The Apponaug Girls’ Softball League is entering its 35th season

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The Apponaug Girls’ Softball League will be entering its 35th season this spring.

The competitive and recreational fast-pitch league has a lot going on in its anniversary season. The most significant thing may be the building of a new complex. Because T.F. Green Airport will be expanding, Apponaug will no longer play at what currently is Winslow Park.

Because the softball fields are in the airport’s expansion zone, new fields are in the process of being built for Apponaug, CCRI and local high schools to use.

“The airport has been great to us so far,” Apponaug president Bob Chevian said. “There hasn’t been one complaint and the facility is looking beautiful.”

Apponaug will also co-host a college showcase this season with the Rhode Island Thunder.

The league has been a success since it was founded in 1980 by Kathy Carlson, with the help of Skip Carlson and Don Skuce.

To start, there were 115 girls in total in the league, spanning over eight teams – four instructional and four major.

By 1987, the city of Warwick asked Apponaug to take over the city’s girls’ softball league.

The league accepted and took off from there.

In 1987, the league’s numbers more than doubled, as the amount of players jumped from 245 to 525.

The city built two fields at Winslow Park in 1988 and minor and instructional fields were built in 1993 thanks to the help of a loan from Greenwood Credit Union.

With the complex built, the league continued to grow, from 550 girls in 1989, to as many as 880 in recent registrations.

The league had around 600 girls last year between travel and recreational leagues.

But with so much changing around the league, it hopes that it will be able to carry its great legacy down the street to the new complex – which plans to be ready for June.

The goals will remain the same going forward for the league – and they vary from player to player.

“The goal for our girls is to get a college scholarship,” Chevian said. “But there are also two sets of players – recreation and travel kids. We want to make a safe, enjoyable environment for the girls to play in, whether it’s competitive or non-competitive.”

The college showcase tournament is slated for July 3-5, and Chevian is hoping that the new Winslow Field will be ready by then.

Apponaug will also host an invitational tournament from July 17-19 and another from July 24-26.

The league is open to all players, not just those from Warwick. Apponaug will also accept out-of-state players if they live within a reasonable distance.

Those interested, can register in-person on Feb. 21 at the Warwick Police Station from 12-3 p.m. Registration for the spring recreational league is also open online at agsoftball.com.

Apponaug will be looking to continue its reputation as one of the largest and finest girls’ softball leagues in New England.

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