A Century of Play: Superintendent Steps Up to the Plate for MSCR’s Centennial
The crack of the bat wasn’t the only sound echoing through the Goodman Park softball diamonds this week; it was the sound of a century-old relationship coming full circle.
To kick off the summer softball season, Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Joe Gothard will take to the mound for a commemorative first pitch. On May 8 at 6:15pm at Olbrich Park. While the pitch was a strike, the real goal of the evening was to celebrate a massive milestone: MSCR Centennial, 100 years of Recreation.
Adult softball has been a cornerstone of Madison summers and MSCR since 1926. MSCR’s founders recognized the value of providing opportunities for connection and activity beyond the work and school day. The very first MSCR activities were adult softball and summer playground programs. One hundred years later MSCR has evolved into a powerhouse MMSD department offering a wide range of programs and annually serving 100,000 participants, and adult softball remains a summer staple. (photo credit: Wisconsin Historical Society, ball game circa 1950s at then named Franklin Field)
