Clearly, it was going to be a different kind of softball game as a gray-haired batter made her way to the plate with the help of a walker, repositioned herself several times and then took a swing at a ball perched on a T-ball stand. When she made contact with the ball, the batter didn’t take off toward first base — a young girl ran in her place.
The game, coinciding with World Softball Day on June 13, brought together residents from Lake Meadows Assisted Living and members of Mudsock Youth Athletics for the first of what organizers hope will be a recurring softball game involving the two organizations.
Nadine Graham is the life enrichment director at Lake Meadows, 11570 East 126th St. — which is close to Fishers’ Billericay Park, where the game was played. Graham said making this happen has been a longtime dream, especially since she used to play softball.
She said it started when she asked the residents if they’d be interested in playing softball.
“Within 30 minutes, we had 18 players signed up — that quick, so it was a need,” she said. “They’ve been practicing for days and competing against each other, just having fun — rivalry stuff. But we’re very competitive.”
Graham, wearing a blue shirt, definitely has a competitive streak and a favorite team.
“We expect the blue to win against the red,” she said, laughing. “But, no, (we’re) just having fun, just living our best life. This is living your best life. Who would do this? Get a bunch of assisted living (residents) from 60 to 99-and-a-half to come out and form a team to play T-ball?”
The teams included men and women who live at Lake Meadows, and each player was assigned a Mudsock youth player who ran for their senior and represented them in the outfield.
Graham said she thought it might be difficult to find a youth group willing to help the seniors play ball.
“We posted it and (a) Mudsock Youth softball team immediately signed up,” she said. “That was a blessing, because we thought it would be hard to find children. So, like, no, they were so eager.”
Amy Leitze was one of the Mudsock moms at the field, taking photos and cheering on the players. She said the youth players ranged from 8 to 11 years old.
“One of the things that we like our teams to get involved with is community service,” she said. “I originally saw Nadine’s post in a Girl Scout troop (page), but I thought, ‘Hey, I’ve got the perfect fit here for our girls to come out and be able to play.’”
Leitze said that when she mentioned the idea to the other moms, they were all in.
“It’s really fun to get on the field and just be out for a good time,” she said. “Less competitive than our general nature.”
She added that it’s an honor to help the residents at Lake Meadows.
“We love having the opportunity to share our love of softball,” she said after the game. “Fun was had by the young and the young at heart.”
Lori Frepan, 70, was one of the senior players on the red team. She said she signed up because it sounded like a fun activity.
“I like to stay active and, you know, get involved in things,” she said, adding that practices and, now, the game, have been enjoyable.
Frepan, who said she’s lived at Lake Meadows for about nine months, had been up to bat once at that point, but didn’t make a run. She hoped to improve as the game progressed.
Graham’s favorite blue team ended up winning the game 13-4. She said they plan to work with Mudsock players again in the fall.
“Everyone had a wonderful time and it turned out to be very successful,” she said.
Softball origins
World Softball Day on June 13 was established in 2005 to celebrate the game, which is played by an estimated 30 million people.
According to the World Baseball Softball Confederation website, softball was invented on Thanksgiving Day, 1887, when journalist George Hancock, waiting for the results of a sporting event to be announced, saw someone hit a boxing glove with a broom handle and send it flying high. Hancock tied the boxing glove into a sphere to make it more ball-shaped and formed two teams that played the rest of the day.
Softball began as “indoor baseball,” which then moved outdoors. The rules were vague and evolved over time. Variations of softball throughout the years have been called kitten ball — with players hitting a ball of yarn — mush ball, big ball, town ball, recreation ball and playground ball.
The constants in all the variations have been underhand pitching and a ball that’s larger than a standard baseball.
