If you are 58 years old or older and enjoy staying active, the Lanco Senior Softball league is looking for you.

Men and women within a 100-mile radius of Lancaster city who are interested in playing can contact league president Dave Dean at 610-334-1124 or email treasurer Dave Zerbe at dzerbe@comcast.net.

"We are looking for players," said Zerbe, who resides in Strasburg. "Anybody interested in playing should call or email and give us your contact information so we can follow up with you. But if there are people who can't play anymore, but would like to help coach, we'd be interested in those people."

Each team has a coach and an assistant coach, and some serve as league officers and board members.

Lanco Senior Softball, which started in 1990, currently has about 200 players divided among 12 teams split into two divisions, American and National.

Last year's teams were Gus's Keystone Family Restaurant (home field at Rapho Park), LH Brubaker Appliances (Garrett Field), RH Cooper & Son (Rapho Park), Speedwell Construction (Rapho Park), Ephrata Good's Disposal (Ephrata Middle School), Kautz Construction (Garrett Field), Strasburg (Strasburg Jaycee Park), TJ Rockwell's (Rapho Park), Caruso's Pizzeria (Rapho Park), GE Richards Graphic Supplies (Garrett Field), Mid Penn Bank (Ephrata Middle School), and Steel Fab Enterprises (Garrett Field).

Players do not have to play with the team based closest to their homes.

"It's competitive," Zerbe said. "These fellas, most of them have been playing some sort of organized ball in high school right through college and in different softball leagues as they got older and still enjoy the game."

The median age of players in the league is 64, Zerbe said.

Teams will begin practicing in April, and there will occasionally be in-season practices. The season will start in either the last week of April or first week of May with one or two games a week. The seven-inning games will start at 6 p.m. and will generally be over by 7:15 or 7:30, Zerbe said.

It is a modified league, which means pitchers throw as fast as they can while using a bowling-style motion, Zerbe explained. There is no sliding or base stealing. American Softball Association (ASA) rules and ASA umpires are used.

"We do have fun, but it can get very competitive," said Zerbe. "You have different calibers of teams. You have some teams where guys are just trying to have fun and enjoy the game. If they win, they win. If they lose, they lose. Other guys like to win and win it all."

In addition to Rapho Park in Mount Joy, Ephrata Middle School, Garrett Field in Willow Street, and Strasburg Jaycee Park, Stauffer Park in Lancaster is used for championship games and could host regular-season games this year.

There were 17 regular-season games last year, with that total depending on the number of teams in the league. The regular season is slated to finish at the end of July, followed by the double-elimination playoffs with all teams qualifying and seeded based on record. A champion is crowned from both divisions.

Zerbe is hoping to attract more players for the 2025 campaign. "It seems like we're struggling with having fellas in their early 50s who are excited about continuing to play softball," he said. "Some of the guys are coming back and playing, but recruiting new fellas seems to be a little harder."

The requirements are simple. "You have to have a love of the sport, baseball or softball," said Zerbe. "You have to love the sport to want to play. You have to have a little bit of competitive spirit and ability to play. That being said, if you want to enjoy and meet some good fellas who are unified in their ability to play and want to play, then come join us. It's good exercise. The older we get, the more we move and the more we stay active, the longer we're going to live. If you can come out and one night a week you run and bat and throw the ball, it keeps your blood pumping and it keeps you young. Come out and have a good time and enjoy the camaraderie. You can meet people and become friends."