Cruise by any local CIC on a weeknight and odds are people will be on the field playing slow-pitch softball. It’s not shocking considering softball is arguably the most popular sport for people to play in Warren County.
From Morrison to Midway and many ball fields in between, people of all ages are flocking to slow-pitch softball. Go to Centertown one night and you can see a 4-year-old team taking the field. The next night, men ages 20-70 will be coming together on their Church League squad at the Warren County Fairgrounds.
The passion can be felt no matter what the age of the participant or the level of play.
Dewayne Summers, a local umpire who calls games at Midway and Warren County Fairgrounds throughout the week, believes the popularity comes from the small-town feel of the game and how it relates to the community.
“At a lot of these parks, you see a small community where everybody knows everybody,” said Summers. “It gives people something to do and keeps them active.”
At Midway Friday night, Summers was calling T-ball games between 4-year-old teams. Later that night, fellow umpire Bryan Locke estimated over 550 kids play in the Midway leagues that range from ages 4-18.
The small-town vibe was apparent in Morrison Thursday night when Lester’s Body Shop took on Homeland Community Bank in a game that would decide the regular season champion in the co-ed senior league. In a game Lester’s Body Shop would win, hundreds of people passed by to see the teams battle.
One casual fan remarked, “These two teams have been going at it for years.” They’ll probably continue for years at Morrison as well.
Morrison has started building the tradition at an early age by holding a league for 2-year-old children in the last few years. Parents and league organizers have been pleased with the results thus far. Other leagues around Warren County have adopted the idea and continue to start the softball tradition at younger ages each year.
Local tournament director Darrell Austin has seen softball’s popularity firsthand. Austin estimates he holds over 30 tournaments on the weekends a year and most feature 8-10 local teams each time. Austin has his own opinions on why people seem to return each weekend.
“People young or old can play it, even the not-so-athletic people. It’s inexpensive – except for bats – and, most importantly, it let’s one be with and meet new friends,” said Austin.
Last year, Austin tried to unite the local leagues for a end-of-the-year tournament to decide the best team in Warren County. It’s an idea that still has yet to gain much traction, though Austin continues to try to speak to local commissioners at each local CIC.
Austin will also hold the second annual Warren County championship tournament Saturday, Aug. 9 at Warren County Fairgrounds. Finding quality teams to compete shouldn’t be too difficult.
Mudcats is a local softball team that has been a powerhouse in weekend tournaments for each of the last five years. Fully Loaded has sprung onto the scene this year and won several tournaments in the state’s silver class while Strawberry Inc. has won several bronze tournaments the last two summers. Jeff’s Towing, Lazy But Talented and Lester’s are all up-and-coming teams full of talented teenagers.
Softball is growing each summer. Luckily, Warren County has an abundance of fields and they’ll probably be filled from March until September.