Penn Plum Monroeville Super Softball League Gets Ready for Season

The former Penn Plum Monroe Sunday Softball League has expanded in 2012.

This year, the Penn Hills Sport Shop League, which offered weeknight softball opportunities for men in the area, didn't pick up for a new season.

Ed Adams, commissioner for Penn Plum Monroe—it only offered Sunday games—took on the extra challenge.

"I wasn't looking to pick up another league, but no one else did," said Adams, a Penn Hills resident.

With the help of Plum resident Kyle Jenkins, who now oversees the weekday games, the two leagues merged.

And so, the Penn Plum Monroeville Super Softball League was born. The regular season begins at the end of April and runs through Labor Day.

"We wanted to give people the opportunity to have games during the weekday or on a Sunday," Adams said. "Our goal is to keep things the same as much as possible. The decision pretty much came down to giving these guys a chance to play somewhere.

"Now, instead of checking the weather for Sunday, I'm going to be checking it every day," he said with a laugh.

Teams from all over the Eastern suburbs—sometime even farther—participate in the league, which is for men ages 16 and older. and the in Oakmont, and Stewart's Lounge in Plum have teams.

"The league generates a lot of money for communities," he said. "Local stores are benefiting from this. After a game, the guys will go to a local spot to eat or we'll purchase equipment from local shops."

Adams said last year, 43 leagues participated in the Sunday softball and 15 teams participated in the weeknight softball games—amounting to about 600 players.

The teams play at kid-friendly locations, such as Boyce Park, Renton, Universal and Penn Hills Park.

"I was always an athlete, and this was a way for me to continue to be involved with sports," said Adams, who has been working with the league for 23 years. "This makes for good family time, and the guys have a good time socializing and being involved with athletics."

Adams said he is working with the National Softball Association to get the teams qualified to play in state and national tournaments. A co-ed league might also spring up in the future.

"That's a whole other animal with different rules, but it's possible," he said.

For more information about the PPMSSL, see www.ppmssl.com.

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