By Mike Kinney
Whether your goal is to spend time with friends, exercise or revisit old glory days, Nicholl Park’s softball fields have dozens of Richmond residents covered this summer.
We recently stopped by the Adult Co-Ed Softball League operated by the City of Richmond. The league, which runs 10 games and maximum of 10 teams from Aug. 24 through June 26, is an effort by the city to promote an active and healthy lifestyle.
It’s also promoting a lot of good times.
“The best part is the smile on their faces,” said Maurice Range, a program coordinator for adult sports at the City of Richmond’s Recreation Center. “It’s like when it’s over, they ask ‘when are we going to do this again’?”
While communities typically have a variety of athletic options for youth, those serving adults tend to be scarce and in demand. For Richmond adults, aside from softball there’s men’s and co-ed indoor soccer, Friday night adult basketball leagues, afternoon drop-in basketball and volleyball, and also the Richmond Tennis Association.
“When you get older there’s not a whole lot of activities for adults to do,” Range said. “So this gives them the opportunity to relive their youth, doing this.”
Range said the league attracts teams from all over Richmond.
“Bringing them together brings unity to the community,” he said.
When people come together, they become family, Range added.
Registration for this summer’s league, which costs $450 per team, has passed. While you can’t sign your team up till next season, however, you can still head down to Nicholl Park on Wednesday nights to cheer them on and catch a few smiles, too.
