KITCHENER -- Local baseball fields may currently be covered in snow, but that's not stopping some Kitchener softball players from stepping up to the mound.

The athletes from the Kitchener Minor Girls Softball Association were able to check out their new home Tuesday evening on Gage Avenue.

Pandemic restrictions forced teams out of the public schools and practice facility they usually train in, so the association decided to rent a space of their own.

"When I heard those first balls getting hit and the smack of the ball hitting the glove, it's like 'okay, here we are,'" said Steve Miller, president of the KMGSA. "All this time over the last couple months we've been talking about it, the sleepless nights, the financials of it, and how we're going to make it work, what do we have to do?

"First day you come in here and now this? This is the icing on the cake."

Players like Evva, Jordan, and Isabelle were also excited to get back onto the mound.

"I've been gone for two months from ball, and just hitting is making me out of breath, so I think it's good coming back," said Jordan.

The association hopes the space can be used year-round and also plans to open it up for other sports and activities to help cover rent costs.