Penny Petersen
The only league taking place this summer is the Cottonwood Men’s League. It extends for the longest time, beginning in late April and continuing until October. The best part for the guys is that they don’t have to be there every week. This gives them a chance for cruises, visits to family in cooler climates and other travels of choice. To date, there have been 48 different players participating, an average of 16-24 per week.
According to League Director Spencer Roberts, it’s fun. “The toughest part,” said Roberts, “is dealing with last-minute cancellations. But in our population, health issues and injuries are always a possibility, so you just learn to deal with it. At this time of year, it is usually approaching 90 degrees when we start at 8:30 a.m., but temperature on the court is higher with the radiant heat coming up off the concrete. But everyone takes care to hydrate and take pauses between games.”
Roberts claims that one of the best parts about being coordinator is that he’s able to use a computer software program that helps track all the player scores and statistics. That allows him to update the standings and make court assignments. Dave Cain is the group’s computer guru and helps guide everyone through the wonders of technology.
The hardy souls in this group meet every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. They are fun to watch.