I am not athletic. Not one bit. There were only a couple of school activities for girls in middle school back in the late 70s, early 80s: basketball and maybe track. I tried out for 7th-grade cheerleading, and obviously that didn’t go well..lol 

During the summer at the Canfield Swim Club, you could be on the swim or tennis team. I wasn’t interested in either, and if I had been, I’m not sure if Mom would have liked the commitment of dropping me off early and picking me up from practice 5 days a week. Most of the Moms I knew weren’t involved in their kid’s activities. I loved hanging out at the pool, but certainly not swimming laps. 

The only other choice was playing softball at McCune Fields during the summer months. Not all year. No fancy tournaments. We just played simple rec ball for exercise and camaraderie. 

City businesses sponsored teams. I was on Cliff Fisher, Reality, red jerseys with blue lettering (?), and Sherwin-Williams, purple jerseys with white lettering. 

I was horrible..lol. I was thrown in the outfield, and I’m sure my coach was hoping a heavy hitter from the opposing team didn’t hit the ball my way. Because I probably wouldn’t catch it.

In the two years I played, I may have had 6 hits. The rest were, most likely, walks or strikeouts. And I probably got called out on first base because I hit the ball 4 feet. Honestly, it really didn’t bother me. If it did, I would have asked for extra field or hitting help to try to improve. I just liked being part of a team and hanging out. 

I think I mentioned this in a previous blog, but the highlight of the games for me was buying Bazooka Bubble Gum. You know, the pink squares with the comic inside? They were either 2 or 3 cents each, so if Mom gave me a quarter, 8 pieces of gum was a decent haul. At the concession stand, they also sold Tangy Taffy. Those were some hot summer evenings playing ball, so the taffy was always soft and chewy, just the way I liked it. 

Some girls were serious, competitive softball players, and when we lost a game by an error or by one run, they would sometimes cry. I could have cared less. I never felt I needed to be #1, especially on any kind of sports team. I was just happy to be along for the ride, and maybe to go to our local Dairy Queen after a game. 

So, hats off to McCune Fields! ..sweaty hair and all. Those fields are still in use and are a staple of our community. Thanks for the memories…from one bubble-gum chewing, below-average softball player….

A shout-out to my nieces Natalie, Conchetta, and Gracie, who are sisters. They were/are talented and very athletic softball players. 

Natalie went to West Liberty University on a softball scholarship. Her younger sister, Conchetta, played for Youngstown State University. She is now an assistant softball coach for Gannon University. Gracie just finished her 2nd year playing high school ball and has outstanding talent like her siblings! …not her aunt..lol All 3 would have cringed if I were on their team..lol