|
Written by Justin Holstein
|
|
Tuesday, 29 March 2005 |
|
Every April, an intense and competitive subculture explodes throughout the United States with the seasonal opening of men’s slow pitch softball. Tens of thousands of registered teams begin their leagues in almost every city and town across America. For many of these players, the season means recreational sport, camaraderie, beer and entertainment.
For a select few, however, the word "recreational" does not apply to their brand of softball. With their eyes set on the September Worlds Tournament some players are engaged in a personal quest for greater validation and the Ultimate Victory. Just as 44 Core represents the designated density of softballs to be used in regulation and tournament play, these players are the core substance in a multi-million dollar industry that is uniquely American.
We meet the team players who play nightly, then travel every weekend for out-of-state tournaments. We see how their personal lives become a precarious balancing act of their day jobs, family obligations and on-the-road escapism. We watch as some teams struggle to scrape together a few hundred dollars and matching shirts to go up against teams with thousand dollar budgets, $300 bats and an array of perfectly coordinated uniforms.
Like the characters in "Hoop Dreams" and "Friday Night Lights", the players we meet confound, amaze and even inspire. With many of teams playing just for the game, perseverance and obsession mark the efforts of these players……...as they search for something universal in all of our lives: Greatness. For these men, this is their one way of chasing this, for others…it’s just a game.
| Comments () >> |
 |
 |
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 05 April 2005 )
|
About 44 Core 
