Adults, students pack softball fields

By Dylan Schoonover

Monday, July 2, 2007

Middle-aged adults trying not to let those last years of sporting activities slip away can be seen on the softball fields around Lawrence throughout the summer.

But these adults aren’t the only ones gearing up for the games every weeknight. Officials from Lawrence Parks and Recreation said that on any given night, it’s not uncommon to see entire softball teams full of college-aged players on the fields.

Bob Stanclift, adult sports supervisor for Lawrence Parks and Recreation, said that between the spring and summer leagues, approximately 5,800 adults participate in softball alone. He said he’s glad to see the involvement of college students participating in the activities offered.

“We try to appeal to as wide of a base as possible,” Stanclift said. “It’s hard to keep a head count on the exact amount of players that are from KU but I know many college-aged people are involved.”

The wide appeal is apparent when watching a co-ed game that sports a gray-haired, middle-aged man in the outfield and a high school girl standing on second base. The only requirement to participate in the league is that every individual must be 16 years of age. Lawrence Parks and Recreation even offers a feature on their Web site that allows people who might not have a team to play on to place a profile with information about themselves and their softball background, much like a virtual free agency market. Stanclift said this feature gave those who may not be able to form an entire team a chance to play.

“Often times people who move into the Lawrence area would like to play but don’t know anyone. This allows them that opportunity,” Stanclift said. “If all else fails, I always tell people to just get out to the games and put their name out there to teams they like.”

The Lawrence Parks and Recreation adult sports leagues will bring in an estimated $225,000 in revenue in 2007.

Jamie Houston, Lawrence senior, said he enjoyed playing with friends while still being competitive.

“Every person that’s played baseball, I think ends up playing slow-pitch softball at some point,” Houston said. “Having fun and trying to make that spectacular play keeps me coming out.”

Houston takes a lighthearted approach to the game. Those who do not fixate their anger with bad calls on people like Avery Brow. Brow is a sophomore who is umpiring his first year in the parks league. When players unleash their anger over calls they disagree with, Brow winds up on the receiving end of their rage. He said he didn’t mind players’ behavior too much because he enjoyed getting a piece of the revenue pie.

“I ump about 12 games a week. I enjoy the money, and other than that it’s fun to call strikes,” Brow said. “Every night there’s that one player you get a lot of crap from. Really, you just have to ignore it.”

— Edited by Joe Caponio

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