New Jersey Senior Softball Association: Editorials
WHERE'S THE LIGHT?I have been in our league as a founding commissioner and assistant or team manager since 1990, when the league was started and I turned 50. We started with 6 teams and now have 27. PROBLEM: Advertising in newspapers, cable t-v and E-Mail is fine except that we only obtain new players and teams. NO FIELDS WITH LIGHTS. The teams from the three towns with fields with lights have to play late games and games with 1 and 1 counts just to appease the large number of teams. This has reduced the exercise, fun and camaraderie that was the goal of our league and has had an effect on the integrity of the game.
The New Jersey and North Jersey Senior Softball Association and League and the other county leagues throughout the state should be petitioning their respective towns, counties, legislators, freeholders, state senators and representatives, senior citizen groups etc. to allow senior softball players access to the fields with lights, usually reserved for "little leaguers".
The lights on our field were the result of a fund raiser throughout the town. We also raised the funds for the lights at the Boonton High School field, where our students go to high school. Other towns have fields with lights. Apparently, the right people in charge have not been contacted.
Please include the need for additional fields with lights when you spread the word about senior softball.
Thanks,
Ed Jennings
EDITOR'S NOTE: There are an insufficient number of tournament calibre complexes in New Jersey. Each county would benefit from such a facility. They are compact, share light standards, parking and concession areas, etc. The better facilities have a 4 field complex in a circle, with all the home plates at the hub of the circle. We will be lobbying for the same; research has begun on the topic. Please contact me if you know of any complex not listed under the "locations" section on the left. We will add it to our list along with a description of the facility.