The season starts anew!

As the weather warms, so do the competitive spirits of the aged but faithful; yes that’s right the weekend warriors of the summer softball leagues.

Orem and Provo have many leagues and many divisions for summer softball that all start this weekend, April 11. The leagues consist of Men’s, Women’s, and Co-ed; they then divide them from recreational or noncompetitive to extremely competitive for the diehards.

Walking up and down the aisles at Parks Sportsman men can be found looking for anything to gain an edge. Cleats or perhaps a pair of new batting gloves, and wrist bands to match is all they need.

Or is it? Is this the year they will finally buy the glove that could result in a divorce? “But honey they say it’s what the Pro’s wear, plus it’s the last glove I’ll ever buy.” Most of them never make the call home, but put it on and pound a fist into it. To the men of softball it’s like test driving a fine car they could never afford. They take it off and walk like a battle weary soldier to the register and just buy the socks that were in the sale bin.

Not this season for fifty year old softballer Gary Arnold. He walks like a proud new father with dream glove in hand toward the register. Arnold is an Orem man that has spent the last twenty five years playing competitive softball. He has traveled all over the country and played with the best of them.

“I figured this was my year,” Arnold says. “I just turned fifty and I got a motor cycle, and this glove. Plus I’m already divorced so it’s not like I need permission.”

Josh Walker, who has played against Arnold for several years, looks on with wanton eyes as he tries to justify spending half a mortgage payment on a baseball glove.

When asked why he won’t make the purchase, Walker said, “I can’t do it. I’d rather not sleep in the garage for the next month, so for now I’ll just take the socks.”



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