Community Champions: Senior softball team from El Paso shines at national level

An El Paso softball team doesn’t let father time get in the way of their love for softball.

The 9-11’s are comprised of players older than the age of 70.

In fact, the oldest member on the team is 81-years-old.

The team was established in 2001, the year of the attacks on 9-11, and that’s how the team decided their name.

Armando Sanchez is the coach of the 9-11’s, he says he no longer plays the game, but he enjoys managing his fellow seniors.

“We go to Phoenix, we go to Vegas, we’ve been to Canada, so like I said, this is a traveling team,” Sanchez said. “We compete against younger teams. Some teams in the 50s, some teams in the 60s.”

Even as they get older,the spirit of competition is still there.

The 9-11’s have won state and even national championships.

In 2018, the 9-11’s won a national tournament in Florida and every player was given a championship ring.

“We try to compensate for what our age does not give us anymore,” 9-11 player Jorge Carrasco said. “Our agility, our frame of mind, but we always have the spirit and the soul to play ball. We’re a very competitive team.”

For fellow 9-11 player, Johnny Ruedas, it’s not just about competition for him, but also staying active.

“You can take over age and that’s a very important thing because you can do it if you want. It’s up to you,” Ruedas said.”Stay young. Even though you might be old, you’re still young.”