- PoliceSoftball.com - Complete Guide to Police Tournament Softball

Name	W.E. Stephenson
Nickname	Skip
Uniform #	13
Team	San Diego Gray
Agency	SDDA and SDPD
Assignment	DA Inv.
PS.com Nick	Skip13

Agency:
Hired on 10/29/05 by the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, one day after retiring from the San Diego Police Department with 31 years of service.

Assignment:
I am a DA Investigator, assigned to the Computer And Technology Crimes High-tech Response Team (C.A.T.C.H.).

Uniform Number:
Best number in athletics. 13

Nickname:
Skip. My dad liked the name. Nuff said.

Sports background:
Two varsity baseball letters and that ended my baseball career. I focused on football (believe it or don’t). After earning All League and All CIF honors in HS, I got very little attention from 4-year schools. I went up to Grossmont JC for a couple years. After earning All Conference, All State and JC All America honors, there still was very little interest in a 5-9 140 pound wide out. New Mexico State gave me a chance to play against Div I competition and I lead them in receiving until breaking my ankle in Texas Stadium during my senior season. I was invited to camp by the Cincinnati Bengals but reality got the best of me and I became a cop instead. For 11 years, I got to put the pads back as SDPD and SDSO met at Jack Murphy Stadium for the Cop’er Bowl. I am the career leader in receptions, TD’s and a few other categories. The game ended after year 11.

Softball History:
Joined the SDPD basketball team in 1975 because the coach advertised for tryouts. During that year, I went to watch Steve Margetts and some of the other basketball players play in a softball tourney. After one inning I knew I could play on that team. I joined the Red team, which later became the Blue team. When I was in my mid 40’s, I played for both the Blue and Gray teams. After a few years of doing both, my body said pick one or the other.

Past Police Teams:
San Diego Red/Blue

Proudest Police Softball Moments:
As a personal achievement, the top of the list would have to be receiving an invitation participate in the first ever East – West Allstar game at the age of 54. But I believe what I will remember the most are a few tournament championships over extremely tough competition. As a member of the Blue team we beat a huge Wayne-Oakland team to win a national title in Vegas; as a member of the Gray team we beat another huge Florida team to win a Senior Division national title; and lastly (sorry JB and DP) as a member of the Gray team beating two of the premier cop teams, Alliance and DEA Combo, to win a tourney in Palm Springs.

Lowest Softball Moment:
Easy. Blowing up and getting tossed from a game in Tahoe. I embarrassed myself, my teammates and most of all, my wife. Never again (except maybe from the 2006 East-West Old Timers Game). (PoliceSoftball.com note: We witnessed Skip being tossed and it was impressive)

Future personal goals in Police Softball:
At the time of this writing, participating in and hopefully playing well in the 3 tournaments left in my career.

Where do you see our sport in 5-10 years:
Getting better and better. I only wish PS.com had come along years ago.

What is one thing you would change about police softball:
Start a 50 and over division. Then maybe I’d play a few more years.

MISC:
At the risk of drawing the wrath of the National and West Coast Head Roosters, I want to take this opportunity to thank my wife, Lynn, for all of her support for the last 38 years (34 as my wife).