WILLIAMSBURG — The Williamsburg Senior Softball League (WSSL) came about to give older adults an opportunity to play a game at fun and competitive level.
Since the league’s inception in 2019, dozens of people aged 50 and over have come from all over Hampton Roads in order to take part in the WSSL. This spring and summer season the league number ballooned to 90 players spread across six different teams.
According to league treasurer John Stout the WSSL’s success is due in part to the league’s publicity. Since 2019, local news stations and newspapers have covered the unique league on several different occasions. There is also a huge void that it fills throughout the Peninsula.
“There is a huge market of potential players,” Stout said. “You’ve got to go to Richmond or maybe Virginia Beach to find a league like this.”
The WSSL is not just a passing hobby for its players. The regular season starts in May and stretches well into the fall. Each team of 12 to 14 players plays two games a week. The seven inning games consist of 11 fielders and each team on offense bats the entire order.
Right in the middle of the season they are hosting two separate all-star games. On account of their growth, they expanded from having two all-star teams play each other to having two teams of players 65 and under and two teams 66 and older.
The respective age groups will play each other to see who is the best of the best at Kiwanis Park on Thursday, July 8, with the first game starting at 9 a.m.
Anyone who is interested in playing in the WSSL or coming out games should check out their website for the schedule.