ISF Senior World Cup, June 22-23, Manassas, Virginia (USA)

More than 50 teams participated in an event that saw men’s softball action from players age 50 and up who came from as far away as Canada and eleven states including the host.  An entry from Colombia was expected as well, but hit a snag at the eleventh hour.  Twelve softball diamonds at five different locations were used to handle the demands of the tournament schedule.

The inaugural event was hosted by the International Senior Softball Association (ISSA).

“We approached the ISF after receiving interest from a foreign team to come play in our ASA (Amateur Softball Association) Regional and they wanted to know if we were ISF sanctioned,” said R.B. Thomas, Executive Director of the ISSA.  “The dialogue resulted in the ISF deciding to initiate a senior program to accommodate the growing international interest in senior softball.”

The 50+ Majors Final Standings saw REKCO from Silver Spring, Maryland finish first with a 5-1 record, despite allowing more runs than they scored (109-116).  REKCO recovered from the loser’s bracket and edged DeMarini/FL Crush, 23-22, to earn the gold medal and show why they were ranked number one in the nation the last two years.

In the 50+ A Division, Joseph Chevrolet from Cold Spring, Kentucky, got revenge on the High Street Bucs with an 18-13 win after having lost to them, 14-13.  The two then matched up again with Joseph Chevrolet posting a 12-8 win that garnered them gold.

Elsewhere, Joe B’s AC from Rockville, Maryland, won three straight games by a combined score of 68-18 to claim the 50+ B Division crown.

In 50+ C Division play, it was Spring Ford from Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, waltzing through the winner’s bracket with a perfect 4-0 won-lost record that included a 13-3 win for the gold medal.

After losing to them 22-18, the NY Statesmen (Farmingdale) got revenge on Faith Electric (Cartersville, Georgia) with a 27-26 triumph for the title in the 55+ Major Division.

In the other 55+ Division, 55+ A, the Tidewater 55’s from Portsmouth, Virginia, went undefeated in four games, capping it off with a 15-7 win over the Texas Legends (Arlington) to earn the trophy.

Florida Legends/Dan Sports from Nokomis, Florida, was dominant in winning the crown for the 60+ Major Division.  They won two games by a combined 44-8 score, impressive considering the team they beat for the gold medal – the Thomas Engineering 60’s from the host city – had won its previous two games by 24-13 and 19-7.

Hagerstown, Maryland’s Good Ol’ Boys were more than good in staking claim to gold in the 60+ A Division.  They put up run totals of 27, 32, and 22 in sweeping through the winner’s bracket.

The 65+ Major Division was also dominated.  The Mitchell’s Eastern States from Beltsville, Maryland, beat their competition 41-15 in winning three games that earned them the trophy.

And, after winning two games by a combined score of 28-3, the Georgia Peaches (oddly, from Montgomery, Alabama) were put to the test by the VA Crackerjacks from Reston, Virginia, in the title game, with the Peaches holding on for an 8-7 win.

“The (event) was very successful,” said Thomas, one of the first inductees to the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame (1996).  “We have received widespread interest in the next competition, to be held June 20 - 22, 2003 in Manassas.  A number of international teams have advised that with ample planning time they would like to bring a senior team then, when we will have a new five-field state-of-the-art softball complex complete to add to our existing group of fields.  We are committed to bringing our expertise and resources to make the ISF Senior World Cup the premier tournament for senior softball anywhere in the world.”

The event was successful off the field as well, gaining local media coverage and impacting the local economy as a result of the 1,500 visitors to the county and its restaurants, hotels, and other businesses. 

(This article appeared in the September-December 2002 issue of World Softball magazine, Volume 30, Number 3.)

It's a hit!  The inaugural Senior World Cup was a success and another is already being planned for 2003.  (Photo by John Card)