The weather outside may be telling a different story, but spring really is almost upon us. And with spring comes the return of softball season.
Softballers looking to join City of Brotherly Love Softball League will amass next weekend to show off their skills in advance of the league opener, just six weeks away.
Skills Day will be held March 15 at Palumbo Recreation Center, 700 S. Ninth St. Players interested in the Co-ed Division are asked to arrive by 10 a.m., and Women’s Division players at noon.
Players will participate in hitting, throwing and fielding drills and are asked to bring their own gloves.
All new players must complete an application (http://cblsl.leagueapps.com/events/23390-new-players) and are required to attend Skills Day to secure a spot on one of CBLSL’s 31 teams.
CBLSL commissioner Steve Mast said the league expects up to 80 new players to join this year.
Mast cautioned that Skills Day is not a tryout, but rather a chance for league officials to match players with teams in different divisions, depending on their skill levels.
“Sometimes people do mistake it to be a tryout, but everyone will get placed on a team,” Mast said. “People should feel completely comfortable coming out that day because there are people of all skill levels throughout the league; we’re open to everyone and don’t turn anyone away. We encourage people to come out regardless of if they haven’t played in a while or have never played.”
And when the drills wrap up, new and returning players and supporters are invited to the third-annual CBLSL bar crawl.
“This is the third year for the crawl, and it’s really to get the season kicked off,” Mast said. “It’s a great way for new players to meet current members, and it’s a good social event for people to meet one another.”
The route for the crawl will be announced closer to the event but, to secure the drink specials, participants must purchase a CBLSL crawl shirt.
To purchase shirts for the crawl, or to register as a new player, visit www.cblsl.org.