By: tdj

This is so cute! (Also I think I forgot to comment on Drew’s interview with her dad, but I loved it and cried at parts, seems like such a sweet guy)

A smattering of memories:

I played 1 season of tee-ball and was awful (like every other kid) and didn’t continue (don’t know if that was my mom’s decision or mine).

Played another season in 6th grade but for softball on my school’s team for district-wide tournament, unsurprisingly was still awful for a kid who had never received instruction. I had a lot of fun, though, and wanted to continue so asked my mom if I could play Babe Ruth or whatever level it is for 12/13 year olds. She said I couldn’t and that if I really had interest I could try out for the high school team (in 2 years???) and then join an outside league. Needless to say I didn’t try out for anymore teams.

I always loved baseball, but no one else in my family did beside my grandma (and part of her rooting interest was those good Italian boys on her Dodgers, particularly Mike Piazza and then Paul Lo Duca, amongst others), and started watching it and getting more obsessed with it by end of high school. Some of my closest friends in my 20s were met through the local MLB team and fellow fans.

Played a season of softball in my mid-20s before I had kids, had a lot of fun. Still was pretty bad but at least tried to get better.

Joined the local LGBT softball league last year after a couple years of Covid isolation with just my immediate family, wanting to make more queer friends. Still not very good but have been playing the past couple seasons (it’s a 2 season a year league) and am getting for the next one in a month.

So that’s really what I’ll leave with – if you have a local LGBT sports league (whether softball or a different sport), I’d definitely encourage you to check it! It’s a nice alternative to more drinking/clubbing/hookup culture activities if that’s not your interest.