By Dan Brosgol
It might take a village to raise a child, but in the case of Bedford it takes a group of dedicated volunteers to make history, or in this case the first ever adult co-ed softball league in the town (or at least the first one that anyone can remember).
That’s right, folks, there’s a new game in town, and it starts this weekend. League games will be played on Sunday afternoons from May 1 to June 26 at C Field (the varsity softball field) and at the Hartwell Farms field on Kendall Court. Games will be umpired by patched teenage umpires from Bedford, which will give some summer work to town residents and also add a nice community activity into the program.
(Full disclosure: my wife, Elizabeth, and I are both playing in the spring league and we’re on the same team, so watch out, world.)
Last spring, Bedford resident John Pellegrino approached the Recreation Department to suggest that they get an adult co-ed softball league going. When I asked John what inspired him, he said “…simply because a league of that kind didn’t exist in town. The Bedford Recreation Department was receptive to the idea and they turned the idea into a reality.”
Pellegrino got in touch with Raeann Gambis, the Adult Program Coordinator for Bedford Recreation, and after planning through the summer and into the fall, opened registration for the league early this past winter. The result so far has been “a huge success,” says Gambis, based on the interest from town residents—and that might be putting it lightly. Fifty nine players have signed up for the Spring season, which will allow the league to field four teams of 14–15 players each. And it’s really going to be a co-ed league, with 35 men and 24 women registered, ranging in age from 22 to 55. Following the spring season there will be a summer league with (hopefully) two games per week, and perhaps an additional two teams.
In addition to the efforts of Pellegrino and Gambis, a handful of other volunteers have been instrumental in getting the league off the ground—team captains Pellegrino, Chris McDonough, Emily Pietrasik, Patrick Coady, Emily Medwar, Alex Russo, Mike Leskouski, and Cody McCauley; Bedford Babe Ruth President Steve Carluccio and scheduling coordinator Mike Cox (field and umpire assignments); plus Nick Donovan, Kale Kasten and Tony Carbello (team rules, league format, forming teams).
As Gambis noted, “These programs involve an enormous amount of planning, and without the volunteers to help get it off the ground, it can’t happen—so I am very grateful to the group of volunteers who have been instrumental in [bringing it to] fruition. I think it will be a fun, multigenerational, family event every Sunday night.”
I don’t know about you, but after watching my kids play baseball five, six and sometimes seven days a week, it’s going to be pretty refreshing to get out there with my wife and play softball ourselves this spring.
We hope to see you at the games. Check back with The Bedford Citizen for league updates and embarrassing photos of yours truly.
Please note: If you are still interested in joining a team for the Spring season, please be in touch with Raeann Gambis at Bedford Recreation—there are still a few open spots to be filled.
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