The "Saga of the Superjocks" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just played for the championship of the Manheim Township Rec League Summer Softball League and lost. And disbanded. A few years after I started to teach at MTHS I was approached about printing stationery, envelopes and a variety of other needs for the new director of the MT Parks and Rec Department. The Township had just formed the department and hired a director. I obliged and the following year Gary, the director, formed an adult slow pitch softball league. I naturally had to enter a team in the league. I talked with a few other teachers who I knew had some athletic ability and asked a few former students who were great at baseball and we had a team. I silk-screened the t-shirts which we wore for our games. Light blue in color and across the front read "Superjocks." Looked really neat in red and dark blue inks. On the back I printed a big number starting with number 1. The first year we had 12 team members and since I started the team I was coach and pitcher. That way I had to run the least. Most of our games were played at Neffsville Community Park. By the fourth year MT Parks and Rec had made a baseball stadium in Stauffer Park. Stauffer Park had a large mansion and grounds that was willed to the township and was to be used for recreation. Great place and the ball park was really neat. Dirt infield, outfield fences, scoreboard, and lights. Concession stand and restrooms were close by. Carol and the kids were regular attendees at the games and sat on the metal bleachers. During that fourth year we had lost some of the marginal players and added some great new additions. Our shortstop was a former HS player who still holds some of the hitting records for the HS team. We had another HS player who played centerfield for us and could really run. We were a great team and I was still doing the pitching. There were a few other good teams also, but our biggest rival was a team call the "Choo Choo Barn." We managed to meet in the best of three finals. Naturally we each won one game and had to go to the final and deciding game. I don't remember the score anymore, but I still can remember we lost. Before the end of the season, team members started talking and many said it would be their last year. Time commitments and age were taking a toll on the players. So, after we played our last game, we not only bid farewell to each other, we never played together again. The Superjocks were to be no more. But, it sure was fun while it lasted. It was another extraordinary day in the life of ordinary guy. PS - photo shows my kids modeling their Superjocks shirts.