By Samantha Sciarrotta
Every Tuesday and Thursday from April to July, Linda Miller and several other area women can be found at one place: Peter Muschal School.
From 6:30 p.m. until dark, Miller plays in and presides over games for the Bordentown Women’s Softball League.
The 64-year-old has been a member of the league for 37 years. She has served as president for 36.
“It only took me a year,” she said. “Then, after a year, I started to climb the ladder from member to vice president to eventually president.”
Miller heard about the league in 1976 from a few of her friends who were working as umpires at the time.
“I had just had a baby, and I needed to get out of the house,” she said.
Miller decided to give the league a try. She has stuck with it ever since.
“I’ve been in this for so long,” she said. “I just enjoy playing. As long as I can play, I’m going to do it.”
The other league members clearly feel the same. Miller said she has seen several women join up in their early 20s and stick around until their 40s.
While Miller said she is “the last of the originals,” many of the members are women who return to the field year after year.
“I’ve dealt with so many girls and so many women,” she said. “Some take some time off when they get married or have kids, but they stayed. They come back. I’m watching these girls grow up. Having the same people there with you and enjoying the game is so satisfying.”
Miller said anybody can join the league. The only limitation is an 18-year-old minimum age. Anybody under 20 must sign a waiver before playing, but other than that, she said, it is open to all.
“Age doesn’t matter,” she said. “Nobody is too young or too old. None of that stuff matters. Everybody is welcome.”
The league fields five to seven teams. The first game is typically held on the first Tuesday in April, this year on April 2. Games generally go on through June, but Miller reserves the fields until July in case of rainouts.
After that, she said, a lot of the members plan vacations, so she makes sure all of the games are played before August begins.
Sign-ups are currently going on, but Miller said she accepts new registrants all season long. Registration is not limited to Bordentown residents.
“We’re always asking for new members,” she said. “We advertise on the local cable channels in Bordentown, Burlington and Delran. Anybody can come out.”
The general feel of the league is much more laid back than other area leagues. Miller said that is what keeps members coming back.
“We do a lot of goofing off so the members can enjoy themselves,” she said. “It’s just recreation softball. Other leagues are cutthroat. There is a big difference between our league and other leagues. They’re out for blood, and they always want to win. There always has to be a winner and a loser. We don’t care about that stuff. We’re just going out there to enjoy it.”
All skill levels are welcome. Miller recalls a woman who came into the league five years ago and couldn’t even hold a bat.
“Now, I’ve seen her hit home runs,” she said. “Even if you don’t know how to play, give yourself a chance.”
Registration costs $30 a person plus the cost of a team t-shirt. Rubber cleats and a team shirt are the only requirements. Catchers must wear a facemask. To sign up or for more information, call Linda Miller at (609) 893-4309.
