ASTON — Rookie hires are not typically surrounded by swarms of kids asking for autographs. However, Faith Weaver of Drexel Hill, is no ordinary rookie. She’s a Phillies ball girl.
Weaver, a senior at Neumann University in Aston, admits that being on the field during MLB games at Citizens Bank Park is “a surreal experience.” Ball girls scoop up foul balls that are hit along the first-base and third-base lines and distribute them to fans who are eager to take home a keepsake from the game.
Her favorite part of the job, though, is seeing the faces of young girls who play softball and consider her a role model. She has signed her “ball girl card” and real baseball gloves at the ballpark.
The Phillies organization hires just 10 young women each year to be ball girls and employs them for two years. Weaver, a rookie, patrols a foul line at the ballpark about once or twice a month. Second-year ball girls work more frequently.
“It’s hard deciding who gets the balls,” she admits, “especially with the pitch clock. You try to pick out somebody in advance, like little kids or people going to their first game. I wish I had a ball to give to every single kid.”
Three rules are drilled into every ball girl: Get out of the way, with your stool, of any ball in play; get the ball once you’re sure it is foul; and get back to your seat.
Weaver is a third baseman and catcher on the Neumann Knights softball team.
A sport management major at Neumann, Weaver has worked for the Phillies since 2023, selling tickets in the stands for two years to get her foot in the door before she applied for a ball girl position.
Faith Weaver’s ballgirl card, which she signs for fans. (COURTESY OF NEUMANN UNIVERSITY)
The application process required a resume and video, a Zoom interview, an in-person workout that included hitting and fielding ground balls at Citizens Bank Park, a final interview under the lights in the Phillies media room, and a quiz about the team.
Her most memorable experience so far was at the Salute to Service game on May 17, when military jets buzzed the stadium at the start of the game.
“I was standing at home plate, right under the flyover,” she shared.
A little-known aspect of the job is that the duties of ball girls extend beyond the confines of the stadium and the season. The position is a paid, part-time, year-round gig with the Phillies.
Off the field, ball girls are community ambassadors for the team, providing support for charitable events and clinics for young players. They compete in charity softball games, visit nursing homes and children’s hospitals, and support player-sponsored events. The ball girls make more than 150 off-field appearances each year.
A lifelong softball player and baseball fan, Weaver is looking forward to another Red October with the Phillies in the playoffs.
Main Line Health to offer free classes to quit smoking
Main Line Health will offer free six-session programs, held virtually, to assist tobacco users and nicotine vapers to quit. Sessions will include stress management, coping strategies and relapse prevention information. Participants may be eligible to receive free nicotine replacement therapy.
Research supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirms that even if people are 60 or older and have been smoking for decades, quitting will improve their health.
Quitting tobacco use can lessen the risk of cognitive decline and brain atrophy, and can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, death from coronary heart disease, and lung cancer.
Immediate health benefits will include decreased blood pressure and heart rate, lowered carbon monoxide levels, and increased blood circulation. Quitting can also improve self-confidence and lead to a better lifestyle.
Upcoming vlasses are:
• Program 1: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8 and 15
• Program 2: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14 and 21
• Program 3: 7- 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5 and 12
• Program 4: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays: Nov. 11, 18, 25, Dec. 2, 9 and 16.
To register for any of these classes, call 484-227-FREE (3733).
Bereavement support group available to heal from loss
St. Bernadette of Lourdes Parish, 1035 Turner Ave., Drexel Hill will offer an eight-week Bereavement Support Group for adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one on eight consecutive Tuesday evenings, 7 to 8:30 p.m., beginning Sept. 16.
The program will be held on the first floor of St. Bernadette’s Wright Center on Harper Avenue between the church and the parish school in Drexel Hill. Parking is available in the adjacent parking lot.
No matter how long it has been since the loss or losses, unattended grief may linger and cause other problems, including health, social, and spiritual difficulties. Grieving is difficult and challenging, and it affects everyone in different ways. This is an opportunity to be with others who are also grieving and seek ways to build resilience and move forward in life.
The program will be facilitated by George Salloom, a retired health care social worker, hospice volunteer, a member of Old Haverford Friends Meeting and the Havertown Ministerium.
The program is non-denominational and there is no fee. For more information and registration call Salloom at 610 306-0252 or email-georgesalloom@hotmail.com.
Alicia Roberts of CBS3 Philadelphia will be the guest speaker at a Tasty Talk luncheon. (COURTESY PHOTO)
Tasty Talk luncheon to feature CBS3 reporter Alicia Roberts
Registration is underway for the launching a new season of Realtor Michelle Leonard’s Tasty Talk luncheons.
The lunch and learn series will begin Wednesday, Sept. 17 at noon at Alfredo’s Italian Kitchen, 4799 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square. The kickoff luncheon will feature guest speaker Alicia Roberts, CBS3 Philadelphia news reporter.
Leonard, of Keller Williams Realty, will host the luncheon, with all proceeds benefiting the Miss Philadelphia Scholarship Fund. Cost is $35 in advance, which includes hors d’oeuvres, lunch, dessert, tax and tip.
Everyone is welcome, and must RSVP by 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 by calling 610-723-6589.
COSA offers free program to manage chronic pain
The Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging, in collaboration with the PA Department of Aging and Upper Darby Senior Center, is offering the acclaimed Chronic Pain Self-Management Program for those 60 and older who live with chronic pain.
The program will be held virtually on Zoom once a week on Thursdays Sept. 18 through Oct. 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon.
One in 5 people live with chronic pain, which can impact all aspects of a person’s life: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
The program puts forth the idea that individuals are in control over how they deal with their pain. Individuals are the experts with regard to their own bodies and therefore, play the biggest role in managing their pain.
It provides participants the self-care tools and life skills that support them in reaching their personal goals to manage their chronic pain. Topics include dealing with frustration, fatigue, isolation and poor sleep; learning exercises to improve strength, flexibility and endurance; using medications effectively; communication; nutrition; and evaluation of new treatments.
The program is free through support from COSA and the PA Department of Aging. Space is limited and registration is required.
To register, contact Ellen Williams, Health and Wellness Program manager, at williamse@co.delaware.pa.us or 610-499-1937.
Register now for a special outdoor streaming of the canonization of Carlo Acutis, 3 to 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 7 at Malvern Retreat House. (COURTESY PHOTO)
Malvern Retreat House to host Carlo Acutis canonization simulcast and celebration
Malvern Retreat House will host a special simulcast of the canonization Mass of Carlo Acutis on Sunday Sept. 7 from 3 to 6:30 a.m. Join with countless others for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
In addition to viewing the simulcast, Malvern Retreat House will have Mass and provide tours to the St. Carlo Acutis shrine. This is an outdoor event. Bring lawn chairs and blankets.
RSVP with the numbers of people in groups with parish/school affiliation or name of individual to kmoulter@malvernretreat.com.
Obie Award-winning actor and writer Kathryn Grody will bring her solo show, “The Unexpected 3rd: A Radical, Rollicking Rumination on the Optimism of Staying Alive,” to People’s Light in Malvern in September. (COURTESY OF LAUREN THOMAS)
People’s Light launches new season with Kathryn Grody’s ‘The Unexpected 3rd’
People’s Light in Malvern, Chester County’s 50-plus-year destination for world-class theater and live arts, will kick off its 2025-26 season with the world premiere of “The Unexpected 3rd: A Radical, Rollicking Rumination on the Optimism of Staying Alive,” a raw, poetic and darkly funny solo show by Obie Award-winning actor and writer Kathryn Grody.
Running Sept. 17 through Oct. 19, this powerful new work invites audiences into Grody’s intimate reflections on aging, identity and staying true to one’s self, no matter what the world expects.
Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at peopleslight.org or by calling 610-644-3500.
Following sold-out readings at the 2024 Kiln New Works Festival at People’s Light, “The Unexpected 3rd” returns to the theater that helped spark its development, now taking center stage as the season opener.
“The transition into elderhood is not just bewildering but equal parts empowering, mysterious and absurd,” says Grody, whose eclectic career spans boundary-pushing theater, political activism and internet fame alongside husband Mandy Patinkin. “This show is about living truthfully, unapologetically and with unyielding curiosity at 78 and beyond. It feels especially right to debut it at People’s Light, a place that embraces honesty, complexity and the full spectrum of being human.”
Grody’s longstanding relationship with People’s Light producing artistic director Zak Berkman adds a personal dimension to the collaboration.
“My family has known Kathryn’s family for over 40 years,” Berkman said. “Our connection bridges generations, geography and life experiences. Having Kathryn premiere this deeply personal, expansive and wildly original work here at People’s Light is not only a full-circle moment, it’s a profound honor.”
At its core, “The Unexpected 3rd” is a dynamic and real-time contemplation of a universal question: What happens when you’re no longer who you were, but not yet someone else?
“The Unexpected 3rd is the perfect kickoff to our 2025/26 season,” stated Shonali Burke, Managing Director of People’s Light. “Kathryn’s voice is singular, hilarious and courageous all at once, and her ‘radical, rollicking ruminations’ speak to anyone who’s ever wondered how to keep evolving in the face of change.”
People’s Light Theater is at 39 Conestoga Road. For more information about the show: http://peopleslight.org.
Registration opens for Troop K’s Sunny Day Camp
The Pennsylvania State Police Troop K has announced that registration is open for its annual free Sunny Day Camp to celebrate children and adults of every ability.
Sunny Day Camp will be held on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Brandywine Youth Club, 47 Thornton Road, Glen Mills.
Applicants must be a Special Olympic participant, or an adult or child of any age with special needs or a disability. Sunny Day Camp participants must be accompanied by a family member or a guardian.
The event embraces diversity, connecting with others and highlighting strengths and talents of individuals with special needs.
The day will feature all interactive activities. Food will be provided for all participants and vendors in attendance.
Will Crabbe of Glen Mills and his son Prince, 6, enjoyed meeting search and rescue dog Nellie at the 2023 Sunny Day Camp. (PEG DEGRASSA/ DAILY TIMES)
Guests will have the opportunity to engage with law enforcement and other first responders, learning about their roles and responsibilities.
State police will showcase their specialty units, including Aviation, the Tactical Mounted Patrol, K-9 units, the Special Emergency Response Team, the Motorcycle Unit, Special Olympics, Search and Rescue, Robotics and more. Additionally, guests will have the chance to ride in a patrol vehicle.
Sunny Day Camp is a nonprofit organization supported by the Pennsylvania State Police and funded by individuals and businesses. Troopers and other law enforcement professionals serve as camp counselors and volunteer their time.
If interested in participating, volunteering, or being a vendor, register and get more details at www.sunnydaycamp.org.
Readers can send community news and photos to Peg DeGrassa at pdegrassa@21st-centurymedia.com.