Kansas City League Blossoms to 500 players in 18 Years

Oct. 1, 2008 – Senior Softball-USA

By Charlie Hiller, Softball News Report

KANSAS CITY, MO – The Kansas City Senior Softball League operates as a Missouri 501(c)4 not for profit organization with a 12-person board of directors.

The league donates money to many charities including The American Cancer Society, The RBI Program (Boys & Girls Clubs), BreastCancer.Org, and Katrina Survivor Families, to name a few. Randy Rowe recently took over the presidency when Wes Weddle, age 81, retired. The league was founded by Weddle in 1990 with three teams. There is still debate going on as to who won that very first one-run game! Many of the league's original charter members are still playing. They haven't missed a beat and these are members who now range in age from their late 60s into their 80s! The league even has many fathers and sons playing together.

From those first seeds, planted over 18 years ago, Kansas City Senior Softball has grown like wild fire. The league hit 500 active members in 2002! The league sponsored the Last Chance SSWC Qualifier October 4-5. More information can be found on the league's web site www.kcseniorsoftball.org. Through the test of time the league found that parity needed to be established between the teams. As a result the Platinum, Gold, Silver & Bronze Divisions were established. The league has also had a 60+ and 65+ Draft League on Saturday mornings for many years where players are assigned onto teams. At present, the men's divisions are spread out over the KC Metro area at six different venues in three different counties in order to mix these age and skill group parameters.

The league also has a 40+ Women's Division with eight teams that has been active for five years.

The league has also produced tournament teams that have climbed to the highest levels of tournament ball. Kansas City Senior Softball teams have trekked all over North America through the years, bringing back championship awards. Some of the league's top teams in recent years have been the Antiques, Avengers, Barons, Blues, Fire, KC 60's, M & V, Masters, Silver Jox and WOV's.

Safety is the league's main concern. For those venues that do not have an AED defibrillator the league brings their own. The league has a member who is a physician and gives classes on the proper use of the AED. The league has a new web site under construction. The new site gives the league more room for team sites, data, postings and unlimited photos. For more information, go to www. seniorsoftball.com/com/news.php and search for KCSSL.