Rekindle an old flame
Our bodies tell us that we’re not able to catch, hit, run or throw like we use to in our youth; maybe haven’t played ball in a number of years, but Holy Toledo! in our minds it’s spring and we’re making over-the-head Willie Mays catches, hitting Mickey Mantle-like moonshots–we just need the means of doing it again. Age be damned, it’s time to play ball. We are the Retreads.
Interested in comraderie and competing on the field? If you're game, grab your glove and join us.
PLAY BALL!
AGAIN.
NEWS
THE BACKSTORY OF THE AWARD
ON THE FRONT OF THESE PLAQUES
This past October 21st, after morning scrimmage games the Retreads celebrated new Hall of Fame inductees, awards and a luncheon. Two of the awards are named after Walter Bibb and Mel Richardson. Here's what each award represents.
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The Walter Bibb Sportsmanship award is given to the Retread who best exemplifies the attributes of true character, integrity, and sportsmanship. They are unselfish and committed to the team over individual performance. They are a positive role model on the softball field. They demonstrate cooperation and respect in dealing with their coaches and teammates. The player is selected by all players voting.
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Mel Richardson Annual Award is given in honor of the memory of a player whose passion for the sport and fellowship serves as a model to all who play the game. The candidate is judged on their impact on the sport as measured by their contributions as an organizer and builder of the game. They are judged on their high quality of play, dedication to the game and achievement as a player. They have unselfishly given of their time and talents to the betterment of senior softball and the Charlottesville Retreads.
Walter Bibb
Mel Richardson
RETREADS REBRAND
FOR A NEW ERA
"For the times, they are a-changin'" seem to be the right words to express the new brand update for the Charlottesville Retreads senior softball club, as much as it was for Bob Dylan's iconic song during the 1960s counter-culture movement. How to communicate with people to reach new audiences, as well as current members of the team, hadn't change much over the last 20 years or so. It was time for a change.
What you'll see is an updated identity that has been applied to the website that's both desktop and mobile friendly–curating the most pertinent information for everyone interested in all things 'Retread.' A possible vision for the future is to take this and apply it to other assets such as uniforms and any PR materials to help promote the organization. Beyond the functional aspect, it also creates a sharper reflection of the team within the local community.
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The design intent was to build off of the teams' heritage elements: colors, typography and name, plus add where necessary. Below are a few examples–and the concepts behind them– of the new identity and possibilities for future. ​​
Monogram
Interlocking letters become a quick short hand that many athletic teams use to identify a city or mascot name.
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Retreads Sox
In a nod to Boston and Chicago's use of a sock image is a "retread" patched sock that can be a stand alone graphic, or use with the Retreads name.
Script Font
This is a more legible script than the current version on the Retreads jersey. It's based on the Minnesota Twins new script font.​
Future Use
With such a rich palette of assets to draw from, future uniforms can employ graphic assets to complete a consistent look and feel.
