By JUSTIN SMITH | The Selma Times-Journal

Bats and gloves are going to be needed shortly for an adult co-ed softball league being organized in Selma.

The city of Selma is planning to organize and host an inaugural league this summer.

The league is open to both men and woman. All members must be at least 16 years of age, and each team is allowed to have up to 18 players.

“We are looking forward to a diverse group of people from different religions and backgrounds to come out and participate,” recreational director Sean Vandiver said. “I feel it is a great way to break down social barriers and bring people together.”

The softball season will consist of 12 games Each team will have the opportunity to earn a spot in a potential playoff game. The playoff selection will be based on each team’s win-loss record.  Every game is going to be held at Bloch Park in Selma on the weekends. Organizers are predicting that they will be able to kick off the season in June. Churches, co-ed and business teams are encouraged to come out in participate.

Teams will have the opportunity to register over the next couple of weeks. To register each team, a member of the potential team must contact Terry Jackson with the Parks and Recreation department and give him their team name and list of everyone that plan to play on the team.

The city once had a softball league in the early 2000s, but the league was disbanded after a few of years. Organizers believe that this time around is going to be a little bit different.

“I hope that everyone that is able to come out does,” Jackson said. “It will be great if everyone from all the different churches in the area come out and showed their support.”

Providing a safe and fun environment for adults to engage in athletic competition is one of the many goals organizers hope to accomplish during this project. To accomplish this, they are requiring that every player that plans on participating to read and sign the Selma Parks and Registration Hold Harmless Agreement before being allowed to step on the field of play.

“The main goal that we are trying to accomplish in this project is bridging the gap and bringing the community back together,” Vandiver said.