Norm Emann helping keep field of dreams a reality for senior ball players

He plays right field for the Morrison Health Mavericks, a team he’s been with for 10 years. He’s also a co-coach on the team.

During the months the league is in play, usually from May to September, Norm co-hosts a practice four days a week at Lorne Holden Field in Kin Coulee Park.

He hits ground balls and runs the pitching machine and gets his own practice in the field.

“I’m here every day, I don’t get any better but I’m hoping I’m not sinking lower,” he says. “Practices are a lot of fun. There’s no pressure on anybody except the pressure you put on yourself.”

League president Rick Parker says he’s supposed to help coach but Norm does it all and keeps the mood light.

“He’s one of the exceptional people he’s always got one-liners to say so it make it go easy,” Rick says.

Norm played baseball growing up and in his early adult. He stepped away from the game for about 20 years. He says he was nervous to get back into, but now is glad he did.

“It’s the people,” he says.

Norm has responsibilities behind the scenes too. He writes game stories for his team and serves as league treasurer.

He’s also the facilities director, responsible for basic maintenance and general upkeep of the diamond. That includes doing chalk lines, sanding and painting bleachers, cleaning toilets and caring for flowers.

He has the facilities director title but says it’s a community effort.

“There’s so many other people that contribute their time and efforts to make this thing go,” he says.

That goes for on the field and off.

“Of experiences down here I could probably write a book,” he says. “There’s so many, you know, positive experiences that I couldn’t zero in on one. It certainly wouldn’t be an individual accomplishment on my part but just the fellas around here.”

by Chris Brown

Norm Emann helping keep field of dreams a reality for senior ball players

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