By Softball weekend at Carroll College is not just a series of games; it’s a cherished tradition that embodies the spirit of camaraderie within our community.
Beginning in the 1970s, this annual event has transformed from a humble beginning into a significant Carroll College event, drawing students, faculty and alumni together.
Patrick Harris, director of student activities and leadership, reminisced about his experiences with softball weekend, both as a student in the late 1980s and now as a faculty member.
“When I was here in 1987 through 1990, softball weekend was always part of those years,” Harris said. “We think it started probably about somewhere between maybe 10 to 15 years before even that, so around the 1970s.”
Harris was able to shed light on the origin of the tradition, sharing that the ASCC played a pivotal role in the first softball weekend.
“All events basically were put together by either a class president or student government,” said Harris. “This lack of higher authority inference allowed drinking culture to become a big part of the event.”
Inevitably, the mixing of beer and softball stirred up trouble – and led to changes.
“Back in the day, it wasn’t uncommon to see U-Hauls parked in parking lots of the fields, packed with students. You’d have teams who were just totally drunk on the field,” said Harris.
As time passed, softball weekend grew a raucous reputation and prompted intervention from local authorities.
“When I came back, it was still a really crazy drinking event and the Helena police department said that they were no longer going to allow Carroll College to have softball weekend,” said Harris.
Through dialogue and commitment to change, Harris worked with the Helena Police Department to preserve the tradition, on the promise of improved student conduct.
“I promised that the students will follow the rules and be a little bit more under control,” Harris said. “They said they’d be willing to give it a try.”
These efforts heralded a new era for softball weekend, with increased regulation and a focus on community safety and engagement.
“For the last 21 years, we’ve been meeting with the police department before softball weekend just to make sure everything’s ready to go,” said Harris.
While drinking was a concern, another challenge was organizing the games, particularly with the number of teams they used to have.
“Back in 2006, we used to get 40-45 teams and it was a full two-day schedule,” said Harris. To prevent this, a rule was implemented which prevented students from being on more than two teams.
Harris has focused on two goals for softball weekend each year.
“My hope every year is, first of all, that nobody gets hurt. Safety is number one,” said Harris. “Two, everybody has fun. It’s a celebration of life. It’s the reason why I put on the event, to watch people laughing together, celebrating life together and enjoying that sense of Carroll community.”
Despite changes over the years, the essence of softball weekend has remained unwavering.
“It wasn’t just about the games, it’s a time when alumni, students, and even the local community came together, creating bonds that lasted well beyond the weekend itself,” said Clayton Murray, a 2022 graduate. “It epitomizes the spirit and camaraderie of the Carroll community.”
