MANSFIELD — The rock band Chicago recorded the classic hit “Saturday in the Park” in 1972, describing a day of fun in the sun.

It’s a remarkable coincidence that the Sterkel Park baseball/softball complex opened in Mansfield opened for play that same year.

Home to Mansfield Southwest Little League for 46 years, the five-diamond site remains a spring/summer fun destination location off of Scholl Road for hundreds of local boys and girls and families.

A recent Saturday afternoon provided more evidence as gray skies gave way to blue and the green grass on the local field of dreams beckoned to youngsters from around the area.

“Baseball is just our summer (family) thing,” said Jason Simmering, a first-year MSLL coach and also the director of the coach-pitch division. “It’s how we spend our summers.”

It’s also home to 19 teams, including the amazing Challenger League (for special needs children), with 225 boys and girls playing baseball and softball from T-ball to Babe Ruth age youngsters.

“Summer baseball and youth rec league sports as a whole help the kids develop socially. They meet kids they are going to be with every day (during the season). Mansfield has multiple elementary schools and this is a great way to meet new kids and learn to get along while playing,” Simmering said.

“Plus, the kids are active throughout the summer. They are outside. No Smart phones. No electronic games. They are being kids again,” Simmering said.

ROOM FOR GROWTH: Simmering is one of several new coaches in the league, though more coaches and volunteers are always needed. Additional players would also be welcome since MSLL featured about 600 youngsters a decade ago.

“The growth of travel teams has had an impact on us,” Simmering said. “There are so many more of those than there used to be and we are trying to overcome that.

“We are low on volunteers. That’s the real struggle,” he said. “I am definitely not the only first-year coach or director. We need parents who want their kids to have something here. If you don’t get enough coaches, you can end up with too many kids on a team and that cuts into their play time.”

How did Simmering, a Lucas native, decided to become involved in MSLL, including his own children playing in the league?

“I can remember back when I was my son’s age, playing coach-pitch. I remember watch my sister play softball. It gives kids so much. It’s something fun and safe to do and it offers positive adult reinforcement. Reaching out to and helping children is something that appeals to me,” said Simmering, who works at AK Steel when not coaching.

It’s a busy time for all Mansfield Southwest Little League teams when the season kicks off with games in mid-April against one another and also teams from Ontario, Madison and Lucas, concluding with post-season tournaments.

“We didn’t close sign-ups until the end of March. We picked teams in early April and started practice and then started games a couple of weeks later. It’s all dependent on weather. We had quite a few rain-out days when the fields were closed because we want to keep them in good shape,” Simmering said.

Simmering and other coaches, in addition to conducting team practices, are also offering skills clinics for interested youngsters, including hitting, pitching, catching and baserunning.

“It gives us time to break down the skills with interested kids or kids who are interested in a particular experience or position,” he saids.

IMPORTANT MEETING: The league has scheduled a meeting June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sterkel Complex for all coaches and parents. The expected 30-minute meeting will focus on the future of Mansfield Southwest Little League.

“Involvement is the point we are trying to get across,” Simmering said. “The main three members of our board have been helping to run this league for an average of 20 years. Their children are grown. They are ready to hand this down to parents whose children are still playing. We need people to step up. Hopefully, they say,’This is where kids play. Maybe I need to step up.'”

For more information on Mansfield Southwest Little League, visit the league website at http://tshq.bluesombrero.com/mansfieldbbsb or the league Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mansfieldswll/.