MISSOULA — It was a disappointing 2020 amateur softball season in Missoula as the pandemic wiped out nearly the entire season, but players are finally taking the field a year later.
After playing just a fraction of the normal games in the summer of 2020, the Missoula Softball Association’s (MSA) men’s, women’s, and co-ed leagues are in full swing starting this week, and the players are more than ready to step up to the plate.
“Everyone’s just excited to play, so I think we’re all just happy to see each other’s faces, our whole faces,” MSA board secretary Gwen Landquist said.
Last year, MSA worked diligently with the Missoula City-County Health Department and Missoula Parks and Recreation to come up with a plan to get some semblance of a season in.
But in the end, they played less than a month before the shut it down for the summer.
This year protocols have become suggestions and Landquist wants players to be safe on the field and in the bleachers.
“Just use your best judgment and respect everyone around you. A mask is certainly not required but if you want to use one, feel free,” Landquist told MTN News. “Make sure you are comfortable and respect everyone else’s boundaries.”
The number of teams playing this season is in the mid-eighties which is an increase from last year.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and a lot of conversations with players over the course of the last year really using this time to hear from them,” Landquist said.
One of the things that came out of this was a new league designed for teams who aren’t looking for something too competitive.
“We are actually starting a just for funzies league this year which is designed specifically for players who haven’t played before, and businesses,” Landquist said.
Landquist says she’s excited for the opportunity to get an entire season in after the shortened 2020 version.
Click here if you’re interested in finding out more about league play or joining a team.
