Softball Beginnings

I was the only girl in my family and I was stuck playing "boy" games with my two brothers. My Dad treated us as equals and at an early age, I learned how to play baseball with my brothers. My Dad practiced hitting, running, and catching with us and soon, I was as good as my brothers. I started playing softball with the girls at the Adams Little league Field playground when I was in the third grade. I was one of the smallest and youngest girls but, for my age, I was not half bad. My friend Bev and I would practice with the team and play games against other towns. It was always fun to play against the girls from Cheshire. It was a great rivalry becuase they were from the next town south of Adams.

I played softball on an Adams recreational league team until I was a junior in high school. It wasn't cool for girls to do this in the early 60's and less athletic girls always made fun of us. We didn't have regular high school leagues like the boys and it was difficult for girls who liked to play. I played on a high school "round robin" team...we had certain days after school when a couple of other high school teams would come and play shortened games. It wasn't really as much fun as "official" league games and the rules were bent slightly. But in the summer, the Adams playground teams either played each other or we played teams from Pittsfield, North Adams, Cheshire, etc.

I always wanted to play Little League and Babe Ruth baseball but girls were not allowed. It was very hard to watch my brothers do something that I could not. Discrimination was not fun and I definitely felt it.