By Judith Dorato O’Gara

Once an athlete, always an athlete. That love of playing sports doesn’t fade with age, as members of the coed Eastern Massachusetts Senior Softball (EMASS) will tell you. The league welcomes slow-pitch softball players age 50 and over of all skill levels. 

John Neas, of Franklin, has played in other leagues but played the last four seasons with EMASS. “It’s good exercise, good camaraderie and great fun!” he says. The 71-year-old plays on a team with his brother Saturday mornings, but notes, “some of the guys and gals play in two or three divisions each week.”

With over 400 members, the league attracts players across Eastern Massachusetts with games on fields in Wayland, Medfield, and Framingham. The EMASS season opens in early May, with 18 weeks of regular season games scheduled through Labor Day and year-end playoffs in early October. 

“We are preparing for growth by rebalancing our Saturday divisions and adding a new weekday division to expand from 35 teams to over 40 teams,” said Walker Royce, Commissioner of EMASS.

Tom Galindo, of Bellingham, has played EMASS Senior Softball for 20 years. A baseball player since childhood, and softball player since graduating college, Galindo looks “forward to …the activity, the competitiveness – even though we’re the age we are. I play in the Metro, the senior division. It’s for the older guys, but it’s still competitive, and it’s a lot of fun. The rules are there because of the age, obviously, but it doesn’t take away from the game.”

Many EMASS players in their fifties and sixties can still hit a ball over 300-foot fences or run down a deep line drive in the outfield.

Galindo says that, although his skills aren’t what they used to be, “You want to perform well. You’re out there to have fun, but you still want to beat the other team. Some guys still hit the ball really hard, but for the most part, your days of sliding and taking out the second baseman are over. They try to be cognizant of people’s welfare.”

Michael Walker-Jones, of Franklin, found the league 22 years ago. When he first began, he was working full time, and coaching and refereeing soccer, so he found weekend games convenient. Having played in another “excellent” 35+ league, Walker-Jones realized, at 50, that he sought fun, while some younger players “were still looking to get into the World Series.” Still, he says, “If you get out there and watch us on a Saturday, you wouldn’t think we’re retired.”

Walker-Jones appreciates the league “trying more and more to bracket off the age groups so you don’t have 75-year-olds competing with 55-year-olds.” He adds, “There’s great camaraderie, and as I got older, it was just the place to be. My only regret is I have not seen an increase in the number of women, and I haven’t seen enough men or women of color. I would love to see more. If you like ball … come and join us.”

Good sportsmanship is a huge draw. Mike Tutin, at 53, joined EMASS last year to play alongside his brother. EMASS, he says, “is definitely laid back.  No one really critiques or complains. You get your people that are hard core, but I was lucky. The team I was on was the best group of guys you could play with. It was so relaxing and fun, and the rules make it easier. You’re not going to get blown out, you always feel like you’re in the game, and you’re not stuck up there for three hours to get up to bat. It’s very rare you see someone so upset they walked off the field. A lot of times people are laughing after the game.”  

EMASS Senior rules, such as a third base commitment line, says Tutin, ensure player safety. 

“Here we are in our 60s, 70s, or 80s, but just like when we were playing little league, we are always kidding around or giving someone a ‘nice hit’ or ‘nice catch.’ I believe it keeps you healthy being outside and interacting with people your age and different backgrounds. It gives you the opportunity to forget the worries or stress you might have and just enjoy yourself,” says Donald Kelly, 70, of Franklin, who began playing as a substitute when he was under 55. The number of divisions allows people of all abilities to play, he says.

EMASS, with paid umpires and a recent investment in team manager training, umpire clinics/certification, new equipment and a rich website, will open its 2022 season with over 40 teams competing in 6 different divisions – two Saturday divisions and four weekday divisions, each playing a double header each week. 

“You like to see more people join, and when they join, they come back,” adds Galindo.

For more information about EMASS Senior Softball League, visit www.e-mass.org.