When May rolls around at the Pebble Creek Robson Resort Community in Goodyear it can only mean one thing... time to play ball.
Formed in 1995 with just two teams, the Senior Softball Association today is kicking off season 28 with more than 240 players.
“I’m 83 years old and I’m still playing ball, and I love it,” explained Bob Quarantino, who has been there since the beginning and remains stunned by its growth.
“It’s incredible, really,” said Quarantino. “I’ve played 6,000 games as part of this league and I’m telling you, it’s kept me young.”
“We got players here encompassing maybe 33 states across this country, and from a couple provinces in Canada,” said Fred Dresser.
It gained popularity so quickly that by 1998, word spread of it to Robson Resort Communities' founder Mr. Robson, who helped construct their very own ballpark called 'Field of Dreams' for the community.
There's only a few rules for new ball players, said the 80-year-old Dresser.
“We ask them three things, one have fun, two don’t get hurt, and three if you’re not getting harassed you’re in trouble,” said Dresser with a smile.
As the competition grew, fans started filling the seats and cheering them on. They put up an electronic scoreboard in right field. They built a crow's nest where you can now find Mark Pollock calling the game from above.
“It’s a blast, you get a great view of the field up here, you get to see all the people that are playing, just doesn’t get any better than this,” said Pollock.
Everyone from first-time players to folks like Ken Johnson, drafted by the 1968 New York Yankees, have found a family here.
“These are people you can depend on every single day. There’s not a person that I’ve ever met that you can’t make a phone call and say I need some help and they’re always there,” said Johnson. “We don’t go out because we’re trying to get three for four and five RBIs, we go out there because we love being with our friends and that’s what makes this so special.”
A memorial honors those who’ve played their final out but are certainly not forgotten.
“I can look back on that and say god I remember when I used to play with him,” said Quarantino.
It’s a child’s game, helping to turn back to the clock for so many stepping foot on the diamond.
The camaraderie built upon competition and lineup cards forming lifelong bonds along the way.
“We’re a huge family,” said Dresser. “It’s all about friendship and community.”