For the first time in years, Amherst Regional High School didn’t have enough players to field a softball team this spring. Just down Route 9, Hopkins Academy has also seen dwindling numbers, making it impossible to keep its junior varsity squad intact for this season.
These changes are just the latest signs of a growing softball participation problem in the area, with youth programs also working hard to keep teams on the field.
Erica Wenner is doing her best to help maintain the programs she grew up playing in, now hoping to keep them intact for her daughters to hopefully be able to participate in themselves.
As the Vice President of Softball Operations for Hadley-Amherst Softball, Wenner oversees the U-8, U-10 and U-12 youth softball programs. Across the three age groups, the teams have seen an increase of roughly 50% growth this season, allowing for a second U-8 squad for the first time.
“We’re getting the word out; parents are getting their parent friends to get their daughters to play,” Wenner said. “It’s been more of a word of mouth thing, just like, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you don’t realize these programs are available, but they are.’ So we’ve been able to increase numbers just based off of that, which was super helpful.”
As someone who grew up in Hadley, playing softball at Hopkins, Wenner knows the value of playing sports as a kid in the area. She wants to help the ones growing up now to have the same opportunities, hopefully taking away some of the valuable lessons that she did.
“Being on sports teams is what helps these kids grow and communicate and learn skills that they need for when they’re adults,” Wenner said. “When you’re on a sports team, that’s how you learn how to work with others, how to communicate, how to be a leader, but also how to be a follower. It’s where you learn so many important life skills.”
The program is still somewhat new to being reintroduced to the area, with Wenner taking over out of necessity. Wenner’s mother ran the program years ago, stepping down after a long stint at the helm.
On top of the recent growth in participation, Wenner helped orchestrate a day where the youth program was recognized at a UMass softball double-header. On Saturday, April 18, roughly 30 players across the different age groups were recognized at Sortino Field in Amherst.
Prior to the game, the young athletes were invited on the field, talking with the Minutewomen who had gifts for every one of the girls who came out. They were also on the field for the national anthem, cheering loud in support of their new friends throughout the game.
“It was the best day for them,” Wenner said. “They were all full of smiles, laughing. They loved cheering for the team, even from the stands… That’s how you know that they’re loving what they’re doing. They left there with full smiles on their faces, and that’s the goal.”
Moving forward, Wenner is hoping to continue growing the program, getting as many more girls involved as possible. She’s found a passion for continuing to help more kids in the area find a new hobby and potential passion, and doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
“I don’t want to see all the effort that [has been] put in over these however many years go to waste and it to just die out,” Wenner said. “Because sports are so important.”
