From the Nest #003
Published February 7th, 2025
The countdown to the 2025 season is ticking away! In this issue of From the Nest, Head Coach Jason Chatwood gives an inside look at the Gulls’ recruitment strategy and the dynamic between the coaching staff.
We’ve also got an update on the Season Ticket Lottery, plus details on our highly popular group bookings opening in March. And if you’re excited for the Summer Send-Off concert, don’t miss the details on a special Valentine’s Day contest!
All that and more behind-the-scenes updates as we get closer to May!
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Coach’s Letter
Recruiting the right players is a huge part of building a successful team. We look to the player as a whole, not just their stats. It’s about finding guys who fit the Gulls culture of hard work, camaraderie, and community.
Our staff dynamic is a huge piece to our success and what everyone can bring to the team. Our coaching staff- myself, Pitching Coach Matt Hape, and Assistant Coach Wyatt McKnight work closely to bring in the right mix of talent and character. We all have a solid understanding of the Gulls brand and the kind of players we want in Sylvan Lake. Having a strong bond between the three of us makes a big difference in how we evaluate, develop, and prep the team.
We are building great relationships with some specific schools where their coaches are consistently wanting to send guys to Sylvan Lake and trust us to take care of their players. Those connections help us bring in high-quality guys who are excited to play here. We’re feeling really good about our returning players from last season and the new recruits we’ve signed for 2025 can’t wait to experience Sylvan Lake.
Of course, the college baseball season brings turnover and adjustments are always part of the process, but as we head into the 2025 season we’re confident in the team we’re building and can’t wait to get back on the field.
Jason Chatwood
General Manager & Head Coach
19U DEETS
As we gear up for the inaugural season of the Gulls 19U Prep Team, we’re excited to introduce fans to this elite college prep program developed in partnership with the St. Joseph High School Baseball Academy. Designed to provide high-level competition and skill development, the team will give young athletes the opportunity to train, compete, and grow on their path to the next level.
The Gulls Prep team will play 50-60 games from April through July, taking on top academies from Western Canada and competing in 6-7 tournaments in Alberta, British Columbia, and Washington, USA. Players will also have the unique chance to affiliate with the Sylvan Lake Gulls, gaining valuable experience alongside WCBL athletes.
We can’t wait to see the Gulls 19U Prep Team in action—let’s give them a warm welcome to the Gulls family!
Our design team is hard at work creating fresh styles for the 2025 season!
Season Ticket Lottery
For the second year in a row we needed to do a Season Ticket Lottery for seats at the stadium in 2025. We had 111 people enter via our website and there were 10 winners who got the option to purchase 2 Club Seats. Congratulations to the winners, we look forward to seeing you at the ballpark this summer and for years to come!
I have been asked why we need to do a lottery. The answer is multi-faceted. The demand for a seat at the stadium has been incredible over our first four years, we have sold every seat for every game for 4 straight years. Counting our Alair Homes Executive Suites, Eagle Builders Legacy Loge Seats and our Provincial Vodka Patio we have 1245 seats at Gulls Field. Last year we averaged 1569 fans per game, the Berms and Standing Room sections made up the difference.
So that leaves our Ticketing Department in the odd position to try and shrink our Season Ticket base so that we can have room for our Flex Plan holders, casual fans, and visitors from across Canada and the US that would like to catch a Gulls game!
If you are one of these fans we have you in mind. Our season ticket holders will again have the option to turn back single game tickets that we will resell for them, they will also have the option to donate and share their tickets. Don’t give up!
In the near future we will be adding more seats, till then we are doing our best to accommodate everyone.
Regards,
Aqil Samuel
President and COO
Sylvan Lake Gulls
Group Bookings
Our Group Bookings have been very popular for the last 3 years. If you have a corporate, minor sports, or a group of friends of 10 or more we can accommodate you! In fact, the biggest group that we have done is 200!
On March 1st we will open up our Group Booking requests on the website. At that time we will grab some information via the form that will go live, on you and your Group and someone from our Ticketing Department will help you get your group into the stadium. You will have up to 72 hours before your game to come up with a final number and we will invoice you accordingly.
If you would like to buy your group Food and Beverage we offer Gulls Bucks gift cards. We can have denominations of $10 or higher ready for your entire party and simply add that to your invoice.
Your Group will also get a shoutout on the video board during the game, courtesy of Mr Mike’s In Sylvan Lake!
Gulls Ticketing Department
IN THE COMMUNITY
The Gulls were happy to team up with Tech Heating to support the Sylvan Lake Community Food Bank!
Love is in the air, and we’re celebrating with a special Valentine’s Day giveaway for the Gulls Summer Send-Off Country Music Festival! One lucky winner will receive two General Floor tickets to the event on August 23rd at Gulls Field.
Whether you’re planning a romantic country date night or a fun night out with your bestie, this is your chance to experience an unforgettable evening of live music, yard games, food trucks, and summer fun in the Gulls backyard.
How to Enter:
This is a social media contest taking place on Facebook and Instagram. To enter, follow these steps on the official giveaway post:
- Like the Valentine’s giveaway post on Facebook or Instagram
- Tag your concert partner in the comments and tell us why they’d be the perfect plus-one
- Share the post to your story for an extra entry
- Bonus Entry: Post your favourite photo from last year’s Gulls Summer Send-Off and tag us!
Contest Details:
- The contest closes on February 13 at midnight
- The winner will be announced on February 14 at noon
- Remember, entries must be submitted through Facebook or Instagram on the official contest post!
