Moses Lake adult softball moves into summer play
CALEB PEREZ | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year AGO
Isaac Valdez and his team after one of their softball games. Valdez said that the most important thing that people gain from this league is the family that they build.
COURTESY PHOTO/ISAAC VALDEZ
One of the women’s softball teams in the Moses Lake Adult Softball League. In late July the city’s co-ed league begins play.
MOSES LAKE – The city of Moses Lake’s adult softball league is underway and pushing into its summer portion of the season.
“It really is a big family out there,” said Isaac Valdez, who runs the league for the city. “We have a diverse group of people that play in our local league here in Moses Lake.”
Moses Lake Adult Softball is 18 and older and features men’s and women’s leagues that begin in March and run through mid-July. Another is a co-ed that begins in July and runs until the end of September. The league continues to grow as it has reached over one thousand members on Facebook.
“The funny thing with our league is it’s extremely competitive when it comes down to when we have our tournament time and even throughout the league nights. We have really competitive teams and individuals,” said Valdez. “But after the game, before the game, everybody is out there looking out for each other, everybody is out there helping each other out.”
Valdez said he is very fortunate to be in the position he is in, as he gets to interact and connect with people throughout the city.
“I really get to meet a lot of people that I definitely never would’ve ran into in any way, shape or form,” he said.
Giving the people of the community an activity to participate in is a very important aspect of why adult leagues like this exist, said Valdez. With Moses Lake being a big sports town, it was important to keep the opportunity to play present for those who no longer have an outlet to participate in sports or other activities.
This season, the league is made up of 18 teams, which are split into two divisions based on skill level. There are the upper and lower divisions, which Valdez said are both very competitive to participate in.
One thing that he has begun to see recently is an increase in younger players in the league who want to win, which has been building up the league when it comes to tournament play.
“Most of the teams in some way, shape or form play tournament ball, so our league is really healthy and it’s really competitive,” he said.
League tournaments for the area usually begin right after the Fourth of July. Valdez said once the main tournament is over, they will hold an all-star game where the tournament champions will play against selected all-stars from each team.
Valdez has been playing in the league for 25 years and running it for ten. He said he wants to see people continue to help sustain the group and that it will still thrive and be healthy even after he retires from the game in the future.
“Definitely one of the most important things is just building that community that when people come into a time of need, the whole community helps out,” said Valdez. “It is nice to know that this outlet is more than just an outlet from being an adult and doing life.”
For more information about the various athletic leagues the city runs, visit: https://www.cityofml.com/1270/Adult-Programs
One of the women’s softball teams in the Moses Lake Adult Softball League. In late July the city’s co-ed league begins play.
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