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Softball teams needed: Covington league in jeopardy

COVINGTON, Ky. – Covington’s Adult Softball League is in danger of being canceled this year due to lack of registrations.

By Friday, the City’s Parks, Recreation & Facilities department needs two more teams to register in order to guarantee games will be played in the summer 2018 season.

“We’ve advertised and advertised and made call after call to find those last two teams,” Park & Recreation Director Rosie Santos said. “Unfortunately, Covington is no different than the rest of the country in that interest in adult softball has been gradually dwindling. We hate to see it, because Covington’s league has a lot of history behind it.”

The Covington Adult League has been in existence for at least 50 years and probably much longer, Santos said.

The Department had already extended the deadline for registration but can’t extend it any longer without cutting into the season.

If Covington doesn’t reach its eight-team minimum, officials will likely survey the existing teams to see whether they want to cancel the season or play a schedule in which they’re matched up against each other over and over, Santos said.

New teams should call the City at (859) 292-2151 or e-mail recreation@covingtonky.gov to register or get more information.

The games are played Thursday nights at Bill Cappel Youth Sports Complex at 4305 Decoursey Ave. in Covington.

Players do not have to live in Covington but they have to be 18 years old or older.

The team entry fee is $415, and the season includes 12 games and a single-elimination tournament. It runs May 14 through August 4, depending upon the weather. Each team also has to pay a $15 cash umpire fee per game, but there are no gate entrance fees. Softballs and bases are provided by the league.

“We have a contingent of softball players in Covington who are pretty dedicated to this sport,” Santos said. “We’re hoping Covington softball lives for at least another year, but that depends on the players themselves.”

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