Young people today may spend less time playing outdoors than past generations, but there seems to be a natural instinct in children to gather and participate in recreational activities without adult supervision that cannot be denied. A case in point is a group of local six and seventh graders, predominantly from Gallagher Middle School, who meet at town parks to play a loosely organized summer Wiffle Ball league. There are kids in the group who come from the neighboring towns of Cumberland and Lincoln to compete, as well.
As a parent of a teenager myself, it’s refreshing to hear that this kind of thing is going on, and that teens are doing something other than spending hours bent over their phones or shut inside their rooms playing video games.
The kids I’m writing about use social media to interact with one another to find out who is available to play on any given day, and then decide on a location and time.
Although many kids are involved now, this unofficial Wiffle Ball league began two summers ago when Brady McShane of Smithfield got together with a couple of friends to play a game of Wiffle Ball at a field near their homes.
You will remember Brady from last summer when he was part of the Smithfield Little League team that went to Williamsport, PA to compete in the Little League World Series, giving the residents of Smithfield, as well as the entire state, a summer to remember.
Most are also familiar with the game of Wiffle Ball, or at least have seen the skinny yellow bat and white plastic ball with eight oblong holes along one side. It’s an inexpensive, fun way to develop the athletic skills and reflexes required to play the game of baseball.
These days, there are many competitive Wiffle Ball leagues in the United States, including Major League Wiffle Ball (MLW) and the American Wiffle Association (AWA), which is the most viewed professional Wiffle Ball league in the world. In recent years, amateur Wiffle Ball leagues have been popping up all over the country, and while you may not see Brady’s “league” featured on networks such ESPN, CBS Sports, and MLB Network, you won’t find players anywhere having more fun.
“Everyone has fun because we’re all together and with each other the whole time, playing a game we all think is fun,” Brady says.
Brady’s Wiffle Ball league starts with him walking down to the field with his bases, Wiffle balls, and bats in a wagon, which he wheels down to the field.
There are upwards of 45 kids in the league and usually about 35 of them show up any given day. They all meet at Willow Field in Greenville with score sheets and plenty of water because it’s a full day.
The boys play by their own rules, placing the pitching rubber 40 feet from the strike zone, which consists of two trash cans next to each other. It’s 55 feet between the bases and the outfield fence, and 80 from the plate.
“We don’t do pitchers poison,” Brady says, “but we do pegging.”
For those who aren’t familiar with these sandlot terms, when there aren’t enough players to fill all positions, if a ball is hit and then thrown to the pitcher before the batter gets to first base, the hitter is out. That’s pitchers poison. In pegging, the defense can throw the ball at a runner, and if struck before reaching the base, the runner is out.
“We have a team format, and we play 10 games in the regular season,” Brady says. “Four teams make the playoffs, with seeding determined by team-record in the regular season. The 1 seed plays the 4 seed, and the 2 plays the 3. The winners advance and play a three game World Series.”
The winning team receives a championship plaque, which they keep until the next season. And they even have a home run derby and all-star game every season.
Brady does most of the organizational work himself, constructing a schedule made up of teams that are as fair and equitable as possible. It takes quite a bit of time and effort, but it’s a labor of love.
From an adult perspective, it’s great to see kids playing outside together in the sunshine, having fun, and making summer memories that they’ll remember their entire lives.
