Men's Softball

Throughout my life, I’ve encountered many experiences that I believe affected my passion for sports. Some of these examples include watching Michigan Football games on TV with my dad, playing basketball in my driveway, or attending Detroit Tiger games with my family. I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved with great youth sports organizations like Vassar Little League, and the Millington Church of God Basketball Foundation. All of these things were important to me growing up, because they gained my interest towards sports altogether. However, I think that one experience has affected me most, and it’s when my dad played recreational softball in Saginaw.

             My dad had been playing sports ever since he was little. He always tells me stories about how he was always on travel baseball and soccer teams for Saginaw Township growing up. He also tells me of how he used to play on recreational football teams when he was in college. Even though I never got to witness these events, I was lucky enough to watch my dad play recreational softball. As a young boy, you’re always trying to find a motivation for what you want to do when you’re older. For me, I knew for a fact that sports would always be a part of me when I watched my dad play.

            The first time I can remember watching my dad play softball was when I was only five years old. He played at Hoyt Park, a recreational sports complex that sat at the bottom of a hill right next to the Saginaw Zoo. Even though it’s primarily run down now, I will always remember how packed it was on game day. Instead of one field, there was more like ten, and each one had a game at the same time! You might view this as chaos, but I saw it as heaven. The sight of people sitting on the hill, kids my age running around playing tag, the great food being cooked at the concession stand, along with seeing my dad play, it was paradise.

            My dad played for many different teams while at Hoyt Park. The first one I can remember was called Pride and Country, a hotel in Saginaw at the time that sponsored the team. As a matter of fact, most teams that played at Hoyt Park were sponsored. The team itself wasn’t that good, but my dad was. He was the catcher for them, but most people down there, including myself, believed that he was the best catcher in the whole league. He was great on defense, throwing people out that attempted to steal. He was also a great hitter, as he would consistently get base hits, and once in a while get a home run.

The other team that I can remember that he played for was called Heck’s Bar and Grill. Unlike Pride and Country, this team was good, and my dad was once again one of the best players. They were so good that they were invited to a state tournament in Houghton Lake, which was a cool experience for both my dad and me. I will always remember these moments because of the lasting impression they left on me as a kid, along with how they’ve affected me today, when it comes to the love I have for sports.