Let’s start with some team names, which are always fun: Hasselhoff’s Hitmen, The Peanut Gallery, Sluggin N Chuggin, Wasted Talent.
Then there’s the jerseys, where no fabric, pattern or color scheme is considered foul territory. (In fact, the real challenge is finding a look that hasn’t been tried.)
And, lastly, let’s hear from a guy who sums up the spirit of his sport perfectly: “Life can get busy, but every Thursday I know I’m playing softball with a great bunch of guys,” says Matt Barton of Lucky Lagers. “I look forward to my Thursday nights more than I do my Fridays.”
Take a quick poll of slow-pitch softball players anywhere on the planet and you’re bound to hear similar testimony.
“The best part is you get to know some of these teams over the years,” said David Nix, a veteran player for Wasted Talent. “And although we’re super competitive and we’re all trying to win, at the end of the day we’ll get together for burgers and a couple drinks. We have a bunch of fun.”
Lucky Lagers and Wasted Talent made up two teams in the Fox Valley Park District’s ASA Men’s Summer Softball League – a season coronated by the Swingers’ 9-8 walkoff win over Hasselhoff’s Hitmen in the recent title game. FVPD also offers ASA Co-Rec, a league that runs concurrently and has another week of playoffs remaining.
Fall registration closes soon!
Jason Grzywa, the FVPD’s recreation coordinator who oversees the softball leagues, says there’s space for more teams – or individuals – in the Fall Leagues (men’s and co-rec). Cost is $850 per team (20-person roster max.) for the eight-week regular season and single-elimination playoff format.
To register a team, stop by any FVPD community center – Vaughan Athletic Center or Prisco or Eola community centers – or visit our Sports page If you’re not affiliated with a team and would like to participate, you can join the “Adult Free Agent list” by filling out a form that Grzywa will submit to team managers seeking to fill vacant roster spots.
“With vacations, weddings, work commitments and other obligations, the need for subs happens pretty frequently,” Grzywa says. “The free-agent system provides two-way assistance.”
Deadline to register is July 28 (men’s) and Aug. 7 (co-rec). Games are played once a week on a rotating basis between Eola Community Center and Stuart Sports Complex.
“We have several teams that have been in the league for a long time,” Grzywa said. “The guys, the captains, are always talking up a big game. It’s a fun environment and gives you something to look forward to during the hectic work week.”
For questions about our adult softball leagues, contact Jason Grzywa at 630-966-4559 or jgrzywa@fvpd.net.
