04/12/2026
What a Great Opening Day!!! The weather was absolutely perfect for us to have nearly 100 girls across 6U/Tball, 8U, 10U, and 12U all playing today. Since 2019 we have doubled participation in Bridgeport Girls Softball Association where we currently have nearly 200 active registrants from 6U to 18U. My hope and vision is to have girls starting in 6U play all the way through high school/18U. Rec leagues must stay relevant and we are doing our part ensuring they stay that way in Bridgeport for softball.
One of the contributing factors to our success is that we are blessed with great facilities in City of Bridgeport WV . The City Park management and maintenance staff treat our recreational league so well.
Hundreds of people saw first hand as they came through City Park yesterday. We appreciate all the players, parents and volunteers who came out. Without coaches/volunteers the league would not be possible.
Opening day is no small feat and it takes help from everyone. We are so thankful for the parents/volunteers who stepped in to help things go off so smoothly. While not all of our board members have kids playing this Spring, it was great to see everyone come out regardless to support the softball community.
A few specific shoutouts are in order for today’s events.
Our local Papa John’s donated some pizzas in addition to the ones we purchased, Zul's from Buckhannon helped out by providing their famous lemonade icees. Card My Yard Bridgeport, WV with the great display setup for pictures.
Ashley Smith donated her time and skills with the photography (https://ashleymsmithphotography.pixieset.com/openingday2026/), and we even had a guest speaking appearance from Bridgeport High School softball coach Greg Van Zant. So many parents just jumped in when something needed done like making a Sam’s run (Thanks Carl Hall). My dad, Don Bailey, with the large pizza delivery.
Concessions were packed all day and I saw many members of the Bridgeport Middle School softball team in there filling orders for 5+ hours (Brianna Bailey, Nora Martin, Scarlett Callison, Julie Hall, Amelia Green, Olivia Chapman, and Samara Smith). All of these BMS players are also BGSA players outside of school ball. Their willingness to spend their Saturday shows how strong our BGSA community truly is right now.
We greatly appreciate all the support!!! We have such a great softball community for these girls to learn and grow. Thanks so much…. Looking forward to a great 2026 season. Please flood the comments with your pictures from opening day or tag our page in your posts. We love to see them all!!!