Hours before the first pitch was thrown in the 35th annual Gay Softball World Series, Roy Melani of the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance ( NAGAAA ) , host of the event, predicted this year's six-day tournament will go down as the best ever, without question.
"It's raised the bar over all previous World Series, and that's what we ask each [ local organizing committee ] to do—and Chicago had a big bar to hurdle because Columbus, Ohio, in 2010 was a phenomenal World Series," Melani said.
Melani, of Portland, Ore., is in his fifth year as NAGAAA commissioner. He has played in the event annually since the mid-1990s, but just will be coaching the Portland Brewers in the B-Division this year.
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Melani confirmed that 150 teams will participate in five divisions, based on skill and age. There will be about 3,000 players, ranging in age from 18 to 70, though the majority are 20 to 40. This year, NAGAAA also introduced the Master's Division for players age 50 and older, the only division based on age.
Melani said the Chicago organizing committee—featuring Ted Cappas and an eight-member executive committee—raised the bar in sponsorship and notoriety within the local community. Plus, he praised Series 2011, the local organizing committee, for its communication, logistics, celebrity involvement and more.
"They definitely have the recipe for this event to be the best ever," Melani said. "The Chicago committee has done a great job, absolutely fantastic. It is going to be a phenomenal week. The fields are great. The weather is supposed to be great. Plus, you can't forget Boystown—that's another huge draw."
The Series kicked off Monday night as about 2,000 attended the Opening Ceremony, held at Navy Pier.
"The Opening was a huge success," Cappas said.
International rugby sensation Ben Cohen spoke to the crowd, while Leslie Jordan entertained with his wacky sense of humor.
"Ben Cohen is fantastic to be part of the World Series," Melani said. "I think his [ Stand Up ] foundation, [ to help eliminate bullying ] is part of what NAGAAA stands for."
Cohen spoke Monday afternoon at Center on Halsted. He also will practice this week with the predominantly gay Chicago Dragons rugby team. Plus, Cohen visited the Hancock Observatory, trained daily downtown and enjoyed walks and runs along the lakefront.
"I really like Chicago," Cohen said Monday night, his first time in Chicago since 1997. "Being here is about the foundation and spreading the word about what it does.
It's good to be invited, it's an honor to be invited. We want to eradicate bullying across the board, particularly the LGBT community."
When asked to appear in conjunction with the World Series, Cohen said his first reaction was, "where and when."
"Many within the gay community are bullied because they are perceived to be different from other people, which is very wrong," Cohen said.
Cohen said the drive to help end bullying started back in 2000, when his father was murdered while attempting to protect someone, he said. "About six years after that, I found out that I had a large following on Facebook, more than 37,000 people, and many were men. So my role as a sportsman comes with a responsibility—not just on the pitch as a part of the team, but also off the pitch. Doing some good and building some awareness is very important."
Cohen, who is straight and married, said it is "so sad" to hear about LGBT-related suicides, especially among teens.
"Those are a tragic shame," he said. "Who the foundation looks to affect is, the next generation, those who are now getting bullied. That person could be the person who finds a cure for AIDS [ or ] cancer, could be the next Prime Minister or President, or could be the next world-famous sportsman."
Cohen admitted Monday that, well, he doesn't know too much about softball, "but sports is sports, and it's a fantastic way to bring people together."
He added: "People come together from all around America for the Gay Softball World Series. They get to re-live their childhood a little bit, especially some who may have gotten bullied a little at school and felt they couldn't participate. That's where we want to make an impact."
Photos by Ross Forman and Anthony Meade
