2022 Hall of Honor: Bank of Westmont

Bank of Westmont, Westmont, IL

In 1972, Bill Green walked into the Bank of Westmont and asked to speak with Marcel Levesque, the bank president. Green’s goal: to obtain a sponsor for a 12” softball team to play in the Downers Grove Park District league. As a result of that conversation, a longtime relationship between 12” softball and the Bank of Westmont began.

That first year was just the beginning of what would become a team bonded in a game they loved to play. With each subsequent year the team, referred to simply as the Bank, saw their schedule expand to include new leagues and the integration of tournament play.

In 1982, the team participated in their first Divisional USSSA tournament, a Class B event in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Though that team had more overall power than any subsequent Bank team, the impact of the home run limit resulted in a disappointing record of 0-2.

The Bank continued building a reputation through league play and, under John Yena’s continued leadership, the team got a taste of more competitive USSSA tournament softball. In 1983, the Bank entered the B Divisional tournament in Pevely, Missouri and fought out of the loser’s bracket to finish fourth. This began a long line of appearances at NIT Tournaments throughout the years including Rockford, Milwaukee, Kalamazoo, Rock Hill, SC, Lafayette, LA, and Sterling Heights, MI.

A defining moment in the Bank’s legacy of excellence came in 1984 when the team accepted an invitation as a Class B team to participate in the Class A World Tournament in Anaheim, CA. It was an exciting weekend for the Bank, and everyone celebrated the impressive top 10 finish out of 104 teams. Most of the team had their roots in 16” softball and, in 1989, the Bank entered and won the 16” USSSA State Tournament. This qualified the team to play in the 16” USSSA Class A World Championship in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Despite most of the guys not having played 16” for a few years, the team finished 12th out of 56 teams.

The Bank’s successes can be directly attributed to the talented players who joined the roster over the many seasons. Many lifelong friendships were forged throughout those years, but the true legacy of the Bank lies in the approach and respect shown both to the game and to each other. Softball and the people who played it were always #1.