Church league softball fills the dog days of summer

Published 12:23 pm Tuesday, June 23, 2015

SWING BATTER: John Howard keeps his eyes on the ball as he swings in Monday’s church league softball game.

SWING BATTER: John Howard keeps his eyes on the ball as he swings in Monday’s church league softball game.

The clichéd phrase of the dog days of summer doesn’t apply to Vicksburg as its residents find time to play engaging softball.

Former Mayor Joe Loviza has been around the church and competitive softball leagues for 53 years.

“When we had fast-pitch and slow-pitch, we had industrial league, church league and civic league, we had up to 100 teams,” he said. “It’s now down to 10 or less.”

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Monday night was church league play and Loviza said there are some pretty good athletes in the league but they aren’t as aggressive about playing as competitive league would be.

He said within the past five years, the church league has been at it’s most competitive and has become very good.

“Everybody likes to win, I think it’s human nature,” he said. “But generally people seem to be enjoying themselves and there are very few problems in church league.”

Events and organizations like church league softball benefit the community socially and physically. It encourages people to come out of the house for good clean fun and exercise. Loviza said it gives people the opportunity to express themselves, show talent and tease a player in the spirit of fun.

He complimented Joe Graves, director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Vicksburg, on how well they league is run. He said Graves does a good job rotating the leagues with only two fields and hopefully, with the addition of a sports complex, it will be important phase in bringing the numbers back up.

Seeing the contrast in the atmosphere between competitive league softball and church league play is something John Nassour can speak to very well.

Nassour agrees with Loviza’s sentiments of it being a clean environment, with seldom altercations or bickering.

“I used to umpire the A-leagues too and every week I had to throw somebody out of the ball game, for the safety of the other players,” Nassour said.

Nassour has been playing in church league for 10 years but sat out the past two years after being hit with a ball and developing a blood clot. Loviza called Nassour to come back and play in the league and he accepted.

Nassour said church league has a lot of good players and it is more lenient compared to the A-league and the B-league.

“It’s here for fun,” Nassour said. “I mean it’s very competitive don’t get me wrong, everyone wants to win, but it’s a very clean sport of the church league and everybody’s here to have a good time.”

Newcomer Ronnie Trevillion is enjoying his first year in the league. Trevillion previously played softball in Port Gibson and is an all-around athlete. He enjoys the atmosphere and the players he’s around. Trevillion said the games he’s played in so far have had good sportsmanship from other players and a good atmosphere too.

Daniel Miles played church league softball years ago, but stopped playing because he became too busy. He said the league is a bit more laidback, however there is still a competitive spirit among players.

Miles describes himself as a people person and enjoys the camaraderie, which is his favorite aspect of playing in the league. In addition to the social aspect he plays for the physical aspects of the game as well.

“It’s something different to do,” Miles said. “Its better than going home and sitting on the recliner and doing nothing.”

For Miles, it is more about fun than competition and wishes more churches would get involved.

“It’s a way as Christian men to come out and fellowship with one another in a positive atmosphere,” he said. “Your community is the life blood of where you live.”