Johnny Blecher
Johnny Blecher and Rosemary “Killer” Myers-Neagli
Last year during my first softball season, I met an exceptional player named Johnny Blecher (JB). At the yearend of softball, he sent me an email capturing his thoughts as a Robson Ranch softball player. It made me reflect about myself and others around me; why do we play? I decided to submit Johnny’s insights (with his permission), as they apply to so many of the Robson residents I have come to know.
“You are all my heroes, and my doctor’s heroes, for that matter. You play active sports when many folks at your age have given it up for fear of getting hurt or ‘overtaxing’ their body. We all understand, at least logically, that we need to slow it down. Be careful coming out of the batter’s box, don’t start at full pace, and don’t change speeds suddenly. And start the season throwing the ball easily and save the elbow and shoulder. But we get excited; we forget. We should all be getting to games a little early so we can stretch and warm up.
“Softball sage Dale Hill told me, ‘Everyone has something.’ You may have had a knee replacement or rotator cuff surgery. No matter what you have or are facing, someone in Robson Ranch softball has probably already dealt with it. We had a player come back from a stroke and induced coma, and he still plays today. I am so amazed by the fighting spirit softballers display.
“You might even have a doctor like mine who told me last summer after suffering one of my ‘rare’ injuries: ‘I see folks all the time from Robson Ranch. Some are active, and some are not. It’s easy to tell the active ones. Johnny, you just stay active and keep playing softball as long as you can, and we’ll keep fixing you when you break.’ I like that!
‘We’ve had several players take time off the field and join the RRSA Board, umpire, assist with field maintenance, or work the press box until they were ready to play again. But convalescing from an injury or not, stay involved and join us for some fun. We never turn down a volunteer.
“I had a perfect plan to get myself ready over the winter for spring softball. I was going to get my elbow ‘redone’ the week after the co-ed championship tournament. Note, my elbow was not a softball injury. One thing interfered with another, and after three surgeries, none of which were softball, I am healing. Like all of us, I might ought to slow down just a tad. Nonetheless, I am out on the field again this season. Join us. We’re all trying to act our age; it’s just hard.”
This spring, JB plays in the senior league, the 70+ travel league, and in the co-ed league. Thank you, JB, and all the Robson Ranch softballers who give a little something every time they show up on our Field of Dreams.