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Online now: 3 members: DaveDowell, MariaO17, teampanthers; 13 anonymousDiscussion: Letter from ISSA Executivee Director
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| Jan. 26 BillyMac Men's 55 91 posts | Recently, a senior player from Georgia sent us the following poen which he penned while attending the ISSA World Championships at Manassas in 2000: They traveled many miles far & near To play a game, to bat & cheer A little mist & sometimes rain An occasional pulled muscle to give a slight pain Fifty & older tells the men‚s age But the heart‚s a twenty as they turn back the page To relive the moments of when they were young Not as fast or lively, but strumming the same song They swing the bat swiftly with strength & grace And have competition etched in their face They‚ll play real hard all the way to the end Win or lose they‚ll leave as friends When they return home physically spent We had a great time at the Manassas Tournament John W. Hayes, Faith Electric Team August 19, 2000 John, also sent us an email earlier this week to inform us of the untimely death of Charlie Adcock. Charlie also played for the Faith Electric Team and will be missed by all who came to know him. Charlie was an exceptionally good ballplayer and was inducted into the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame several years ago. But to me he will always be etched in my memory, not for his playing abilities, but for that friendly smile that always greeted you when in his presence. I will always consider Charlie a friend, we only knew each other at the ball field and to me his spirit and attitude exemplified the true meaning of senior softball. I just returned to my office from attending an old friends funeral and tomorrow one of the players on the Thomas Engineering Team will bury his father. For me it has become a time for prayer and reflection. A time to look at my priorities and be thankful for the joys of life. We all have so much to be thankful for, and being involved in sport at our age is one of them. Senior softball means so much to so many players. It provides an opportunity for one to maintain and renew old friendships. But perhaps more important it offers us the opportunity to acquire new friends and share the company of others. It was this camaraderie that drew many of us to the sport. In recent years we have witnessed some derisiveness which has manifested itself in name calling, personal attacks, organization bashing, cheating and other inappropriate activity all of which has been contrary to the principles guiding the growth and development of senior softball. Administrators in the sport may differ on their rules and policies, but I believe that each has the best interest of the game at the root of their decision making process. It is my prayer for all that we return senior softball to its beginning philosophy. You can be competitive and remain friends. At this stage of our lives, friendships should be more important than trophies. When you ask who is playing in the next tournament, it should be born out of wanting to know which friendships you will get to renew and less about your chances for winning. Camaraderie is the one thing that senior softball provides that does not exist in some other sports. Together we can keep our sport special. As seniors our time is fleeting, the moments are passing from you and me. We should all try to make the most of our time together at the ball park. I wish for each of you a great 2005 Senior Softball Season. See you at the ball park. RB Thomas, Jr., ISSA Executive Director January 25, 2005 |
| Jan. 27 jah#4 Men's 70 576 posts | Billy I also read RB email. I have played with John Haynes this past year, and have had the chance to travel with him to games and have read more of his poems. He writes from his heart and cares his heart with Christ. Knowing Big John has made me a better person. He a true friend and often turn to him for advise. I watched him drive hundreds of mile to be with a teammate in their time of need. You can always count on John in your time of need. Don |
| Jan. 29 TaterinGa Men's 50 179 posts | Well, I am crying; that is incredible. In all my years of sending 100's of poems across America to many message boards, I never got much of a response. Here today I am touched by RB & JAH #4. I write poetry to release the inner me. When Marty Robbins was asked why he started singing, he replied something like this. I did not sing for fame or fortune; just sang because I love to sing. RB hit it on the nose: sure we love to hit the homerun; win the big trophy; but in essence, we are building life time friendships. I have never met Terry, but I believe RB & Ridge are going to do the right thing overall for the betterment of Senior Softball & if we approach them like we would like to be approached; they will correspond. Thanks John AKA Taterman |
| Feb. 2 batter4u Men's 65 82 posts | i'm not much for words but was touched by the poem,,,, well said,,, lets play ball and enjoy the game and the friendships made |
