Brian Sommer is making his debut in the Gay Softball World Series next month, in his hometown.
Sommer, 37, a Rogers Park resident, graduated from Fenwick High School in Oak Park in 1991, and then North Central College in Naperville. He did not play sports in high school, but, while in grade school, he played baseball, soccer and swam with the Elmhurst Park District, where he grew up.
The 2011 Gay Softball World Series, a six-day event, starts Aug. 29, with games played at multi-field complexes in Schaumburg, St. Charles … and Elmhurst.
"I quit sports by middle school and got involved in theater," said Sommer. "Throughout high school, I was part of the drama club at Fenwick called the Blackfriars. I did not get involved in sports again until I started bowling. In 2004, I started playing softball, [initially] playing third base and then pitching."
Sommer is a middle school teacher. He started teaching in 1997 in Naperville, then worked in Lombard from 2001—2004. He now teaches in the northern suburbs.
He played for the Chicago Crush this season, and he also umpires in the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association (CMSA) league.
"I think it's awesome that Chicago is hosting the World Series," Sommer said. "Chicago has been very good to gay organizations, whether it is the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, the Gay Games a few years ago, or gay softball. It also will be a lot of fun to see Leslie Jordan at the opening ceremony," held at Navy Pier.
"I can't wait [to play in the series]. The team I am playing with has played in several World Series [in the past,] but I have yet to join them. I am very excited to make my World Series debut in my hometown. I am sure my parents will come and watch, just as they did when I participated in the Gay Games."
Sommer, a Chicago Cubs fan, added: "The Series is special because it involves the best of the best from all around the U.S. Teams can't just sign up for the series like other tournaments; teams need to qualify [to participate.] The series shows that gay people are diverse. Yes, many gay men do fit the stereotype of being theater lovers, but this event shows that many gay people are just like everyone—they like sports and have varied interests."
Mark Febonio
By Ross Forman
Mark Febonio has played in 15 of the last 16 Gay Softball World Series, only missing the 1998 edition—and almost always with his regular-season team.
"I have [played in] a lot of great games and have a lot of highlights from each of the 16 that I've played in. But nothing tops winning the championship in 2009," he said.
Febonio, 52, who lives in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, works as a project manager at a small family-owned engineering company.
"You've earned the right to represent your league on the big stage," which is the annual Gay Softball World Series, Febonio said. "You've succeeded in getting to the only week of softball that matters. But it's not only about the competition and it's not only about what happens on the field. I've established friendships with teammates and opponents that will last a lifetime. The time you spend with your teammates away from the field becomes almost as important as the time on the field. The bonding that develops while you're spending time together helps build the team character and chemistry and supports the effort on the field. This happens to a lesser extent at other weekend tournaments, but is pronounced at the World Series."
The 2011 Series is scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 3, at multifield complexes in suburban Schaumburg, St. Charles and Elmhurst.
"My first World Series—held in Nashville in 1994—was an eye-opener," Febonio said. "My second, in Seattle, was memorable for being competitive on the field and for one special and lasting friendship with someone I met off the field.
"The 1996 Series [held] in Minneapolis was the only Series that I played in where they used snow fences in the outfield. And in 1997 in San Diego, I dropped a routine pop up because of the sun, and that ended up costing us a game."
Febonio's memories continue as if he just played the game.
"In Kansas City in 1999, I played with a wild bunch from Chicago and that was the only time I've played as a pick up player—not on my regular-season team," he said. "At the Toronto Series in 2000, we were kicking butt and scoring a ton of runs and embarrassing teams until we suffered a few injuries, me included. I also got to visit with a former boyfriend and his family who lived in Toronto.
"San Francisco [in 2001] was special because it's where the first GSWS was held. In Portland [in 2002], that's where I met a guy off the field who I've remained friends with. Washington D.C. the following year featured some great ball and we came within a whisker of the championship."
Febonio said his lasting memory of the 2004 event in Dallas was that it rained—a lot.
"In 2005, in San Diego, I made more errors in one game, played at night, than in whole seasons," Febonio said, laughing. "Fort Lauderdale the following year, we weren't going until a month before. Our team stepped in to replace a team that qualified, but backed out. We threw a team together and then played great and killed a bunch of good teams en route to a second-place finish.
"Phoenix in 2007 was hot. And [in] Seattle in 2008, I met up with a friend who I had met the first time the Series was there—back in 1995. We played well [in Seattle] and took third-place."
In 2009, playing for the Spin Cougars, his B-Division team captured the title.
The 2010 event was held in Columbus, Ohio.
"For Columbus, we took a bunch of novices and players new to the B-Division, and taught them how to win. We went on a nice, unexpected run," Febonio said.
Febonio was the coach, pitcher and an infielder for his 2010 Spin RockStar team, which won the local regular-season title and playoff championship, and then finished 9th at the World Series.
"In 2009, I was a player on the World Series B-Division championship team, Spin Cougars. Most of that team moved up to the A-Division for 2010," Febonio said. "The remaining five players from our 2009 team, myself included, recruited 11 new players, all having been C-Division players the previous year and formed our team for the 2010 season.
"With a new team, and an inexperienced coach, we were hoping to be a good enough team to be competitive in our league. We played in three tournaments prior to the GSWS. We really thought that being champs of the B-Division in the CMSA league was overachieving, but then we got on a roll at the World Series in Columbus and played some of our best softball of the year and were one game away from playing on Saturday, [in the championship round]. It was an incredible year and the team has stayed together for the 2011 season. I'm very proud of the team and the players who were my teammates last year for all the success we experienced."
—Favorite baseball team: Boston Red Sox
—Favorite baseball player: Ichiro Suzuki
