Seth Myers: Like Father, Like Son

By Cortney Oliver

At a young age Seth Myers was no stranger to sports, he was solely interested in one thing “fast pitch softball”. Fast pitch softball became a part of Myers everyday family life because his father and older siblings all played.


In fact, his older twin sisters play for Washburn in Topeka, KS. Myers and his father attend most of their games. Myers, a tall slender guy stated, “I think it’s important to show my sisters support, because they have always supported me in everything I do”.


Myers a tall slim young man, seems to be a very quiet and intelligent guy. With short brownish hair Myers looks fit to be a young athlete.

Growing up Myers attended all his father’s games, “My dad was my hero, I wanted to be just like him, I wanted to do everything he did”. Following in his father’s footsteps, Myers started out as a bat boy for his father’s team at the young age of fourteen.


Being involved in the games Myers started learning first hand what it would take to become an actual player for a team. That was one of Myers biggest goals, to play on a fast pitch softball team alongside his hero, his father.


Although, Myers would never get that chance to play alongside his dad, eventually he did become a player of a fast pitch softball team. Myers associates himself closely with a small community of fast pitch softball players that still play.


Originally created on Thanksgiving Day in 1887, Fast pitch softball started in Chicago, Illinois.  One evening, the Farragut Boat Club sat awaiting the outcome of a Yale vs Harvard football game, when Yale was announced the winner.


A Yale alumnus playfully threw a baseball glove at an Harvard supporter and the supporter swung at the baseball glove with a stick. George Handcock, a well-known Chicago reporter, yelled out “playball”, and that’s how fast pitch soft ball began.


Over time the sport evolved, the sticks turned into bats, and they no longer threw a baseball glove they threw a big yellow ball. Originally played indoors, fast pitch softball became popular very quickly, and around 1991 it became an official sport.


A game centered around bunting and stealing bases, it is said that the team with the best catcher can win any game. A good pitch is centered around having skill in six different areas the grip, stance, windup, stride, release and follow through. Some of the greatest players originate out of countries such as New Zeeland, New Mexico and Australia.


“One of my best memories was when my dad was playing in his last fast pitch softball game, the bases where loaded and my dad was up to bat, the pitcher threw the pitch and my dad swung and hit a grand slam”.


Myers was inspired so much by his dads last victory but, this was also a bitter sweet moment. Myers would never get to see his father play in another game again.  

           

All Seth Myers did at one point was play fast pitch softball, it was his entire life. Although he sometimes thinks he should have “stuck with baseball” due to some of the challenges he faces with his community.

One of Myers personal challenges he faces with his community is that he legally blind in one eye, but he has never let that stop him. He always gets on the field and gives it his best shot. Another challenge Myers faces is that he is the youngest player on his team, all his teammates are older in age.

“Nobody in my generation plays anymore”, therefore it is hard to find competition to play games against. Fast pitch softball seems to be a dying sport, mostly because a new sport is on the rise “soft pitch softball. I asked him what is most important to him about his community? He stated " he likes to be on a team with older men they are very knowledgeable". 

Slow pitch softball is a lot easier to play so more people of all ages want to get into it, but not Myers. He prefers the game his father taught him, the game his father played. 

Myers is now a student at Johnson County Community College. He hopes to get a degree in sports medicine. Fast pitch softball is still very much a big part of Myers life, he is still an active member of a small community of teams.

Myers would like to one day coach fast pitch softball, Myers stated, “I’ve always wanted to coach because my dad coached fast pitch softball”. Myers sticks close to his childhood hood dream of following in his father foot steps.

Sports has been Myers whole life, sports is all Myers has ever known so it would be right for him to go into a career that evolves sports. Myers future seems to be very bright.