March 11, 2022 Submitted by Ally Donnelly
Julia Schirmer first stepped onto a softball field in second grade. Unsure of herself and the sport, the then 7-year-old knew she had a home here.
“It’s given me confidence,” Julia, now a 7th grader at Hingham Middle School, says. “Confidence in the batter’s box, in the game–just being confident anywhere now.” Over the last five years, Julia learned the skills, listened to her coaches and made new friends. “I love the crack of the bat,” she says, “The thrill of winning a game and the excitement of waking up knowing you’re playing softball that day.”
Hundreds of girls, from kindergarten through 8th grade have recently registered for the Hingham Girls Softball’s spring season which kicks off with evaluations on Monday. The evaluations are for D2 and D3 girls only (4th through 8th grade) at Starland on Monday.
But Kevin Clow, president of the HGS board encourages families not to be intimidated by the word “evaluations.” “Every girl will make the team and has a place here,” he said. “We just want to get a sense of their skills so we know how they will best learn and grow in the program. If they’re a competitive athlete or have never picked up a bat, we want them on our teams. The younger girls, particularly k-2 learn the fundamentals of the game, the value of sportsmanship and having fun in the fresh air. Year after year we see girls falling in love with softball. They're sticking with it and getting more competitive as they age,” says Clow. “We’ve become a feeder system for the High School team.”
The league, which includes Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate and Norwell is excited to announce that Hull has now joined the other communities. The program had a record turnout last year with more than 250 girls in the program. The 4th and 5th graders won the D2, cross-town championship and the 12U team won the very competitive Halifax Summer Smash tournament.
Joe Hanson volunteered to coach T-ball in his first year. “It was so much fun to watch them evolve through the season,” he said. “Some of these girls didn’t know the difference between first base and home plate when we started. I see my daughter Arianna building friendships to last a lifetime," he said. "As a ‘girl dad’ it’s awesome to watch her confidence and sense of competition grow. HGS is a fierce advocate for these girls.”
Julia’s mom Elaine agrees. “I can’t say enough good things about our experience with Hingham Girls Softball. I didn’t play team sports in school and now I feel like I missed out.” Her daughter Julia now plays club softball in addition to Hingham Girls. “The HGS coaches are so devoted. They’ve told her all along the way, ‘Yes, you can.’ Julia is now a proud teammate and has learned through example how to show unconditional support for her team. From the girls to the other parents and coaches–Hingham Grils Softball is a family that I feel so lucky to be a part of.”
To register, log on to www.hinghamgirlssoftball.com. Teams will be created in early April with practices to follow. Opening Day is April 25, running through mid to late June.