Dayton Legends: More Than a Softball Club

March 1, 2019

The Dayton Legends Softball Club was established in October of 2002 and started out with just a single 50 AA team.

The first Dayton Legends Softball Club team

But now, the league has roughly 160 members, with teams competing across the United States in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina and South Carolina.

While a number of its members do play in the Senior Leagues at Kettering Fields Softball Complex in Dayton, the Dayton Legends is not a Senior League type club. It’s a senior tournament/ travel team club that has grown from that single 50 AA team to 10 teams: (2-50 AAA / 1-55 Major / 1-60 AAA / 1-65 AA & 1-65 Major / 2-70 AA & 1-70 AAA / 1-75 AAA). The club is looking to further expand, with the possible addition of a Women’s Senior Team.

Each full-time member/player pays yearly club dues, which goes into their team account and is used for tournament fees and additional equipment.

Additionally, the club has a code of conduct for its players and teams, as they are representing the Dayton Legends, as well as the City of Dayton, and are expected to conduct themselves accordingly.

Off the field, the Dayton Legends have a Community Action Committee, which works with charities and provide services to organizations such as Children’s Medical Center and Homeless Veterans Shelter.

For the last three years, The Dayton Legends Softball Club has played games against the Wounded Warrior Amputee Team at Wright State University. “It is an honor to share the field with these young men and women who have given so much to this country,” said Keith Turner, president of Dayton Legends Softball Club. “I, myself, retired from the Army after serving 25 years and am also an Iraq combat veteran.”

Dayton Legends vs. Wounded Warriors at Wright State University in October 2018

The game serves as a fundraiser for Fisher House, which are comfort homes for Veterans’ families when they are hospitalized, as well as Honor Flight, WWAST Kids Camp, and Combat Outpost Robinson, who works with veterans suffering from PTSD and Veteran Suicide.

“We have raised and donated over $50,000 and we already have this year’s games scheduled,” said Turner. “Every penny made goes to the charities, and every member of the committee that plans these games every year is a volunteer and receives no compensation.”

For more information on The Dayton Legends, please visit their website: www.daytonlegends.com.

You can contact the league via email: Dayton.Legends.Softball.Club@gmail.com.

The Dayton Legends can also be found on Facebook.