The seeds for the improbable Public League title run were planted 16 years ago on a bumpy grass field in Little Village. New Life, a neighborhood nonprofit offering a variety of services, decided to start a 16-inch softball summer league. The goals: to break down barriers, build community and prevent violence by defusing gang conflicts, among other things.
The field at Farragut wasn’t the best. DeMateo, who was the umpire for those early games, recalls “six-inch divots” that created what players called “the Farragut hop.”
But the league, which started small, kept growing. There are now 20 teams playing at two local parks: La Villita and Piotrowski. At the end of the season, the top teams from both sites come together to play for the championship at UIC.