History Channel
Back in 1996, the only game in town for girl's soccer was coed. Not
all girls wanted to compete with the boys, so Seth Brownstein had
an idea.....
Comments from Seth Brownstein
GBGSL's very first game was played on the little field behind Rock
Point fields School in 1996. There were two teams of 10 second graders
& one team's worth of tee shirts to be shared! The designated shirt
wearing team would don their shirts before each game - in a grumbling
pre-game ritual. The idea of the league came the year before to Seth
Brownstein as he watched his daughter play in the co-ed league. When
he asked a parent why there were so few girls on the older aged teams,
the answer was, "The girls drop out because they lose interest."
Though there was resistance to the idea and need for an all girl's
league, just a few weeks before the fall of 1997, the Parks and
Recreation commission approved a proposal to support a trial one
season league. Convinced by that season's enthusiastic response from
the players, Seth and Pat Doran and other interested parents began the
GBGSL in earnest. In each season in the early years the league grew
dramatically in size. Overwhelmed by its growing success, the league
never would have survived those early years without the dedication,
time, and organizational energy that Pat Doran provided on the
board. And its continued success depended, and still depends, on the
many members of the Board who have given so much time and effort over
the years.
For the first few seasons, weekly game sites alternated between
Callahan Park and Leddy Park, then GBGSL finally settled on Callahan
as "home". In one of the earliest season ending league picnics, a mass
"Macarena" dance spontaneously erupted in what would become a seasonal
ending ritual. Later, the team cheers/ performances were added to the
picnic in response to several team requests.
And the rest is history. With over 400 registered players last season,
and more than thirty teams, it is obvious that many girls thrive in an all girls
league. And they certainly maintain their interest!