From the Dugout

April 1, 2020

By Terry Hennessy
SSUSA CEO

The governors of every state in the union are in the midst of a precarious life-and-death balancing act: when to open economies while safeguarding public health.

Some people say they should open the country back up as soon as possible to avoid a prolonged recession; others warn of the danger of fanning the pandemic to dangerous levels of contagion.

These are weighty decisions and the fate of the Senior Softball season – or any sport – seems somewhat insignificant in comparison.

But for many of us, life is indeed richer and more fulfilling when we play.  It isn’t just the competition, although that is one of the main attractions. 

The culture of Senior Softball is rooted in comradery and friendship.  Over the years of our common experiences in the sport, we build friendships that help see us through difficult times in our lives – like now.

So it is that organizers of our sport – national, regional and local – face a balancing decision as well.  At what point do we start again? How do we make the sport a safer place to play in the midst of a pandemic?

At Senior Softball USA, we will be unveiling a series of steps next week in this Newsletter that we believe will make the sport a safer place for players, umpires and officials once we are able to get on the field again. 

When?

Games will begin when governors of each state open the fields and lift restrictions.

The governors cannot guarantee your safety, any more than we can guarantee safety.  In the end, it will be your individual decision about when you feel it is safe to start playing again.

One thing we do know – we will be there to hold tournaments, sanction leagues and provide a place to enjoy our sport.

In the midst of news about the COVID-19 death toll, there is good news for one Senior Softball coach from Arizona who beat the virus.

Tony King, one of the coaches for the Saints Women’s 40 team, contracted COVID-19. 

“He is home now, but lost 30 pounds and is on his way to recovery,” said his brother Jimmy, who manages the Saints.  “Hopefully we can all be back on the ball field soon.”

Amen.

Terry Hennessy is chief executive officer of Senior Softball USA and can be reached at terryh@seniorsoftball.com.