Irena Kaci

If March comes like a lion, then perhaps April comes in like a lamb: ardent, and ready to play. Whether you’re looking to get in shape, increase your agility or just self-actualize, the options are in your favor. From America’s pastime, to crew to the latest sensation of pickleball, I had the delightful task of meeting some of the primary procurers in adult recreation right here in Central Massachusetts. 

Dave Peterson, General Manager of the Worcester Bravehearts is very enthusiastic about the upcoming season. A baseball novice, personally, I was immediately put at ease by Peterson’s gentle and welcoming approach to managing a baseball team. “We don’t need people to be sports people. We focus on the entertainment part of having a stadium. We do really well with a youth audience because we provide an experience and there’s a show that’s going on in the stands, as well as on the field.” Still, it’s not without its challenges. “Unfortunately a lot of kids are moving away from youth baseball and softball. The number of kids participating in little leagues is decreasing.” One of the ways in which the Bravehearts are combating this shift is by setting up youth baseball summer camps. “Our camps are for kids ages 6-14 and run from 9-2. We usually host about 170 kids each week and the set up is really sweet. They [the kids] come to the ballpark and they meet our players, who are college students. They look up to our players as role models. They play scrimmage and play in the field, and their names are announced. It’s good fun.” 

The Worcester Bravehearts play at their home field at Holy Cross called “Fitton Field”, which was built 20 years ago for the Worcester Tornadoes. Arriving in Worcester in 2014, The Bravehearts are going on their 12th season here in Worcester. “Our players are college students. They come from all over the country.” For this reason, the Bravehearts recruit and budget for host families so that players who are not local to Worcester can still have a summertime home base and feel like they belong in the city. “For a lot of the players it’s an opportunity to be noticed by major league scouts, but for most it’s an opportunity to play summer baseball in front of thousands of fans. For the vast majority of the players it’s the peak of their career, and an opportunity to go through a grueling 11 week season that teaches them how to become role models for the children that look up to them.”

There is a lot to celebrate, given how grueling the last five years have been for the team. “In 2020 we could not play baseball in the city of Worcester. For that summer we moved the Bravehearts to Leominster and played in a public park so there were no ticket sales. People would bring their lawn chairs and hang out. at Doyle Field in Leominster. We still fielded a team and we were the only League that operated in the Northeast in 2020. We came back in 2021 and we were allowed back on campus with Holy Cross, and that’s when the WooSox came to town, which of course, was our new competitor. It’s been extra hard in the last four seasons to make sure we are targeting the right people who are coming to enjoy a baseball game and entertainment.”

The Bravehearts are pulling out all the stops to celebrate that accomplishment. “When we complete our 12th season we will be the longest running sports team in the city. We have scheduled an All Star Game and we have partnered with the WooSox so that the game can take place at Polar Park. Players from all over New England will come into the city, book our hotel rooms, and eat in our restaurants. The All Star Game will be preceded by a Craft Beer Festival at Fitton Field on July 21st, as well as a home run Derby.  We are so excited to put on a celebration of 12 years of Worcester Bravehearts Baseball.”

Meanwhile, the WooSox also have their own seasonal plans. I connected with Bill Wanless, Senior Vice President at WooSox to talk about what’s in store this coming season. “It’s all about the 5s as the Worcester Red Sox launch season number five in WooSox ‘25,” Wanless begins, ”New $5 general admission tickets will accompany $5 hot dogs and $5 beer, among a host of promotions announced today.” Indeed the park is working to provide something for everyone. If you’re a pet lover, be on the lookout for pet-friendly events. “After “Doggy Opening Day,” the club expands its welcome to pets Tuesday, April 8, with the first “Tail Waggin’ Tuesday,” another opportunity for four-legged friends to join the fun. Also on that day, the club will initiate its third annual “Taco & Tequila Tuesdays,” promotion, this year presented by Teremana. For $15, fans can enjoy a margarita and a “Whopping Walking Taco” made of ground beef, shredded chicken, or pulled pork.

With school vacation week falling squarely in the middle of the month, the WooSox continue to support both teachers and schoolchildren. “Among the 14 home games in April are six during Worcester’s School Vacation Week, presented by Southwick’s Zoo, Tuesday, April 22, through Sunday, April 27. For the fifth straight year, the WooSox will provide tickets to every Worcester student, from kindergarten through 12th grade,” says Wanless. But teachers will also get to have some fun. “Teacher Appreciation Night” is Thursday, April 24, and on the heels of WooSox ’24’s successful “Sparks Fly” UniBank Fireworks show, the club will on Friday, April 25, present “Fangirl Fantasy” music from today’s most famous pop music artists (and you know who they are).” For baseball fans, there will be no shortage of opportunities to watch and enjoy the game here in Worcester.

If being out in open waters is a must for you, consider checking out the Quinsigamond Rowing Club. I spoke with Clerk Sheri Davis and President Heri Sontgerath. Davis belongs to the women’s competitive team whereas Sontgerath engages in some local Regattas. The season at Quinsigamond begins when the ice thaws and the docks are placed in the water at the Donahue Rowing Center. Sontgerath provides the play by play “Typically, the annual clean-up of our boathouse bay at the Donahue Rowing Center is held at the start of the season to ensure the bay and equipment are ready and in good shape. Members come to the boathouse and remove all boats and oars. The bay is cleaned, and the boats get a good wash-down. Members begin rowing at different times. Some members start rowing in late March while others wait for warmer air and water temperatures. They’ll typically start rowing in late May.”

Even though when you think of Worcester, you don’t necessarily think of water sports, rowing is gaining traction in the city. Davis explains “The Quinsigamond Rowing Club has grown from 20 members to over 100 rowers in a span of 15 years. Members include competitive and recreational sweep rowers and scullers. In 2023 and 2024 our mixed masters 2x and women’s master’s 4+ competitive team medaled at the Head of the Charles. Sontgerath elaborates: “ The club charges a flat membership fee for the year which then allows members to row as often as they want. We find that the more time spent on the water the more connected they are to other rowers. We plan to offer ‘pick up rowing’ open to all members on a more regular basis. Members who don’t already have a rowing partner can team up with other rowers to row together.” Even though the club is a Spring/Summer engagement, rowing is a year round commitment. Davis shares her thoughts: “Conditioning is important. Erging (indoor rowing machine), cycling, yoga and strength training are best for the off season.Rowing is a high-intensity, low impact exercise. Rowing improves lung capacity, increases endurance and enhances overall cardiovascular health due to its full-body engagement and ability to elevate heart rate. The wonderful aspect to rowing is you can row from 14 to 80 years of age and beyond. We have members who row recreationally with their adult children.” If you’re looking to get started, Davis has this to share with you: “The best time to learn to row is in the early summer. At that time, the water is fairly warm, plus the season is still long enough to enroll in multiple rowing classes. In fact, the QRC will host our annual Learn to Row Day on Saturday, May 31. This is a free clinic where adults who have never been in a rowing shell can join us for a few hours. We introduce LTR Day participants to rowing and boat terminology and give them an introduction to rowing first on a rowing machine, and then in a large team boat. Participants will spend about a half hour on the water in a boat. That’s usually enough to let people decide whether they would like to learn more. For those people, we offer learn to row classes in the months of June and July. As people become more familiar with rowing, they can move from big boats to smaller boats, including to single sculling.” So should you consider joining the Quinsigamond Rowing Club? Davis certainly thinks so. “Yes, you should try rowing. Every summer we host a Learn to Row Day. It’s free to register and you’ll experience what it’s like to row in a sweep boat on Lake Quinsigamond. Rise and shine, this is an early morning sport. Our event runs from 7-10 a.m. Hope to see you on the water!” (www.qrcrowing.org)

Last but not least, let’s talk pickleball! It’s the greatest sensation sweeping the nation by storm. Eager to learn what all the fuss is about, I hopped on over to Rt.12 PickleBall conveniently located right next to ABL Dance. Upon entering the space, I was greeted with a warehouse’s worth of pickleball courts. Ben Minsk, owner and pickleball enthusiast gave me the grand tour, complete with a small ‘training area’ for perfecting one’s pickleball skill. We sat together after to talk shop and learn how this place came to be. “We’ve been open for a year now, on February 1st. We are open from 8am-10pm every day.” While getting a club membership is your best bet for savings, everyone is able to come play as long as they reserve a court in advance. “One advantage to membership is that it gives you more flexibility on when you can book or cancel a booking. We do give preferential treatment to our members on that.” The sport is gaining popularity with the younger population, but right now it is really enjoyed by the middle aged. But what exactly is pickleball? Minsk explains: “It’s a mixture of tennis and ping pong, played on a smaller court. It’s less strenuous than tennis, but less constricting than ping pong.” If you’re a team sports enthusiast, fret not, because pickleball has room for all. “We run tournaments, and leagues. We run clinics.

We do private parties and corporate training. There are so many different ways to engage with our courts.” One tournament worth keeping an eye out for is the April 4th-6th, for people between the ages of 50-80. Minsk himself came to the work honestly ‘I started playing pickleball and fell in love with the game. While I played outside public courts. I saw that the game was growing. I saw that there was a market. I investigated. I found another indoor club that had been operational a year or so ago when I started looking. I hired one of the owners as a consultant. I was in the IT industry sales; computer networking equipment and sales. I retired and then did nothing for 5 years and got this going.”

So there you have it. Spring is coming and so is the itch to run, play or try something new. For anyone athletically inclined, Worcester County has range, and possibilities.