Bobby Sox Helps Put Girls on Solid Footing

It was the summer of 1962 when Ernest Severtsen first noticed them--girls, including his daughter, Gail, playing catch off to the side while their brothers played an organized baseball game in Buena Park.

“There was nothing for them to do,” Severtsen said.

A few months later, under Severtsen’s guidance, Bobby Sox softball was born.

The organization launched its inaugural season in 1963 with eight leagues scattered around the state. Gail Severtsen, then 8, played on Buena Park’s team, The Little Angels.

Since then, Bobby Sox has grown to 120 leagues, with more than 40,000 girls from across five western states participating.

One of the pioneering athletic organizations for girls, Bobby Sox not only has cultivated athletes but it also has paved the way for other organizations dedicated to girls’ sports. As athletes across the country celebrate the 11th annual National Girls and Women In Sports Day on Thursday, many will tip their caps to Bobby Sox.

In conjunction with the celebration, the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame is presenting a “Women in Sports” display at the Hall of Fame museum adjacent to Anaheim Stadium, Gate 6.

The Hall’s “Women in Sports” exhibition will be on display until Feb. 28. It will feature information about Orange County’s female Olympians and the history of Bobby Sox in the county.

Bobby Sox, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, was originally named for the bobby-sox clad girls who decades earlier had swooned at the sight of Frank Sinatra. Severtsen said the name originally allowed female athletic participation without the loss of femininity.

That became less of an issue, however, as the 1970s wore on and female athletics became more socially acceptable.

Harvard University Coach Jennifer Allard played Bobby Sox in the Irvine area from 1977-79 before playing at Woodbridge from 1984-86. She also played in two Junior Olympic tournaments, earning a bronze and a gold medal, and was selected an All-American and Big Ten Conference player of the year at Michigan.

“One of the things that Bobby Sox definitely did was create opportunity for girls in several communities,” Allard said. “It was a great opportunity for me to develop my skills.”

Unlike other youth softball organizations, Bobby Sox does not allow skill screening or tryouts for most of its teams and insists that every player play at least two innings. The organization is aimed more at providing opportunity than cultivating stars. Nonetheless, the competitive spirit runs high.

Consider the Mission Viejo-based Mission de Oro AA all-star team that battled 105-degree temperatures to win the American Girl Division at the Bobby Sox Tournament of Champions in August in Moreno Valley:

* First baseman Whitney Wintemute ran full-speed into a chain-link fence and never fell, catching the ball for an out (this, a year after breaking her ankle while sliding into third base in the league playoffs).

* Pitcher Gina Rigoli’s knee swelled so badly after getting hit by a ball that she had to be taken to a hospital. She returned the next day and pitched a complete game in a 10-4 victory over San Diego Lakeside that earned Mission de Oro a spot in the final.

* Pitcher Danielle Simpson had never before pitched a game but gave Mission del Oro a 10-5 lead through 5 1/3 innings in the first of a two-game final against Spring Valley, Nev. When Alexis Chadburn came on in relief with the bases loaded and the winning run at the plate, her father, Brian, left his seat in the stands because of nerves.

As Brian peeked from behind the bleachers, Chadburn got the next two outs and Mission del Oro held on for the victory to force the second game.

Ace pitcher Christie Shedd led Mission del Oro to a 3-2 victory over Spring Valley in the next game for the title.

“They are probably tougher than the boys at this age,” Mission del Oro Coach Dave Jeranko said.

Bobby Sox offers four age-group levels: Mini Sox, ages 5-8; Bobby Sox, ages 9-12; American Girl, ages 12-15; and the prep program, ages 14-18.

“You never know when a little girl comes up and gets involved in Bobby Sox if she’s a star athlete or not,” Severtsen said, “but she’ll get the opportunity to find out.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

National Girls and Women In Sports Day

When: Thursday.

What: Highlights the achievements of women athletes and draws attention to the importance of sports and fitness activities for all girls and women.

Where: Celebrated in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Washington D.C.: JC Penney Women’s Sports Day Fitness Walk on the National Mall, 7:30 a.m., featuring Billie Jean King, Olympic gold medalist Jennifer Azzi and Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.

Local Event: “Women in Sports” display at the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame, Anaheim Stadium, Gate 6. The display runs Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., through Feb. 28. Cost: $2 for adults, $1 for children. For information, call (714) 758-9882