With Father’s Day coming up tomorrow I thought it might be a nice idea to say something nice about all the dads who spend hours upon hours keeping this thing we call fastpitch softball rolling.

Parent coaches in general tend to get a bad rap. The term “Daddyball” refers to dad coaches who tend to favor their daughters and their daughter’s friends over other members of the team. That is a real phenomenon for sure, but I like to think it’s in the minority.

Most of the fathers who get involved do it for a simple reason: they love their daughters and want to be sure their daughters have an opportunity to play. Someone has to coach the team, so it usually gets left up to a few fathers to volunteer.

Often they played baseball in their youths, although not always. (Special kudos to those who never played baseball but step up anyway. That’s not easy.) The key thing, though, is they believe their daughters should have the opportunity to experience the benefits of playing this game we love.

Then there are the dads who don’t coach, but still take their daughters out to practice with them, and/or take them to practices and lessons. They could be at home pursuing their own hobbies, or working around the house, or even watch TV. But instead they’re out there, night after night in the heat, the cold, the drizzle, sometimes even the snow.

Sunday is Father’s Day, the special day for dads. And where will they be? Out at a softball diamond, hoping to stay out there all day. No breakfast in bed, no presents, no Bar-B-Qs or other special treatment for them. Instead they’ll be in dugouts, bleachers, and camp chairs, eating bad concession stand food, wiping dust out of their eyes and cheering for their favorite players.

As someone who did it for many years, I can tell you the time spent at and around the diamond was some of the best times of my life. Not to mention all the time spent in cars driving to and from various activities. We had so many great talks, and got to know each other so well. Yes, I’m a little more into it than most, but I think every father who uses fastpitch softball as quality time with his daughter(s) is rewarded abundantly.

So here’s to you, all the dads who spend your summers traipsing all over the area, and sometimes all over the country, so your daughters can build the types of skills and memories that will last long after the last strike has been thrown. Thank you for all you do at every level.