Coed softball is getting more and more popular each year, and turnout overall is holding steady as the Coeur d'Alene Recreation Department gears up for another summer season of rec softball.

Registration deadlines are nearing, and preseason tournaments are starting as soon as next week.

A total of 169 teams played last summer, and a similar amount of teams is expected this year, said Steve Anthony, Coeur d'Alene Recreation Director.

Coeur d'Alene offers league play in coed, women, men's, men's church, coed church, masters and seniors.

Preseason tournaments start April 20 (coed), April 27 (men) and April 28 (women). League play begins in early May in most leagues.

Because of the growing popularity of the coed church league, a second night of play has recently been added. Also, a Sunday coed league and a coed short-season league is being offered.

Coed teams play on Monday, Tuesday or Sunday; women play Monday or Wednesday; men play Tuesday or Thursday; men's church plays Friday; coed church plays Wednesday or Friday; seniors play Wednesday; masters play Tuesday or Thursday; and the coed short-season league will play on Wednesday.

Anthony said Coeur d'Alene is one of only three cities statewide to still offer women's softball - Boise and Lewiston being the other two. The women's ASA nationals in the C and D divisions are scheduled for Labor Day weekend in Spokane.

Coeur d'Alene is second only to Boise (with roughly 450 teams) in number of rec softball teams, Anthony said.

Before Quad Park in Post Falls closed a few years back, Coeur d'Alene was averaging around 105 teams in its summer leagues. The first year after Quad closed, around 190 teams played in Coeur d'Alene.

"We're down a little bit because of the economy, and it's tougher to get sponsors," Anthony said.

Some cities charge teams a sponsor fee as well as individual players fees; Coeur d’Alene charges one flat fee, and it’s up to each team to figure out how much to seek from sponsors, and how much players have to cover. Anthony said he’s seeing more rosters in recent years with 16-17 players on them, as compared to 12-14 in past years, in part so individuals may have to pay less to play.

Information: 769-2250