3rd/4th Grade Niles Fallball Softball Champs

On Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, third- and fourth-graders from the Chicago neighborhoods of Sauganash, Edgebrook, Jefferson Park, Edison Park, Norwood Park, as well as Niles, Des Plaines and Skokie, came together as the Niles Red Sox and finished the 2023 Niles Fall Ball season with an undefeated record of 9-0-1, knocking off stiff competition, the Niles Dodgers, in the third/fourth grade league to a score of 6-4.

Although they wore uniforms as the Red Sox, the team of girls has chosen to call themselves the Softball Queens. The Softball Queens is a rec-style team coached by head coach Phil Radke, and nine other volunteer coaches, who have yet to hit the travel circuit, but have been in competition together since the Spring of '22.

Most of the girls played together last fall, where they struggled and finished with a record of 2-5-1. However, after dedicating themselves to one another, and to the craft of softball, the team turned things around and had an absolutely phenomenal Fall season, with a near-perfect record that was fit for a Queen of course!

The Softball Queens' older "sisters" fifth/sixth grade team, a newly created team called the Queens of Chaos, finished 1-5-1 as they learned about each other and the demands of 100% kid-pitch, but showed resilience and relentlessness in never giving up. Like their kid-queenie sisters, they look to rebound and turn things around after a strong off-season that starts in about a week.

Families who are interested in joining either the 3/4 Softball Queens, or the 5/6 Queens of Chaos, should email Coach Craig at craig.macfarland@comcast.net.

Additional media, donation, and/or sponsorship inquiries should reach out to Coach Phil at radke.phil@gmail.com.