softball Camps for the past two years.

Steve has offered to set up a special clinic day exclusively for GCSA members, provided we can generate enough interest. Click here for what to expect on clinic day.

Here are the details:
• Cost: $150 per player
• 6 players to hold the clinic
• Approximately 12 players
• East Valley(most likely Prospector park)

There is also an added benefit. After completing the clinic, participants are welcome to attend Steve’s batting practice sessions, which are held at various East Valley parks three days a week. These sessions provide additional instruction and swing analysis at no additional cost to anyone who has attended one of his clinics.

I can personally attest to Steve’s ability to analyze a hitter’s swing and identify areas that need improvement. He does an excellent job explaining what needs to be changed and, more importantly, how to make those changes. If Steve can improve my swing, I’m convinced he can improve just about anyone’s!

If you are interested in participating, please email me at gcsa.web.master@thegcsa.org. Please include the date you expect to arrive at GCRV so we can get an idea of potential participation and determine whether we have enough interest to schedule a GCSA clinic.

This could be a great opportunity to get a head start on the upcoming season and improve your hitting before we take the field!

Hope to see a good turnout!

Kevin Wike – Webmaster

Hello everyone!

Hard to believe we’re already in mid-September! The start of another softball season is right around the corner, and things are looking great for GCSA.

We had an excellent registration turnout — and our numbers are actually UP! 🎉

At this point we are just shy of 50 players and even better, we have 8 new players joining us this season. That means the recruiting effort really paid off!  Because our numbers are up, we’ve added a new 55+ team(THUNDER) on Thursdays for the winter season.  A big THANK YOU to everyone who helped spread the word, talked up the organization, and encouraged new players to give us a try.  We appreciate your efforts!

Please join us in welcoming our newest GCSA players:

👏 Dan Aeschliman
👏 Bruce Anderson
👏 JoLee Conver
👏 Richard Dornik
👏 Todd Horne
👏 Roy Janisch
👏 Tom Radke
👏 Gina Tisdale

Welcome to GCSA! We’re glad to have you aboard and look forward to seeing all of you out on the field.

A reminder to all registered players – when you arrive at the park, please visit Dave Charlebois at 366 New Mexico (call or text 916-501-7000) to pay your annual dues($60). Dave will then provide you with your uniform at that time.

⚾ Team Managers Needed

We’ve also had several members step up to volunteer as team managers—thank you to everyone who has offered to help!

If you’re interested in managing a team, please submit your name and the team you’d like to manage to Jim Bellaire.

Here’s what we have so far:

Fall Monday: Dave Charlebois
Fall Thursday: OPEN
Winter – Panners: Dave Charlebois
Winter – Miners: Charlie Scalva
Winter – Nuggets: Larry Haden
Winter – Thunder: Charlie Scalva

We still have an OPEN spot for the Fall Thursday team, so if you’re willing to take the reins, please let Jim know.

Thanks again to everyone who continues to make GCSA such a great organization. We’re looking forward to another fun season of softball, competition, and camaraderie!

⚾ Let’s play ball! ⚾

Kevin Wike
GCSA Webmaster

Hello GCSA members!

I just received a flyer from SSV(Sunland Springs Village) and I thought I’d pass it on to our members.

They’re having a draft fall league this year on Wednesdays if anyone wants to get some additional playing time somewhere in addition to our two fall teams that play on Monday and Thursday.  The cost for non-SSV residents is $25 for the season,  which runs from October 28th until December 9th(6 weeks).

A draft league is a format where payers sign up as individuals rather than pre-made teams.  Contact Dave Chase (text or phone call) 602-566-2284 or email him at d-LChase@cox.net .

See you all soon,

Kevin Wike

PLEASE click on the link below and fill out the form.  It shouldn’t take more than a minute to fill out.

Because we created a new 55-69 team(Thunder) for next season after player registrations were already completed, we need everyone to reaffirm what days of the week/teams you would be interested in playing on this upcoming season.  This will be a big help for Tom Moersch(League Coordinator) and team managers when they’re creating teams in the fall for the upcoming season.

Click on the link to the right to complete the form —>  GCSA Player – Days of Week/Team Preference

If you have trouble with the link above, go to the GCSA web site ( thegcsa.org), and click on the menu heading titled “GCSA PLAYER DAYS OF WEEK/TEAM PREFERENCE” .

Also as a reminder:  The Monday team(Panners) is an all age team.  This is the team where most new players that don’t play in the fall season will most likely be placed their first season, as managers/coaches don’t have the opportunity to assess their skills.

Thank you, and if you have any question please contact me at 717-926-4325 via text or gcsa.web.master@thegcsa.org .

Kevin Wike

We’re excited to officially announce something many of you have been asking about, waiting for…

We are proud to introduce our new 55+ team for the upcoming season.  The new team will be know as the Gold Canyon Thunder.

We heard you when you asked for another team that doesn’t play on a Monday or a Wednesday so you get a rest day in between games.  After some digging and work between Kevin Wike and Dave Chase from over at Sunland Springs Village(SSV),  Dave has slotted us in Division 3 in the SanTan League. The Thunder will be playing teams that he categorized as being a mix of a couple low “B” and  “C” level teams.

So as it stands now the 55+ teams(Miners and Thunder), will be playing on Tuesdays & Thursdays. The 70+ team(Nuggets), will continue to play on Thursdays.   The all age team on Mondays (Panners), will continue to be all ages, which most likely will now have more 70+ players on the roster than 55+ players since we now have the second 55+ team. This should also continue to be where we put new players to the organization when we have no idea of their abilities their first year.

To those who’ve been patiently waiting (and maybe not-so-patiently reminding us(LOL)) for a new 55+ team — thank you.

And a reminder, now that we have two 55+ teams, we need to keep recruiting new players!  As it stands nows we have around 17 players registered for next year that are between 55-69 years old. There are a couple guys over 70 that will probably want to play with the younger guys.  So the numbers can support two teams, but just barely.  The worst thing that can happen now is a team not having enough players to field a team!  We have to avoid this at all costs.

Below is the winter schedule:

Monday – Gold Canyon Panners(All ages) – 4 Peaks League

Tuesday – Gold Canyon Miners(55+) – Superstition League

Thursday – Gold Canyon Nuggets(70+) – Thursday 70’s League

Thursday – Gold Canyon Thunder(55+) – San Tan League

And always remember,  “You don’t stop playing because you get old…You get old because you stop playing!”

If anyone has any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

Regards,

Jim Bellaire – GCSA President

 

 

There was an executive board meeting on April 13th.  The minutes from that meeting have been posted to the web site.   To see this document, go to GCSA web site , and click on the menu heading titled “Members Only”.  You will then be prompted to enter a password, which is:  GCSA#689586     

Click the ENTER button

Click on the link titled:  CLICK HERE TO SEE “GCSA DOCUMENTS”

Click on the link titled:  BOARD MINUTES

Click on the link titled:   EXECUTIVE BOARD MINUTES – APRIL 13. 2026

The minutes for the meeting will display.

If you have any questions or difficulty please email me at gcsa.web.master@thegcsa.org

Kevin Wike

Another season is in the books and GCSA members are “scattering to the four winds” for the summer!

I would like to recognize all the outgoing board members – President Don Pier, 1st VP Steve Charlton, 2nd VP Jim Bellaire, and Secretary Larry Mullen.    Current Treasurer David Petrini is staying on for another year(Thanks David!).  You all have done a great job as board members, and just want to let you know you are appreciated.

Also, kudos to the incoming board, President Jim Bellaire, 1st VP Matt Schiermann, 2nd VP Bill Mead, Secretary Ross Oltman, and Treasurer David Petrini.  Thanks for volunteering your time and abilities.

Early player registration has gone well, and we have some new faces for next year -Roy Janisch(age 61),  Todd Horne(62),  Gina Tisdale(63),  Richard Dornik(64),  Bruce Anderson(66),  JoLee Conver(69),  Dan Aeschliman(70),  and after a brief absence, Jim Orns(78) is returning to playing.

Keep recruiting!  The more players we get to sign up, the better chance we have adding a new team next season!

Have a great summer and see you in the fall,

Kevin Wike – Webmaster

 

 

Work Roster Assignments

Job	Reporting Time	Name
Kitchen Manager	6:30	Steve Charlton
Scheduler/Dining Room Manager	6:30	Jim Bellaire
Orange Juice/Syrup	6:30	Ross Oltmann
		Clayton Hardy
Sausage Crew	6:30	Earl Peery
		Greg Johnson
i		Charlie Scalva
Pancake Mixers	7:00	Clay Pollert
		Larry Mullen
		Jim Cabay
Pancake Flippers	7:00	Kevin Wike
		Paul Edge
		Dale Anderson
		Dale Billings
Sausage Tray Counter	7:30	Brad Storer
Pancake Tray Runner	8:00	Don Pier
Dishwasher Crew 1st Shift	7:00	Pat Kowal
Dishwasher Crew 2nd Shift	9:00	Gil Kjorstad
		Bill Bock
Kitchen Cleanup Crew	9:30	Chuck Moore
		Rob Irvine
		Kevin Lavoi
		Bryan Allard
		Forest Reeder
Pancake/Sausage Servers	7:45	Bridgette Bogdan
		Jess Pier
		Sandy Hardy
		Diana Richards
Gluten Free/Extra Sausage	7:45	Kathleen Johnson
		Bill Mead
Pancake Refill	7:45	Lori Allard
		MaryAnne Bellaire
Pancake Pickup	7:45	Mike Richards
Coffee Servers	7:45	Judy Fischer
		Linda Varner
		Carin Scalva
		Robbyn Peery
Coffee Fillers	7:00	Haden
		Carol Wike
Greeter	7:45	Ginny Pollert
Ticket Sales	7:30	Kathy Edge
50/50	7:30	Tom Moersch
Raffle	7:30	Char Moersch
Host	7:45	Ron Fischer
Table Setup/Juicers	6:30	Tara Mullen
		Bill Mead
		Kim Oltman
		Luanne Bock
		Sheri Moore
Dining Hall Cleanup Crew	9:00	Rick Holloway
		Merle Librecht
		Jim Picolli
		JIm Snyder
Laundry		Ginger Charlton
Treasurer		David Petrini

All players are asked to promptly return their uniforms to David Charlebois(366-New Mexico), if you haven’t done so already. Please place your jersey, shorts, and long pants (if applicable) in a bag clearly labeled with your name and site number. If Dave is not at home, kindly leave the bag on the table in his carport.  Note that David is headed back to California on Friday, March 20.

As the 2026 winter season draws to a close, the Nuggets have just two remaining games scheduled for Thursday, March 12 starting at 10:30 AM at The Resort.  With the season nearly complete, it is time to begin the registration process for next year.

We strongly encourage all players to complete their registration before departing the park for home, and no later than April 1. The earlier we receive registrations, the more effectively we can plan and organize for the upcoming season.

To register, click the link below:

Player Registration for the 2026–2027 Season

or visit the website and select “Player Registration” from the main menu.

You will be prompted to enter a password, which is, Softball! (don’t forget the exclamation point). Once entered, you will be directed to the registration form. After submitting the form, both you and I will automatically receive a confirmation copy of your registration.

If you encounter any difficulties during the registration process or need assistance, please feel free to call/text me at 717-926-4325 or email me at gcsa.web.master@gmail.com.

Kevin Wike
GCSA Webmaster

If you are aware of anyone that has shown interest in playing softball, please reach out to them and forward this email so they can register!

This is a reminder that Sunday’s meal will feature prime rib, baked potatoes, and salad, prepared by Haden and Dale Billings. Please remember to bring your own beverages and table service.

 

The batting cage will be disassembled and stored in our shed on Friday, March 13th at 9:00.   Members are asked to volunteer their help in this task.

All people who pay for and are participating in the golf outing are invited to the pizza and awards party at 2:00 Sunday after the golf.

Spouses and other members are also invited to join, but are required to pay an additional $5 per person to help offset the cost of the pizza.

Thank you, Steve

The 2026 Goldpanners have earned the distinction of finishing the winter season with the best overall record in the GCSA.

Competing in the 4 Peaks League Division “D,” the Goldpanners secured the division title with an impressive 12–4 record. The race remained highly competitive through the final stretch, as the second-place Superstition Sunrise Sunrays finished close behind at 11–5. The narrow margin underscores just how competitive this division was from start to finish.

Special recognition is due to manager David Charlebois and coach Jim Bellaire,  their steady guidance were instrumental to the team’s success.

Congratulations to the entire Goldpanners roster on a well-earned championship season!

Please note that the date and time of the GCSA Annual Meeting and Board Elections have been revised. The meeting will now be held on Monday, March 9th at 8:30 a.m. in the Ocotillo Room of the clubhouse.

This annual meeting provides all GCSA members the opportunity to participate in the election of next season’s Board of Directors. Please be advised that members must be present at the meeting in order to vote.

Additionally, as each winter team concludes its season, all players are asked to promptly return their uniforms to David Charlebois. Please place your jersey, shorts, and long pants (if applicable) in a bag clearly labeled with your name and site number. If Dave is not at home, kindly leave the bag on the table in his carport.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support of the GCSA.

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Annual Inter-Squad Game & End-of-Season Banquet

Our Annual Inter-Squad Game will be held on Sunday, March 8th at 10:00 AM at Canyon Vista. Please plan to arrive 15–30 minutes early to allow adequate time for warm-ups.

All GCSA members, prospective players, and spouses/partners are warmly invited to participate. This is a relaxed, non-competitive event designed purely for enjoyment and camaraderie.

This year, we are combining the Inter-Squad Game with our End-of-Season Banquet.

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Banquet Details

Sunday, March 8, 2026
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Prime Rib & Potato Dinner

The Association will once again subsidize a portion of the banquet cost. The fee is $10 per person.

Please complete the RSVP form below and return it with payment to David Petrini at the Bistro no later than Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Payment may be made by:

• Check drawn on a U.S. bank (payable to AZ Softball Association), or

• Cash

Kindly submit your RSVP even if you are unable to attend. All forms should be delivered to David Petrini.

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NAME OF MEMBER(S): ____________________________________________

_____ Yes, I/We will attend the GCSA Annual Banquet
Number Attending: ______

_____ No, I/We regret that we will not be attending the GCSA Annual Banquet

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Thank you,
GCSA

We look forward to seeing everyone there!