A few years ago Barb Anderson dusted off her glove, almost 20 years after her last game of softball, to play alongside her daughters Sarah, 15, and Jess, 13.
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The trio play for the Hurricanes in the Tamworth Softball Association senior competition.
This is their fourth season together after Sarah and Jess had played a couple years of tee ball and mod ball prior.
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When they moved into the senior ranks, Barb started playing again and said there was a couple underlying reasons as to why she suited up alongside her children.
"You get to watch your kids while you're playing as well and they get to see that mum can actually hit the ball and run," Barb said as Sarah and Jess let out a laugh.
"Not out of sight on a dark night, but I can still run."
That reaction by all three of the Andersons - or Sando, Bando and Jando as their playing shirts read - sums up their dynamic.
They're happy to take it as much as they give it to each other and it's all in good fun.
In fact, there was some giving in Barb's path to a return.
"I tend to be a bit critical sitting on the sidelines," Barb said.
"I thought I better put my money where my mouth is and get on the field."
They're always taking the mickey out of each other, Barb said, and thoroughly enjoying the game.
"It's a tremendous amount of fun," she said.
They aren't the only family who play together in the softball competition.
They can quickly rattle off six or seven families, a handful who are also with the Hurricanes, that play together.
Like many others, it's how Barb got into the sport as well.
"It started for us when my mum and dad coached baseball and softball when we were little kids," Barb said.
"My elder brother, youngest brother and sister all played.
"Mum and dad coached then mum and I played on the same team and that's gone to 'it'd be nice to play on the same team as my kids'."
The trio will suit up for the Hurricanes against the Savages this Saturday at 5pm as the softball season continues.
It's been a stop-start second half of the season with rain washing out most games in 2021 but Tamworth is predicted to be sunny with a top of 29 on Saturday.
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Ben Jaffrey
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
