You never know what might make the world a better place
Tim and I stopped in Amarillo on our way to Colorado, staying with his old friend, Gary. Gary invited us to watch a few innings of softball before going to dinner. He plays in a senior softball league where every Tuesday night from late Spring through early Fall, men aged 50 and older get together and play ball.
The rules make the game easy and fun. Games last one hour, every batter starts with one ball and one strike, and no more than five runs are allowed per inning per side. But don’t get me wrong – these guys are no slouches. They swing for the fences, run for fly balls, and race down the baseline. Gary reported that the best player on his team is seventy-five years old.
Players pair friendly competition with fair accommodations. Guys who can run take over for a teammate who struggles. The pinch runner for a player with a nose bleed brings a towel to contain the oozing. One player in his seventies had double knee braces and could barely stand up straight – and everyone cheered as he hit a line drive to left field and handily made it to first base. No jeering – just cheering. There was certainly no shortage of beer bellies and knee braces, but also plenty of smiles, laughter, and friendly banter. This is what you call good, clean fun.
It reminded me of the famous lyrics sung by Louis Armstrong:
I see friends shaking hands, saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying, “I love you.”
But there’s more to this story
Not only does Gary play in the league, but he’s also the one who started it. Gary moved from Houston back to his hometown of Amarillo a little over ten years ago. He was in his fifties and very physically active, and when looking to join a softball league like the one he’d belonged to in Houston, he found there was none. So what did Gary do? He started one: the Amarillo Senior Softball Club.
League play occurs at the local city softball complex – electric scoreboard and all. A far cry from the beginning when teams used a flip-chart scoreboard that Gary transported in the trunk of his car. What started with four teams has now grown to fifteen teams divided into two leagues (American and National – of course), a double-elimination tournament to end the season, and a fall banquet. With each team carrying a roster of 10 to 12 players, this adds up to about 175 senior men from the Amarillo area enjoying all the club has to offer. And what the club is offering is more than just a simple softball game.
This was an event of integrated wellness
The physical activity of softball was what drew everyone there. Still, there was so much more: people enjoying the outdoors, families and friends spending quality time together, a sense of togetherness and companionship amongst peers, and shared spirituality with a brief prayer before the start of a game.
I saw all this, but I realized I was witnessing a recurring integrative wellness event. Here were the four domains of wellness – physical, mental and emotional, spiritual, and social – all beautifully coming together in a summer softball league.
And as I wondered about what sort of similar activity might be available to women as we exited the park on our way to dinner, I got my answer: A game of volleyball on the other side of the park, primarily women. I could hear laughter, cheers, and friendly banter, and I understood.
Look for the opportunities, and if you don’t find the one you’re looking for, create it. Chances are you’ll end up helping others out as much or more than yourself. And helping create a more wonderful world.
Youtube video: How Did The Amarillo Senior Softball League Get Started?