Sanford Sports Academy, Northern State teaming up for six-week program

Q: What are the dates for the youth fastpitch softball program in Aberdeen?

The program runs from May 18 to June 25, 2026.

Q: Who can participate in the Sanford Sports Academy and Northern State University softball leagues?

The leagues are open to players aged 5-14.

ABERDEEN — The Sanford Sports Academy of Sioux Falls is teaming with Northern State University to bring some special youth fastpitch softball training to the Aberdeen area this summer. The SSA and NSU Rookies and Foundation Instruction Leagues are set to run for six weeks starting Monday, May 18, through Thursday, June 25, 2026. The leagues are open to players 5-14 and will be held at NSU's Koehler Hall of Fame Field. "This is something we've done in the Sioux Falls area as softball has grown. There's a big need for practicing twice as much as you're playing games," Sanford Sports Academy softball program director Toby Bryant said. The Rookies League, for players ranging in age from 5-9, is scheduled run on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. and the Foundation League, for players 10-14, on Thursdays also at 6:30 p.m.

The Sanford Sports Academy of Sioux Falls and Northern State University are teaming up this summer to offer a six-week youth softball league in Aberdeen. Toby Bryant, center, is a NSU grad who serves as the SSA's softball program director. His daughters, Tevan (left) and Dessa (right), are NSU players who will be the instructors for the league, which will run from May 18 through June 25, 2026. Bryant said the hope is to draw a maximum of 22 players, from Aberdeen and surrounding areas, for each league. Each night, there will be about 30 minutes of skills and drills followed by 60 minutes (four or five innings) of game action. "It will be very much a teach-in-the-moment thing," Bryant said, noting that instructors will stop games to offer instruction to the players. "We're going to work on teaching everything from patterns of the game and pre-pitch thoughts. Young kids in baseball and softball often get bored and forget to remember what they should be thinking." Instructors for the Aberdeen leagues will be Bryant's daughters and Northern State softball players Tevan and Dessa Bryant. Tevan, a former three-time Class AA all-state player in high school for Harrisburg, has been one of NSU's top hitters the past two seasons. This spring, she batted .318 and led the team in homers (six), runs batted in (38) and OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage at .994). She's a senior with a year of eligibility remaining. **AREA HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL PREVIEW:** State prep softball tourneys set for June 4-6 at Aberdeen, Sioux Falls Younger sister Dessa, a sophomore, has been a regular on the mound and in the lineup for the Wolves each of the past two seasons. A two-time all-state player in high school for Harrisburg, she's appeared in 32 games for the Wolves on the mound with nine starts while also seeing considerable action (78 games) as an infielder and hitter. There are still openings for both the rookies and foundation leagues. The cost is $205. The registration deadline is Wednesday, May 20. To register, visit . For further questions about the leagues, email: toby.bryant@sanfordhealth.org. Bryant, a NSU graduate, said another six-week development league will be offered July 6-Aug. 14 in Aberdeen this summer. *Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO\_Sports* *or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com* *This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Six-week youth fastpitch softball leagues set to run in Aberdeen*