“ It’s all about having fun and being with friends,” said Jenessa Brown, a 16-year-old member of the Tigers, one of the teams from Annunciation Parish in Mayhew Lake. “It’s through our church, so (the team comprises) a lot of the youth in our church.”

Her words are echoed by her coach, Paul Montag, 17, who when players occasionally disagree, calms them by saying, “It’s for fun.”

“ I don’t force winning because it’s church softball,” Montag said.
Catholics, Lutherans, and Methodists, Oh My!

In many church softball leagues, a variety of denominations field teams. For example, the Tiger youths from Annunciation Parish played against one of the teams from Graham United Methodist Church on July 24.

For the most part, the teams seem to get along with each other in a competitive but ecumenical spirit. And, because members of opposing teams are often classmates, they’ll visit with each other after games.

There are not real rivalries, said Rose Ash, a member from the senior youth team from St. Mary Parish in Milaca.

However, players do admit there’s an element of competition, especially among players who have more advanced skill levels.

For example, Dallas Albertson, a 14-year-old member of the senior youth team from St. Mary Parish in Milaca, said Pease Christian Reform Church is a tough team to beat because it has a lot of good players. Mitchell Garber, 8, from the Milaca parish’s junior youth team, remarked on the substantial height of their opponents in the game played July 23.

But often, the attributes of ballplayers, and even coaches, cannot be measured by yardsticks.
Annunciation coaches, for example, admire the dedication of Miguel Torres who is in his 14th year of coaching the Graham United Methodist teams. He takes two to three hours off of work at Stearns Manufacturing (Stearns Inc.) in Sauk Rapids to be at the games.

All in all, given the mix of camaraderie and ecumenism, Roger Bzdock, manager of the H.S. softball team, said that perspective is the key.

“ It’s always important to evaluate why you’re on the field,” he said. “You can never make things more important than the fellowship atmosphere.”

In this “fellowship atmosphere,” all players, young and old, enjoy playing at their best, and also share the joy of others playing at their best.
“ I like when it when I hit the ball,” said Matthew Kahl, a 6-year-old member of the Twins team from Annunciation Parish in Mayhew Lake. “You can just run and see how far it goes.”
And what could beat hitting a grand slam home run, as described by Kristina Loegering?
“ I thought it was really cool; we all gave (high) fives,” she said.
Praying before (or after) playing
Many teams recite prayers before beginning the games. These are church leagues, after all.
Before games, the H.S. team will pray for special intentions.
A member of the St. Mary senior youth team says a prayer to ask God to keep players safe and help everyone to have fun.
Praying before games seems to help the players be better players, said Brian Kahl, an 8-year-old member of the Annunciation Twins team.
“ It feels like we can hit harder, and we’re better players in the field,” Kahl said.
Some players, such as Ash, pray for extra help when they’re up to bat ... “so I get a good hit, and maybe a home run,” she said.
Some also pray when someone else is up to bat. Loegering, a pitcher, prays for batters who aren’t even on her team, for example.
“ When little kids are up to bat, I help them to hit the ball and not strike out,” she said.
Prayers are said after the games, too.
Sometimes H.S. players pray together with other teams after a game, all gathering at the mound, thanking God and asking blessings on the players, Zwilling said.Fielding family fun
Church leagues build not only faith but also family. On youth teams, camaraderie on the field often occurs among brothers, sisters and cousins. As parents watch the game they often chat with other parents.
“ It’s a family thing,” said Belinda Ash, a coach for the senior youth team from St. Mary Parish in Milaca.
In adult leagues, sometimes father and sons play on the same team.
For example, four of Bzdock’s sons, Tom, Ben, Andrew and Bob, have played on the H.S. team.
Bzdock said the entire team becomes a kind of extended family, for teammates make themselves available to help each other out, both on and off the field — just as blood-related families do.
“ We try to foster community,” Bzdock said. “We’re all friends.”
Because there are so many church league teams concentrated in relatively small regions, teams and their fans usually doesn’t have to travel far from their homes to play “away games” against the teams in their league.
In fact, when the Annunciation teams play at Graham Methodist, they play beside the country church surrounded by fields and farms.
“ It’s about organized low cost summer fun activities in your own backyard,” said Chuck Wocken, coach of the Twins team from Annunciation Parish.
As this church league season wraps up, coaches invite others to consider joining a team next year.
“ If you’re looking for something that’s less about winning and more about fun, you should join our league,” Montag said.
Bzdock, who was on the first Holy Spirit team, which was started by his friend Ben Statz in 1975, said that he is willing to assist other Catholic churches start their own teams. Bzdock can be reached at 320-250-7681.
“ If you really believe in what you’re doing, just do it and people will come,” he said.

Above, Zack Hiemenz, a member of an Annunciation softball team of Mayhew Lake, runs through flying dust and onto home base on July 24 near Graham United Methodist Church.

Above, Mitchell Garber, a member of the junior youth team from St. Mary Parish in Milaca, catches a softball while practicing with a friend after his game on July 23 in Milaca.