From the Board Room to the Ball Field. Softball, Anyone?
Take a good look around your workplace. Do you see any former jocks, grown-up tomboys, fun-loving guys or gals, or people with absolutely no social life? You could have the makings for a company softball team.
They say good morale is good for business. So, what better way to build that esprit de corps than by turning office mates into teammates through participation in a corporate softball league?
It’s certainly not a new phenomenon. In fact, thousands of companies across the country, from the monolithic IBMs to the fledgling dot coms, have long been discovering the therapeutic effects of playing ball after a frustrating day at work. Christopher Dobens, chief cultural officer at Magnet Communications in New York, has been playing second base for his company team for almost 10 years.
“The softball team and its sad record have become a source of fun, entertainment and amusement. It reflects our company’s core ideology – that winning isn’t everything to us,” mused Dobens. “What’s important is that we show up, do our best and have fun doing it. That, and the beer and wings after the game.”
Comraderie. Relaxation. A beer buzz. Whatever your reason for playing, someone needs to step up to the plate and handle the business end of softball – getting your team organized and onto the playing field. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably that designated hitter.
The first step is recruiting interest. Start a little chatter around the office or post a company-wide e-mail. Although in most leagues, you can play with nine in the line-up, it’s best to have the maximum of 10 players on the field. Factor into that no-shows, weak excuses for missing games, sick days or business trips, and you’ll need between 12 and 14 people on your official roster to field a full team come game time.
“Believe it or not, we started out with 35-40 players,” said Steve Bailey, administrative assistant at the Episcopal Church Center in Manhattan, and all-around, clutch player for The Heretics. “But due to work and travel schedules, we’d usually field 10-13 players.”
Once you’ve recruited players, there are decisions to make. Should your team be co-ed, all men’s or all women’s? Slow pitch or fast pitch? A recreational league or tournament play?
“If your team is going to play recreational ball, that’s one thing,” said Richard Grove, ASA commissioner in central California. “But if you’re going to play competitive ball, you need good athletes with some background or knowledge in baseball or softball.”
A good place to start shopping for leagues is your city’s department of parks and recreation. Most cities offer softball leagues year-round, even winter ball, depending, of course, on the weather. Or you can inquire at the private softball complexes in your city, which usually offer multiple, well-groomed fields and many types of leagues. Try the Yellow Pages for a listing.
Since many businesses consider corporate softball a work-related activity, management can usually be talked into fronting the fees – a ballpark figure of about $450 for 10 games in a city league. So don’t be afraid to tap into the company coffers.
If your company is big enough, there may be enough employees to start your own intramural league, in which different departments within the organization compete against one another, like Merck & Co, in West Point, Pennsylvania.
“There are 16 teams in our league, from all areas of the company,” said Keith Hilton, a project manager and commissioner of the Merck League. “Management provides us with two fields to play on and all the equipment. But work does come first, so you can’t get out of work to play softball.”
No matter what league you join, you’ll undoubtedly be playing under official ASA rules. The ASA -- Amateur Softball Association of America -- is the national governing body of softball, boasting more than 3.5 million registered players, coaches and umpires. The ASA is responsible for establishing uniform softball rules and regulations, providing proper safeguards, and setting guidelines for ethical behavior.
If your team is really good, you could have a shot at the brass ring –- the ASA National Championship, the World Series of amateur softball. It’s held every year around September in varying locations. But getting there is a tough, if not near-impossible, feat. Teams must win the district, state, regional and area contests, in that order, to make it to the Nationals. But someone has to win. And who knows -- it could be your team next year.
Whatever your goal, one thing is certain. Starting a company team is a great way for management and employees to come together, either on the field or in the stands. “Our CEO brought his family to our last game and took us all out for lunch afterward,” said James Willett, a client executive at Burson-Marsteller in Chicago.
Kirby Kaufman, director of business development for RM&D Communications in Baltimore, has built team spirit in a highly entertaining way. “I started a website to keep our team informed of schedules and game highlights. Now it includes snapshots, irreverent commentaries, standings and play-off information, and is a big hit,” remarked Kaufman. “Recently, I made it available to the entire league and team managers have called it the best thing that’s happened to the league in years.”
So is your company ready to play ball? Just think. Instead of nine to five being something you dread, it could be the score everyone’s talking about from last night’s game.
