In turning 50, Quincy Women's Softball League has 'stood the test of time'

Yahoo Sports3h ago18 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

The Quincy Women's Softball League celebrates its 50th anniversary, showcasing its enduring legacy since its inception in 1976. Players like Tricia Grant and Ginny Trainor highlight the league's impact on women's sports in the community.

Key points

Quincy Women's Softball League celebrates 50 years
Founded in 1976 by Patty Molloy Gauthier
Tricia Grant played for 27 years in the league
Ginny Trainor was one of the first players
League has inspired women in the community

Mentioned in this story

Quincy Women's Softball LeagueTricia GrantGinny TrainorPatty Molloy Gauthier

QUINCY -- Tricia Grant spent 27 years playing in the Quincy Women's Softball League for the Washington Tap team. Unlike some folks (one of whom we'll get to in a minute), she wasn't there for the league's birth. But she can recall its toddler years.

"I remember being probably 12 or 13 and my dad saying to me, 'Come on, let's go watch a softball game.' And I was like, 'What are you talking about?'" Grant said. "We went down to a (QWSL) game. That was probably 1980 or 1981, so the league was still very new. I was amazed. Oh, my God, you can play ball after high school?

"Seeing all these ladies playing softball and loving it and playing hard (was inspiring). Some of them were nurses or police officers and they would hop in their cars (after the game) because they had to go to work. I distinctly remember Ginny climbing into the 18-wheeler of her father's trucking company and driving off after a game. I just thought it was fantastic."

Ginny is Ginny Trainor, who most definitely was there at the very beginning of the QWSL. A lifelong Quincy resident until moving to Marshfield a few years ago, Trainor was one of the first to answer the call when the late Patty Molloy Gauthier, who worked in Quincy's Recreation Department, first got the idea of forming a women's league in 1976.