The Central Ohio Senior Softball Association (COSSA) is comprised of three senior softball leagues. There is a 50s age group league, a 60s age group league, and a 70s age group league. Approximately four hundred twenty five men from Central Ohio participate in the program and the number is growing at a satisfactory rate.
Players are drawn from as far from the Columbus center point as Marion/Mt.Vernon in the North, Springfield/London on the West, Chillicothe to the South, and Newark/Logan Easterly and South Easterly.
The 50s league has nine teams and plays its games at Lou Berliner Park on Greenlawn Ave. in Columbus, the largest softball complex in the U.S.A. The teams and players enjoy playing on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings throughout the season. This league is benefiting from active recruiting and advertising programs and is growing rapidly.
The 60s league has twelve teams and is the oldest league in COSSA. It was formed in 1989. It will play most of its games at the Lou Berliner Park in Columbus during the 2007 season but diamonds in Columbus, Galena, Grove City, Hilliard, Upper Arlington, Whitehall, and Worthington will be used as well. Monday and Wednesday evenings are game nights for the 60's league.
The 70s league is starting its sixth season. It is a morning league and plays all of its games at McCord Park in Worthington. It is comprised of 7 teams, with an eighth team being planned, and plays twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. There are few 70s teams throughout the U.S.A. when compared to the total numbers of senior teams, and there are fewer 70s leagues. They reside mostly in the warm weather states of California, Arizona, Texas and Florida. Central Ohio is fortunate indeed to have more than one hundred men over seventy, some as old as 83, still active and playing softball.
The leagues and teams have the serious player as well as the casual. They are non discriminatory and believe in fairness. They constantly encourage senior men to join the teams. In the 70s league $25.00 buys a player two games a week for a whole season. If you compare that to the cost of golf it's a "big bang for a buck".
Recruiting has begun for senior women's teams as well as senior co-ed teams to begin play. Women who will be at least 50 years old anytime during 2007 are eligible to play Senior Softball. Men must be at least 50 years old anytime during 2007. These programs are given a high priority by COSSA. It is important that Central Ohio field senior women's teams to compete with those senior women's teams from other Ohio areas.
COSSA hosted a "Columbus Classic" Senior Softball Tournament" during the 2006 season that was attended by 53 women's and men's teams from 8 states and Canada. The dates for our 2007 "Columbus Classic" tournament will be July 20, 21 & 22. Planning is also underway for a 2007 "All Ohio Senior Tournament" as well. All senior teams in Ohio will be invited to compete. Details for the "Columbus Classic" are included as a web page on this site. The "All Ohio Senior Tournament" information will be posted here when available.
The 50's league, the 60's league and the 70's league will enter tournament teams in national competition, during the 2007 season. You can view the "2007 tournament schedule" for those teams on the "League" pages.
For any additional information concerning the teams and leagues of COSSA, visit our "Contact Us" page and let us hear from you.
