A graduate of Budlong Elementary and Amundsen High School on Chicago’s northwest Side, Lynn Miceli went to the University of Illinois when it was at Navy Pier. She graduated with a degree in physical education from the U. of I. after it moved to the Circle Campus. She then went to work at Hiawatha Park in 1967 and moved to Amundsen Park in 1968 where she started a career that would influence women’s softball for years. She started playing softball at Hiawatha Park in 1967 and organized a Friday night women’s league that would become one of the most competitive leagues in Chicago. The league moved to Kosciuszko Park in 1971 where it remained until 1985. Lynn was known as a top defensive catcher of her day because of her ability to block the plate and her toughness to withstand the inevitable collisions that were bound to happen. She played for the Stomperettes and Miceli’s Mob who were perennial champs at Kosciuszko for years. She retired from softball in December 1998 to become league director of the Grant Park Softball League, the largest league in the country. She took over the reins from another Hall of Fame inductee, Buddy Haines. In 1968 she met her future husband and Hall of Fame inductee, Charles Miceli, who was also a recreation supervisor at Amundsen Park. They have one child, Katie and a granddaughter. Charles passed away in 2002.
