Softball tourney shines despite some rain

For more photos from the tourney, click here

Last weekend’s Florida Dixie All-Stars state softball tournament, that brought hundreds of ballplayers and their families into the county, didn’t go as well as expected.

It went better.

From the state director to local officials to visiting families to area businesses, the reviews are in and they are overwhelmingly raves.

“It’s going wonderfully,” said Danny Brooks, the Florida state director of the tournament. “It’s been a great success and a big turnout. The support that’s come out of this local community is just incredible.”

About 500 young ballplayers and their families packed motels as far west as Port St. Joe and as far east as Wakulla County throughout the weekend, which culminated in a rain-interrupted day of championship games on Monday.

“It rained and washed the field out and they got the fields playable, and as soon they got back out we had another gully washer,” said Brooks. “The grounds crew had them back playable and never once did they moan or groan. They just went out there and got the job done.

“They did a phenomenal job of getting the field back ready and playable,” he said. “If not for them this tourney could have gone on longer and been a bit rougher.”

For the most part, the weekend stayed sunny, with Spring Hill emerging victorious in two of the divisions, as they stayed undefeated in the eldest 16-18 year old Debs division, defeating Ponce de Leon, Hernando County and Pasco County twice for the championship. They’ll now go on to the World Series in Alexandria, La. July 29.

Spring Hill also dominated the 12-12 year old Ponytails, defeating Wahneta twice, Sneads twice, and Belleview to secure the title, which earned them a berth in the World Series in Pineville, La.

Wesley Chapel was the team to beat in the 9-10 year-old Angels division, downing Wahneta, Belleview and Marianna twice for the win. They’ll head to Smith Hill, Va. for their World Series.

Among the youngest girls, the 7-8 year-old Darlings, Holmes County downed Belleview and then Marianna before falling to West Pasco. They then beat Marianna, and topped West Pasco twice on Monday for the crown, and a trip to the Pineville, La. World Series.

Among the 13-15 year old Belles, Wahneta cruised to victory, downing West Pasco, Franklin County and Okeechobee for a berth in the South Hill, Va. World Series. Presented with the sportsmanship award at the closing ceremonies, Wahneta then turned around and insisted that trophy go to Franklin County.

“They said they had been treated on and off the field with such kindness and generosity,” said Nikki Millender, the county’s parks and recreation coordinator. “Danny Brooks said in his 18-year career that he had never seen any team stand up and do something like that.”

Okeechobee won the Louise Jordan Sportsmanship Award among the Darlings, while Marianna showed the best sportsmanship among the Angels, and Franklin County among the Ponytails. Hernando County won the Rick Hartley Sportsmanship Award for the Debs.

The tourney opened with a huge banquet at the Carrabelle Christian Center Thursday night, complete with a buffet-style “candy” bar, lollypops centerpieces on the tables and a premier of the county’s new “Salty to the Bone” song as the girls clapped along in glee.

Florida State University softball star Tiffany Brown offered the keynote speech, describing how she first “started playing in Georgia when I was very young and I sucked” and then went on work with a college coach who inspired her.

“You must develop mental toughness,” she told the girls. “Commitment and conditioning create mind over matter. Education and doing well in school are very important because there are lots of kids with athletic ability but a college wants to know you are going to have the grades to stay in the program for the long term. Challenge yourself to make good grades if nobody challenges you.”

Play began Friday morning at the Will S. Kendrick Sports Complex, in Carrabelle, and the complex, with its easily- accessible “pinwheel” design, drew raves from the visiting teams.

“They just fell in love with Franklin County. They’re ready to come back and play some more ball here” said Millender, who worked closely with fellow staffers Fonda Davis, Link Carroll, Albert Floyd and others in organizing the event.

“We couldn’t have done this without the help of the Tourist Development Council, the county commissioners, parks and recreation, and employees of the landfill, animal control, solid waste and even the road department, who helped prepare the complex,” she said. “When we held districts last year, it was a learning experience. This year we knew what we were doing. We had our stuff together.”

One example of that was a huge cooler on hand, donated by Barber’s Seafood, that kept drinks cool the moment they were restocked. In addition was a nearby ice truck, with hundreds of bags of ice, and a series of rented misting fans around the complex, to beat the 90-plus degree heat.

“It just went extremely well, more well than expected, and everybody came together,” she said. “Everybody showed great hospitality to our visitors, all the way from businesses to locals.”

Jeff Faircloth, the tournament’s district director, said Franklin County people “showed what hospitality is all about, from the banquet to the last trophy that was handed out.”

Other than one girl beaned in the noggin with a softball, and another girl who was overheated, there were no medical incidents during the tourney.

Scores of volunteer parents helped out in running the concession stands, announcing the games and keeping the scorebook. The shaved ice concession, handled by a private company and sporting a long line busy most every second of every day, netted the youth league a cut of almost $1,000 from the proceeds.

“Overall this tourney was a great and wonderful success and we accomplished what we wanted to do out of it,” said Millender. Thanks to the youth league and all the local businesses that helped contribute to make this a success.”