Happy 50th Anniversary, Newtown Square Petticoat League!

Our Community Feature by Kelly DeLong, NSPL Board Member

Photos from the collection of Kelly DeLong

In 1970, when Newtown Township Police Sgt. Stanly Short and Officer Steve Copeland were having lunch with friend Milt Finkle at a local deli, they got talking about the lack of recreational programs and facilities for young girls in the community. That conversation led those dads to take action and form the Newtown Square Petticoat League (NSPL), a softball organization for girls ages 4-18.

This year marks NSPL’s 50th Anniversary! Starting with 180 girls in 1970 to 478 girls today, NSPL continues to thrive with the help of volunteer Board Members and Coaches and ongoing community support.

Newtown Square Police Sgt. Stanly Short, founding member of the Newtown Square Petticoat League, in 1970

Sgt. Short’s daughter Jody (now Jody Short McQuaid) and her two sisters played in NSPL in the mid-’70s.

My father, Stan Short, and all the coaches taught us how to play as a team, built our confidence and most importantly always told us to go out and enjoy ourselves,” Jody recalled fondly.

“I wasn’t the best player," Jody continued. "My sisters Debby and Karen were good. Most times, I would sit on the bench with our dad and help him with the scorebook. He always made me feel like I was just as important to the team as the girls out on the field."

A look at NSPL’s Troop Field (circa 1983)

On NSPL’s Troop Field, which was originally a cow pasture on Bishop Hollow Road, championships were won, lifelong friendships made, and careers began. Wendy Smith, NSPL player 1970-1979, Coach, and NSPL Board President 1985-1991, also has fond memories that include working together by hand, to make the fields playable.

When I think about the moments and the time that I spent at NSPL, Opening Day was always the most special,” Wendy recalled. “We would wait all year to get back on the field.

When NSPL first started, many of the coaches were the players’ mothers. The league provided Wendy an opportunity to experience sports with her mom, and also helped pave her way for a career as a Coach and Educator.

1998-2003 NSPL player Julie Sebastian has made a career of teaching and inspiring young girls in her local softball and fitness instruction business (www.JulieSebastianPitching.com). When asked how NSPL impacted her life, Julie said. “I’ve always hoped to be a positive influence on young girls who are learning to play softball, like so many NSPL coaches were for me. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to fulfill that dream and pass along the knowledge I learned at NSPL.”

2001 Peewee Major Champions for Wozniak Landscaping

Julie’s most memorable NSPL moment was when, at age 11, she pitched in the 2001 Championship game with her team, Wozniak Landscaping. They came together and won despite a nail-biting last 2001 Peewee Major Champions for Wozniak Landscaping inning! There’s more than one reason that game is such a cherished memory for Julie: Her dad was the team Coach.

NSPL Midget Travelers go undefeated to win the 1988 Championship

1979-1991 NSPL player and current Board Member Heather Dwyer vividly remembers how her coaches volunteered their time to teach the girls how to play. They taught not only softball rules and mechanics; they also taught sportsmanship and a positive work ethic, which helped Heather on her high school and college softball teams, and as a private-lessons teacher. Heather shared her sweet memory of winning a championship game and then riding in the bed of a pickup truck to the Dairy Queen, to celebrate with her teammates.

In the early ’80s, Al Bramley and some other Board Members started NSPL’s snack bar. Today, Al’s daughter, Nadine (Bramley) Scali, who played for NSPL for 12 years, helps run the snack bar while watching her own two daughters enjoy NSPL. Nadine remembers teams using trees as backstops and sitting on green wooden benches because there were no dugouts. But Nadine’s most cherished memories are the many hours she and her dad spent together, talking about softball.

( L-R) T-Ball Player Melody DeLong and Micro T-Ball Player Alexis DeFruscio throw out the first pitch at 2019 Opening Day Ceremonies

Join us on Saturday April 18th as we celebrate NSPL Opening Day 2020 at Troop Field. And don’t miss Saturday May 2nd Family Fun Day, which includes the Alumnae Game at 5:30pm. For more information, visit www.NSPLSoftball.com.

Where do we see NSPL 50 years from now? Exactly what Sgt. Stanly Short and many coaches set out to do in 1970: Continue to provide a safe and fun place where girls can play softball, learn the value of teamwork, and make lifelong memories.