Chuck Jacobson played in the 2008 and 2010 Gay Softball World Series so, of course, he's excited about the 2011 tournament, to be held in the Chicago area and which the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) is sponsoring.
But he just doesn't want to playif his team qualifies, that is.
Jacobson also wants to umpire games in the 35th annual, weeklong softball spectacle, run by the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Association ( NAGAAA ) .
The series is scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 3 at field complexes in Elmhurst, Schaumburg and St. Charles. More than 4,000 players from North America are expected, and this is the first time Chicago has hosted the event since 1983.
Jacobson, 35, who lives in Roscoe Village and drives for FedEx, plays outfield for the Green Team Properties/Gotcha Covered Blinds G-Force, which captured the C-Division championship in the annual 2010 Minuteman Classic gay softball tournament in Boston, Mass.
"I'm excited for the World Series to see the friends I've made over the years at softball tournaments here in my city of Chicago," said Jacobson, who has participated in the Series in Seattle, Wash., and Columbus, Ohio.
In addition to the on-field excitement, the off-the-field experiences certainly are part of the series. Participants are expected to have fun, and the bars in Boystown will probably be out of control that week.
"What makes the series so special is, you get to see all the players who love to play this wonderful sport," Jacobson said.