The wiffleball revival: restoring a college tradition
Matt Kiebus
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Sports
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By Matt Kiebus
Columnist
When packing for my freshman year of college the highest priority items on my checklist -- before school supplies, TV and super-cool wall decorations -- were about six fresh, white wiffleballs and a couple brand new wiffleball bats.
Like many others across the country, I developed a love for wiffleball at an early age, playing with neighborhood kids back when the Power Rangers were cool. The sport is thrilling, heartbreaking, and even life changing. Every walk of life can play it -- no matter if you're short or tall, an Olympic athlete or an out-of-shape college student.
While touring colleges before I chose to attend Loyola I saw wiffleballers all over quads, in front of residential halls, in frat houses, in parking lots and on rooftops (not really). If baseball is America's pastime then wiffleball should be college's pastime.
This raises the question: Where have the wiffleballs gone at Loyola? Walking around the Evergreen campus we see green grass everywhere, Frisbees being thrown, overachievers reading whatever overachievers read, and, on good days, girls tanning. It seems Loyola students like to be outside enjoying the seemingly endless perfect fall weather. Yet the classic skinny-yellow bat and perforated-white wiffleballs are nowhere to be seen.
This semester, there were more people trying out for the club badminton team than people playing wiffleball in the last two years. No disrespect to badminton, but it's a shame that wiffleball is heading towards extinction in our small corner of Baltimore.
But there is hope. Hidden near the back entrance to Campion Tower some young freshmen are breathing new life into Loyola's wiffleball lungs. Dan Camargo and Andy Cevasco are roommates from New Jersey, and their love of the game stems from backyard rivalry games with siblings.
"I've been playing wiffleball with my brothers in my backyard since I was 5 years old," Cevasco said. "There are permanent dirt patches at home plate and the pitchers' mound made over the last 14 years. In fact, you can see them from Google Earth.
Columnist
When packing for my freshman year of college the highest priority items on my checklist -- before school supplies, TV and super-cool wall decorations -- were about six fresh, white wiffleballs and a couple brand new wiffleball bats.
Like many others across the country, I developed a love for wiffleball at an early age, playing with neighborhood kids back when the Power Rangers were cool. The sport is thrilling, heartbreaking, and even life changing. Every walk of life can play it -- no matter if you're short or tall, an Olympic athlete or an out-of-shape college student.
While touring colleges before I chose to attend Loyola I saw wiffleballers all over quads, in front of residential halls, in frat houses, in parking lots and on rooftops (not really). If baseball is America's pastime then wiffleball should be college's pastime.
This raises the question: Where have the wiffleballs gone at Loyola? Walking around the Evergreen campus we see green grass everywhere, Frisbees being thrown, overachievers reading whatever overachievers read, and, on good days, girls tanning. It seems Loyola students like to be outside enjoying the seemingly endless perfect fall weather. Yet the classic skinny-yellow bat and perforated-white wiffleballs are nowhere to be seen.
This semester, there were more people trying out for the club badminton team than people playing wiffleball in the last two years. No disrespect to badminton, but it's a shame that wiffleball is heading towards extinction in our small corner of Baltimore.
But there is hope. Hidden near the back entrance to Campion Tower some young freshmen are breathing new life into Loyola's wiffleball lungs. Dan Camargo and Andy Cevasco are roommates from New Jersey, and their love of the game stems from backyard rivalry games with siblings.
"I've been playing wiffleball with my brothers in my backyard since I was 5 years old," Cevasco said. "There are permanent dirt patches at home plate and the pitchers' mound made over the last 14 years. In fact, you can see them from Google Earth.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Melissa Kinler
posted 11/06/07 @ 10:24 PM EST
Great story Matt keep up the good work I am really impressed!
Shawn Keller
posted 12/10/07 @ 10:38 PM EST
Wiffle ball is a great game. I think that my town should build a wiffle ball stadium. By the way search little fenway jericho to see a great stadium that shatters any limits wiffle ball has ever met. (Continued…)
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