2009 Online Franchise Renewal Form & Payment Option (click this link)
2009 Franchise Renewal Form - Print version (PDF file)
2009 APPROVED SUPPLIERS
EQUIPMENT
BASEBALL WAREHOUSE
JUGS, INC.
NATIONS BEST SPORTS
ROGERS BREAK AWAY BASE SYSTEM
SOFTBALLS
A. D. STARR SPORTS
DIAMOND SPORTS
J. P. SPORTS (Approved for tournament play)
BATS
ANDERSON BAT COMPAY
COMBAT SPORTS
DEMARINI
EASTON SPORTS
HILLERICH & BRADSBY (LOUISVILLE SUGGER)
MIKEN
MIZUNO USA
RAWLINGS
WORTH
NOTE: Not every bat manufactured by an "Approved Supplier' is approved for Dixie Softball play. Dixie Softball uses the approved bat list that the governing body of USA Softball publishes for the purpose of deciding which bats are approved for Dixie Softball play. If any bat on the approved USA Softball list is not approved for Dixie Softball play we will list such bat on this website. For the list of approved bats please go to www.asasoftball.com and look for the certified equipment button and click on it then click on the bats button and then click on the display all button. When the drop down list appears click on the manufacturer you are looking for.
FUND RAISER
BRAX, LTD
QSP/WORLDS FINEST CHOCOLATE
TK FUND RAISER
TROPHIES & AWARDS
BIRMINGHAM TROPHY SHOP
CROWN AWARDS
DINN BROTHERS
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A PARENT GETS IT RIGHT!!
by Obie Evans
It always amazes me that parents can get it right. As most of you reading this know, I have for years made my opinion known about the effects of travel ball on local community programs. I will say it again. Travel ball, overall hurts local community programs and where it can be avoided it should be. Not only has travel ball hurt local community programs but when local community programs put the local school team ahead of what their local community program goal should be that too can cause problems for a local community program.
Recently Preston Leonard, Dixie Softball National Vice President, received an e-mail from a parent in North Carolina. The e-mail says it all. I have chosen this as my one of my best annual e-mail of the year . I have made editorial changes to make the e-mail readable for my column and not just an e-mail type of wording. I have chosen not to name the softball programs involved for it would not serve the common good to do so. The email is paraphrased below:
Hello!
I am not sure where I need to begin. My daughter played this year in the all-star games for her local league Angels tournament team. She had a really great time and she enjoyed herself greatly up until the point and time she had to play against another league which I believe this other league's team is made up of 3 traveling teams. A true unfair advantage against our girls. Why take away perhaps a once a year moment for some girls that the girls on the other team have the opportunity to do almost every weekend.
There is no doubt that the girls on the other team are really good ball players. But AWFUL defines them better. They have no respect, talked ugly to our little girls and to us as parents. When my child cries as she pitches a ball because they are being too rude, there is a problem. Again, there is no doubt that the other team's Angels players are good but isn't there a rule or regulation that is in place or can be put in place about travel ball teams and restricting their participation in the "recreational" style of softball that Dixie Softball presents. My daughter gets one chance a year to play tournament ball and try to make it to the state tournament. The girls on the other team have a lot of opportunities to play and reach higher level so they should not be allowed to stand in the way of Dixie Softball oriented teams.
There was a problem that I will contact my district director about. No one is perfect but I feel he mishandled a situation at the tournament. We should be playing ball for the CHILDREN. I pray all will realize the true meaning of why the girls are playing softball. Thank you for your time.
The above parent realizes that girls softball should be fun to play and that travel ball players should go play travel ball and leave community ball to those who want to play it. She also realizes that travel ball players/teams really mess up tournament play for their attitude is different because they play so many tournaments and instead of the Dixie Softball tournament being an event it becomes just another softball tournament along the way. If the opposing team was rude and disrupting the game with rude comments the umpires should have stepped in. Dixie Softball does have rules against harassment of players from the other team. Sportsmanship is the utmost goal of Dixie Softball for any softball game.
Dixie Softball has rules and policies that regulate travel ball players/teams as much as possible. Over 10 years ago Dixie Softball was sued by a league which was backed by the governing body of United States Softball, namely ASA. Because of circumstances of the lawsuit, Dixie Softball cannot restrict players from participating with travel teams while playing Dixie Softball as well. It was a terrible decision but one Dixie Softball was forced to accept. Oh, how I wish Dixie Softball could restrict players from playing with other softball organizations while playing Dixie Softball. I told the court at the time that allowing players to dual participate would hurt the "recreational" style of softball that Dixie Softball was offering and sadly, I was correct.
I wish the e-mailer, her daughter and her local program well in the future and perhaps one day they will have the opportunity to make it to the state tournament and even to the World Series. If enough parents would stand up for fun softball for their local program the world of girls softball will be better.
Thank you ma'am for realizing that softball is for the kids!
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WHAT DIXIE SOFTBALL IS ABOUT
By Obie Evans
Every now and then something comes along that makes my season or even my 41 years of Dixie Girls Softball feel worthwhile. A note I received from Lynette Edmondson of Dickson County, Tennessee stating that the Dickson County Dixie Softball program would be adding an additional Darlings team to their program and this would make a total of 8 Darlings teams for their program thus making the Dickson County program having to have 2 leagues in the Darlings age division. A number of programs try to keep their number of teams to no more than 7 teams in an age division because it would force the program to have 2 tournament teams in that particular age division. They feel this would weaken their "all-star" team. I ask, "Which is more important, a super "all-star" team made up of 12 girls or 24 girls being "all-stars" on 2 good teams?" Thank you Lynette for confirming what I feel, that Dixie Softball is a good thing. Below is that note:
We need to apply for an additional franchise number because we have eight teams in our Darlings!
This is very exciting!!
Our draft and scheduling were done with the teams divided into National and American. However, it was only recently I learned we had to apply for another franchise number.
Just three years ago, there were only three Darlings teams. Last year (2008) it grew to five, and now we are thrilled to have eight teams! I think it is because we started SweeTees three years ago. The girls and families are really enjoying the SweeTees!! Kudos to Dixie Softball for starting the SweeTees!
Thank you,
Lynette Edmondson
VP Softball, Dickson County Youth Altletic Association
2009 RULE BOOK ERROR
1. Please note that the information on page 12 under the July 1 date is incorrect. The first paragraph should have been deleted in its entirety. No longer does Dixie Softball allow a team to participate in its tournament play without that team being willing to participate in all aspects of Dixie Softball tournament play, including any and all tournaments at a higher level than the tournament they just competed in.
2. The e-mail address listed on page 9 for South Carolina's District 4 Director, Clay Burkett, is wrong. It should be: dist4dir@yahoo.com.
3. The cell phone number listed on page 10 for Tennessee's District 3 Director, McNabney is incorrect. It should be (615) 513-0052.
4. The cell phone number listed on page 10 for Virginia's District 6 Director, Virgel Allen is NOT a valid number.
5. On page 12 it list June 1 as the deadline to mail nominations for the Dixie Softball, Inc. Hall of Fame. The date of May 1 that is listed on page 11 is the proper date.
5. Page 99, Section VII, Article (D) - The rule should also read: A pitcher shall not pitch in consecutive games played by her team in the same tournament if she has pitched: DIXIE BELLES and DEBS - in four (4) or more innings of the previous game.
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2009 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Doug Garrett, DSI Scholarship Committee chairman has announced the winners of the 2009 Dixie Softball scholarships. The winners are:
BILLY ADKINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - BRITTNEY LYNN CLARK of Erin (Houston County league), Tennessee;
FRANK L. BAXTER HONORARY SCHOLARSHIP - ASHLEY NICOLE SHELL of DeRidder, Louisiana;
R. T. ADAMS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - ALYSSA JUNE DANIELS of Carthage, Mississippi;
TIM NEELY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - SKEETER ALICE BRANNAN of Paris (Lamar County YWCA league), Texas;
AUBREY TAPLEY HONORARY SCHOLARSHIP - CRYSTAL LORANE YOUNG of Pineland, Texas; and
the first GEORGE D. MATTHEWS, SR. MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP - MARY ELIZABETH DRIVER of Abbeville, SC.
Congratulations to each of these young ladies. The Dixie Softball family wishes them well in their future educational endeavors and thank them for playing Dixie Softball.
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NEW & RETURNED LEAGUES 2009
It is great when new leagues join Dixie Softball but it is also a feeling of pride when a league, after having dropped out of Dixie Softball for one reason or another, decides to return to play Dixie Softball. Listed below are the new and returned leagues for 2009.
NEW
Wren Youth, South Carolina
Haleyville, Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Collins, Mississippi
South Cumberland, North Carolina
Dentsville, South Carolina
Leroy Springs, South Carolina
Shreveport, Louisiana
Lexington American, Tennessee
Chapel Hill, Texas
Sumter American, South Carolina
Whitfield County, Georgia
Dalton, Georgia
Holmes County, Florida
Brundidge National, Alabama
Chambers County, Texas
Pisgah Youth, Mississippi
Piedmont, Virginia
West Rusk, Texas
Madisonville National, Louisiana
Anderson Area YMCA, South Carolina
Osterland, Louisiana
Whitfield County American, Georgia
Whitfield County National East, Georgia
Whitfield County National West, Georgia
Indianola, Mississppi
Dalton Parks, Georgia
Bluffton, South Carolina
RETURNED
DeSoto County, Florida
Roanoke, Alabama
Boiling Springs Youth, South Carolina
Hull-Daisetta, Texas
Loretto, Tennessee
Purvis, Mississippi
Townville, South Carolina
Wedowee, Alabama
Johnston/Edgefield, South Carolina
Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
Calhoun Falls, South Carolina
Fayette American, Alabama
Montgomery Gray Blue, Alabama
Lamar, South Carolina
Cumby, Texas
Guntersville, Alabama
Webb, Alabama
Albemarle, North Carolina
Diboll, Texas
McBee, South Carolina
Alford, Florida
Wagener, South Carolina
Trinity, Texas
Jefferson Parish North Eastbank, Louisiana
Louisburg/Youngsville, North Carolina
Puckett, Mississippi
Bayou George, Florida
Monroe County, Georgia
Marion County, Georgia
Dickson County National, Tennessee
Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
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STATE AND NATIONAL DIRECTORS ELECTED
David Mizell has been re-elected as Louisiana State Director. He will stand for re-election in 2012. He was the only person nominated.
David Mizell of Louisiana, Leland Gaston of Mississippi, Ron Hudson of North Carolina and Frank Perkins of Virginia were re-elected to serve three-year terms for their respective state as a Dixie Softball state director. Jim Williams of Tennessee was elected to serve a three-year term.
Mizell, Hudson, Williams and Perkins were the only nominee from their state. There was a second nomination in Mississippi but that person turned down the nomination stating his support for Gaston. All four will stand for re-election in 2012.
Wayne Bishop has been re-elected to a one-year term as a National Director from the state of Alabama. He will stand for re-election in 2010.
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COACHES IN ALABAMA COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND HIGH SCHOOLS HONORED BY DIXIE SOFTBALL
A number of college, university and high school coaches who played Dixie Softball were recently honored. An article pertaining to these Dixie Softball Hall of Famers can be found below in an article entitled "Proud to be Dixie".
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2009 AGE DIVISION CHART
WHATEVER AGE A GIRL IS ON DECEMBER 31 IS HER LEAGUE AGE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. EXAMPLE: A GIRL IS 10 YEARS OF AGE ON DECEMBER 31, 2008, HER LEAGUE AGE IS 10 for 2009. IF A GIRL TURNS 10 YEARS OF AGE ON JANUARY 1, 2009, HER LEAGUE AGE IS 9 for 2009.
Dixie Softball wishes to thank Dianne Oliver of the Dothan, AL Leisure Services for designing the below age chart. Remember, the age control date is December 31st which determines which age division a player will play in.
2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990
JAN 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
FEB 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
MAR 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
APR 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
MAY 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
JUN 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
JUL 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
AUG 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
SEP 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
OCT 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
NOV 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
DEC 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
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2011 WORLD SERIES BIDS
The following leagues have placed intents to bid for the 2011 Dixie Softball World Series:
DARLINGS - Pineville, Louisiana
ANGELS - Alexandria, Louisiana & South Hill, Virginia
PONYTAILS - Pineville, Louisiana
BELLES - Alexandria, Louisiana & South Hill, Virginia
DEBS - Alexandria, Louisiana
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CURING KIDS' CANCER
For the past couple of years the logo for "Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer" has appeared on the cover of the Dixie Softball Rule Guide. Below is an article send to Dixie Softball by e-mail. It tells the story of "Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer". Over the years too many stories of Dixie Softball players being stricken with cancer have become known. If you or your program can, it would be very benefical to all if the "Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer" program be supported and hopefully one day there will no more stories of kids with cancer.
This article appeared on the website EAST COBBER.
CURING KIDS' CANCER
Being a mother has been the biggest blessing of my life. My husband, Clay, and I have four amazing and wonderful sons - Pierce who is 17, Garrett and Killian - the twins - were born 15 years ago, and Finnian who is 11 but he thinks he's 18! But even the most blessed life is tempered by hard times. And in our case, we faced the unthinkable - losing Killian to cancer on July 27, 2003, when he was only nine years old.
The story begins in 1999. I was having a miserable year. I snapped my ACL playing tennis, and had to have surgery. Three weeks later, I was told that my mum, who was in England, had suddenly become very ill. I immediately traveled to England to be with her. After two agonizing weeks she passed away. I thought my world had fallen apart - but there was more to come. Six weeks after Mum died, Killian got sick with a fever and stomach ache that would not go away. The doctors finally ran a blood test, which came back with a devastating diagnosis: Killian had leukemia. He was just five years old and to all appearances was a normal happy and very healthy looking little boy with big green eyes and a head full of curly blonde hair. How could he have cancer? That happened in movies and on TV, not to our little boy!
It was December 10, 1999 - Diagnosis Day. So we all embarked on a long journey of chemotherapy and its horrible side effects - the mouth sores, the hair loss, the nausea, the pain and weakness and the forced isolation in hospital rooms. But Killian never wanted to be treated like he was sick. His dream was to be a "normal healthy child." He insisted on playing sports throughout his treatment: baseball, basketball, swimming. In fact, he once participated in a swim meet after having a spinal tap - and got upset when he came in third! His spirit was unbreakable.
After nearly three years of chemotherapy - with the end of treatment in sight - our world crashed in on us again. Killian relapsed. The leukemia was back. Now he was really fighting for his life, with his chance of survival dropping from 75 percent to 20 percent. His best chance was a bone marrow transplant. We were all tested for compatibility, but it was Killian's twin, Garrett, who was a perfect match!
Bone marrow transplants are not the magic treatment shown on popular hospital TV series. They are simply brutal. After high-dose chemo, Killian had to undergo radiation to destroy his existing bone marrow - along with the leukemia cells in his body. The transplant itself is relatively simple - much like getting a blood transfusion. Then Killian's body had to go through the process of trying to accept the new marrow. He was placed in isolation again - this time for nine weeks while he struggled with nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and horrible pain. Killian's bravery and spirit hit me anew as I watched him fight to beat the disease. He exercised constantly - walking around and around the nurses' station, with medicine pole and monitors in tow. He was given the "Strong Legs Award' by his nurses for his efforts. It worked. We received the joyful news that Killian's bone marrow was now 100 percent engrafted with Garrett's cells - this was as good as it gets.
But sometimes leukemia is tougher than even a nine-year-old boy. Ninety days post-transplant - just 10 days short of the point where the transplant is considered successful - a routine blood test showed the leukemia had returned. The following week, Killian's doctor told us we were out of options and that Killian had about two months to live. He said we should go make some memories while Killian was still well enough to enjoy himself. So we went to Disney World, telling Killian and his brothers that we were celebrating a successful bone marrow transplant. That was one of the hardest weeks of my life - pretending to be happy when my heart broke every time I looked at Killian. It felt as if my heart was tearing apart.
But we weren't ready to give up. The day we got back from Disney World, I read an article about a new drug which was first developed here in Atlanta for chemo-resistant childhood leukemia. The drug, BL22, is a targeted treatment which attaches itself only to the cancer cells and destroys them. It does not destroy healthy cells - only cancer cells. I called our doctors immediately and asked if Killian could try the drug. They said he couldn't because it was not open to clinical trials for children. That didn't stop me. Miraculously, I managed to contact the doctor at the National Cancer Institute and we got special permission from the FDA to use the new drug just for Killian. Within a week, we were at the NCI in Bethesda, Md., where Killian became the first child in the world to try this new drug. The drug worked well enough to stop the leukemia cells from multiplying for a short time but because the drug was experimental the doctors were not allowed to give Killian a big enough dose to cure him. If the doctors had had the money to fund the development of this drug earlier, it could very well have saved his life. But this miracle was not meant for Killian so we took him home.
Over the next few weeks Killian deteriorated rapidly, needing blood and platelet transfusions every other day. He developed a fungal infection in his lungs which the doctors said would kill him in about three days. Killian's spirit kept him alive for his little brother's 6th birthday three weeks later. The day after Finn's birthday Killian told us three times that he was ready to go now. When I told him that was okay but asked where he was going, he smiled and said, "I'm going home.' He was very peaceful and at 10pm on Sunday July 27, 2003, Killian left us.
Killian's death hit us all hard, but I struggled most with depression and anger. About a year later, I was talking to our sons about Killian and trying to comfort them. I assured them that Killian was perfectly happy and healthy now in Heaven and so we should try to be happy as well. I suddenly thought that if I believed what I was saying, then it was very wrong of me to be so angry and depressed. I should be using my experiences to make a positive difference. I realized with absolute certainty that I had to do something to raise awareness and money for childhood cancer research.
We created a program called Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer. The idea came from a coach who heard Killian on the radio telling his story during the WSB Care-A-Thon benefiting Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Inspired by Killian's bravery, that coach asked his basketball team to donate the money they had collected for his end-of-season gift to Children's Healthcare. Using that idea, we launched Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer on the WSB Care-A-Thon in August of 2004. We asked children's sports teams to donate the money they collect for their coach's end-of-season gift to Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer. In return we let them choose a t-shirt, baseball cap or whistle to present to their coach along with a personalized certificate. The proceeds are given to pediatric cancer research.
The program caught on like wildfire, with tremendous support coming from sports teams in Georgia. So far, we have donated over $600,000 to the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and $800,000 nationwide. As the program has expanded nationally, we've been able to fund innovative therapies in hospitals all over the country. We also launched a similar program for teachers called Teachers Curing Kids' Cancer. Now you can make a donation in honor of your teacher for an end-of-year, holiday, birthday or teacher appreciation gift. The program Killian inspired is funding the development of innovative drugs like the one he pioneered. These types of targeted therapies could change childhood cancer from a killer disease into a curable one in our lifetime!
During the five years since Killian lost his battle with leukemia my faith has allowed me to accept that good things can come from bad. We have been through so much together as a family and we have grown with our experiences. Our boys are better people because of their brother. Through the gift of Killian, we were shown what a difference one short life can make, especially when it is lived with joy and hope. The sad lack of funding for pediatric cancer is just plain wrong - I was brought up to believe that when something is wrong and you have the ability to put it right, you have the responsibility to put it right! Margaret Mead may have said it best: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."
An East Cobb resident for 13 years, Grainne Owen lives in the Alpine Forest subdivision with her husband, Clay and children, Pierce 17, Garrett 15 (Killian's twin) and Finn 11. She is currently the Executive Director of Curing Kids Cancer.
How YOU Can Help!
If you would like to help us change the world please go to our website to make a donation or get more information at www.curingkidscancer.org. You can make a donation on behalf of your coaches or teachers, in memory or in honor of someone or just because you would like to help! We can always use volunteers to help us spread the word and get information to sports leagues and schools about our fundraising programs. If you would like to hold a fundraising event for us or have an idea for a fundraising event we would love to hear it. Please contact us at or call us on 1-866-933-CURE (2873). |
SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN!!!
by Obie Evans
Sometime before his death, I had the privilege to talk with arguably the most outstanding coach that has come through Dixie Softball, Inc., Pat Thornton of Huffman, Alabama. Pat took a group of young girls with very little or no softball experience at all and molded them into a championship softball team. Over a period of six years his teams won the inaugural Dixie Softball Ponytails Word Series (1976), 3 straight Belles World Series (1977, ’78, ’79) and the 1981 Debs World Series. He is the only coach who won all the World Series that Dixie Softball was offering at the time a coach was coaching. Dixie Softball now has 5 different World Series. I am sure had he had the opportunity Pat would have been at the forefront of winning the other two World Series.
I believe that I talked with him at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Ponytails World Series, which was hosted by the Trussville, Alabama Dixie Softball league. I could be wrong about the time but I believe I am correct. Pat and I discussed the difference between girls youth softball in general and Dixie Softball specifically. Below are items we touched on:
1. Back in Pat’s and my day fathers worked all day and came home in the evening and practiced their youth team. Some of the parents would work with their child at home but usually the only practice the girls got was what was given to them at the “ball field” by coaches like Pat. We were not paid to train a girl how to pitch, hit, throw, catch and run the bases. We were lucky if another parent or someone interested in helping to coach the team would show up and help. Pat was lamenting how parents were paying someone to teach their child how to play softball instead of the parent taking that golden opportunity of time and participating with their child. We discussed how some coaches who have great teams are not good coaches. These coaches could not take a girl who 1. has never played softball, like Pat did, and make her a champion. Too many of today’s coaches want ready made teams and are not willing to sacrifice the time and effort to teach a girl how to play softball. I agreed with him.
2. We talked about how school ball had flourished in Alabama and how, if it had not been for Dixie Softball, school softball would not have started when it did but would started years later. He wondered aloud how the girls of his coaching days would have been offered scholarships to play softball and continue their education if schools had offered girls softball. On Pat’s teams there would have been a good number of those girls.
3. One of the issues we discussed was how the schools were not governing the innings a pitcher can pitch. He, as I, was fearful than many a good young pitcher may become burned out because of over-pitching. He told me he really was luke warm on Dixie Softball’s limiting of pitchers but stated that it forced a coach to develop more pitchers. I agreed with him on the fact that the rule stopped burn-out and did produce more pitchers. Dixie Softball did and does produce more pitchers today than most other girls softball programs.
4. Softball, as it was played in Huffman, brought together the community. Pat and I agreed that coaches who go out and bring girls in from other communities to take the place on a team from girls within the community would hurt if not destroy community softball. Unfortunately that is happening. Today there are communities that once played Dixie Softball who allowed travel ball and those softball programs disguised as "community ball" but are really travel ball oriented that no longer have a viable softball program or have no program at all.
I enjoyed Pat and had many wonderful experiences with him and his team. He was the first coach to be inducted into the Dixie Softball, Inc. Hall of Fame (1994). I was proud to nominate him. I remember the pride he glowed with when his daughter, Nancy, was inducted in 1997. He had three other players (Lisa Tucker (1995), Michael LeBlanc (1999) and Marla Townsend (2004) inducted as well. To cap off Pat’s honors was having his assistant coach Tom Brown (2001) become the first assistant coach inducted.
I do not pretend to speak for Pat but I believe he would still prefer to come home following a hard day of work and go out and try to teach the game of softball to a group of girls with mixed ability of playing skills and attempt to win the league championship. Being able to take girls from the different season teams within the league and mold them into a championship tournament team. Bringing girls from different teams together after a hard fought season was not an easy task but one that Pat met and conquered. What Dixie Softball and youth softball needs today are more people like Pat. A man interested in all the girls, a man interested in the community and a man who wanted to offer a wholesome game of softball for his girls.
A while back, I read an article about a team from Pat’s area that won an Alabama “state” B-tournament played in the Birmingham area and they went on and participated in a world series that also was played in the Birmingham area. I wonder if all the girls in the community had been given the opportunity to make this tournament team or if the girls were a select group of girls who were catered to and no one else could play on the team. I wonder if this was the original team or if good players were dropped off the team because a better player was found. I wonder if all the players were from the named community or if the players were from all over Jefferson County, the largest county in the state of Alabama. I wonder if coaches made a profit off of the team. I wonder if the teams in the world series were housed and fed by the host and if all the teams got to meet and get to know each other or if they only played softball and went back home.
In the B-tournament one girl pitched every inning of every game and I wondered if there was only one pitcher produced per team for this program instead of at least 3 pitchers that it would take to win a Dixie Softball World Series. It is a proven fact that playing Dixie Softball produces more pitching. The pitcher pitched five games in which 3 were shutouts and with one being a perfect game. I love exciting games and one-pitcher alone shutouts are not exciting to me. A game like the final game in the Debs World Series at Muscle Shoals in 2003 is exciting to me. I believe the game went 4 extra innings with a score of something like 11 to 10 and the two teams were Sand Mountain, Alabama and Madison North, Tennessee. One of the best pitcher/player that Dixie Softball has ever produced played for Sand Mountain but she was limited to only a few innings to pitch in the final game for she was limited to how many innings she could pitch due to the Dixie Softball pitching limit rule. This meant that in order for Sand Mountain to win the World Series it had to be a team and coaching effort and the team came together and won as a team. Now that is exciting to me. It was not a team that relied on one great pitcher who wins the game by herself without much help from the team but a team with everyone involved in the win. Give me teams winning games and not one-pitcher teams winning games.
I long for the days when community ball will once again return to that community who no longer offers real community ball but "community ball" in word only. I long for the day when softball participation will be more desired than softball perfection. I long for the day when communities put all the girls first in their community ball instead of focusing mainly on those girls that make the travel team or the school team. I long for the day when parents once again will play ball with their young daughter in their back yard and teach them how to catch, throw and hit. What I really long for is those days when softball was fun and played in the manner that Pat Thornton coached. To want girls youth softball any other way is selfish.
Leagues should always strive to maintain their softball program as a community based program so that every girl in the community, regardless of playing ability, can enjoy and learn to play competitive softball while having fun. Those who would rather cater only to those players that better abilities and those who play school ball need to look at their priorities of offering youth softball for the community. To want to do the latter is what I mean by selfish. Those girls who leave the community to play travel ball should be welcomed back if they choose to come back home and play. Sometimes one can "go back home again".
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BILLY PACKER COMMENT
Below is a comment told to The Birmingham News by Billy Packer, a renowned basketball commentator. An article was written on February 17, 2009, by Jon Solomon about Mr. Packer but was not able to include the below comment due to space.
"What we've seen in terms of not only AAU, but the NBA and the emergence of stars as opposed to learning how to play, is the lack of a natural maturation process of a player. You learn to be a good player in grade school, then as a junior high player, then as a high school player, and then as a college player, and your goal is to be good at all those levels. What we have now is a kid 11 years of age, he builds his entourage, he's traveling all over to places in the summer, and it's made the players nowhere near what they were and it's taken away the natural maturation process in becoming a player and understanding the game. It's beyond giving them a big head. These kids are telling (college) coaches they'll only be there one year. How good would you have to be where your commitment isn't even 100 percent to the team you're playing on? And we're developing for the higher-class an athlete whose mindset is starting at 14 or 15 years of age."
This is the actual quote that Mr. Packer made to The Birmingham News with only grammatical corrections. Even though it is talking about basketball it covers, in my opinion, all youth sports. The only thing I would add is that he should have said that players learn how to play the game and work as a team in local community programs and for that small percentage who make a school team they carry their game to a higher level. Other than that the comment stands on its own.
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"PROUD TO BE DIXIE"
by Obie Evans
"Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land."
These famous lyrics have been sung for many years since the late 1850s and was written by a Northerner, Daniel Decatur Emmett of Mount Vernon, Ohio, for a "walkaround" song in a minstrel. Dixie has been recorded by many singers but perhaps the most famous rendition was recorded by the greatest entertainer ever, Elvis Presley. The song has been maligned over the years but history tells us that it only depicted that the southern region of the United States was known as "Dixie". It has been written that "Dixie" was Abraham Lincoln's favorite song and while viewing a parade following the Civil War, he asked the band to play "Dixie". President Lincoln understood the true meaning of the word DIXIE.
Over the years, ever since I came up with the idea to offer girls, ages 5 through 18 years of age, a fun but competitive softball program oriented toward participation in 1975, I have had many opportunities to be PROUD of what I, and others who helped me, did. I am a man from a small Alabama community named Minor which is just outside the city limits of Birmingham. The population of Minor is around 500 people. The thing that used to make Minor an important hub was the fact that the high school (Minor High) for the surrounding 15 to 20 mining communities was located in Minor. In fact, it was not till 1922, when the high school was built, that the area was named Minor. The school was named after an important educator in the Birmingham area, John W. Minor. Before 1922 the area had no name. In speeches that I have made over the years I bring up the fact that those in my small community kind of always felt a bit "inferior" for we not only went to a "Minor" school but the rest of the story is that our principal's last name was "Petty". How else could we feel when we went to a "minor" school with a "petty" principal. They tore down the old school a number of years ago. Now Minor High is in Adamsville. But my old Minor still stands. By the way, we never use the word "minor" in a way that means less or smaller. Just makes us feel a bit more inferior when its used that way.
Another thing that brought "inferiority" to our community was the fact that our youth baseball teams played with the Dixie Youth Baseball program. The main age group (12 and under) in Dixie Youth was named the Major League and the younger age group (10 and under) was named the Minor League. So therefore we had a Minor Major League and worse, we had a Minor Minor League. How could anyone suspect that a young boy from the small community of MINOR would grow up and start a MAJOR softball program for girls that has offered a fun but competitive softball program oriented toward participation over the past 34 years. Hundreds of thousands of girls ages 5 to 18 years of age have played Dixie Softball. One thing for sure is that Dixie Softball, even though it was started in Minor, is not inferior to any girls softball program around. In fact, it is the superior girls softball program when it comes to participation, safety and competitive games.
One of the things that I am PROUD of is that Dixie Softball is a girls softball program that is played in multiple states and is the only girls softball program that did not branch out from an adult softball program or a boys baseball program that is played in multiple states. Dixie Softball rules were established strictly for girls and not just taking adult and boys rules and making them fit the girls. In fact, Dixie Softball was way ahead of most other youth programs in establishing a girls softball program. The name Dixie was chosen because Dixie Softball would be offered in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. These states comprise the region of the United States known as "Dixie". Dixie was also the name of the prominent youth baseball program for boys ages 8 to 18 being played in "Dixieland". Those of us from the South call notherners "Yankees" like the name for the New York Major League baseball team, the New York Yankees. So, to us from the South, we feel our section of the United States is the "Dixie" region and the Northern section is the "Yankee" region. Not unlike we have the "Heartland", the "Western" and the "Great Northwest" regions of our great country.
I say all this to say that I had one of those PROUD moments on January 29, 2009. On that day there was a reception held at the Gardendale, Alabama Civic Center honoring the inductees of the Dixie Softball Hall of Fame, Class of 2008.
On January 17, while at the Virginia Dixie Softball/Baseball state meeting, there was a PROUD moment when I watched the parents of Wendy Hunt, a player for the Amherst County Dixie Softball league, accept Wendy's Hall of Fame plaque on her behalf. Wendy was in Florida working on her Master's degree. At the same meeting, Dale Wooding, long time district director, also received his Hall of Fame plaque as did the Dixie Softball leagues of Carroll County, Clarksville and Cumberland.
With the PROUD moments in Virginia still fresh in my mind the aforementioned Hall of Fame reception in Gardendale was held. Recipients of Hall of Fame plaques were: present Alabama Dixie Softball national director Wayne Bishop; umpires Lou Isaacson and Tommy Lacy; Dixie Softball Incorporators Charles McCain and James "Jim" Swift; special contributor Shirley Bishop; 78 West league coach Mary Hill; and the Tarrant Dixie Softball league.
I was PROUD for the above recipients and not to take anything away from them and at the risk of hurting feelings I have to be honest and state that my PROUDEST moment at the reception was when Hall of Fame plaques were presented to the PLAYERS of Dixie Softball. Those players were:
ALANA ELLENBURG - Alana started playing Dixie Softball in its first year of being (1976). She played for the 78 West league which was the first league to franchise in Dixie Softball. Alana led her league's all-star teams to appearances in 4 state tournaments winning the 1979 Dixie Ponytails (12 and under) state championship and a trip to the World Series played in Bartow, Florida. She played for the host team in the 1984 Dixie Belles (15 and under) World Series which was played in Adamsville, Alabama.
Following her softball playing days at Minor High School, Alana played softball for Jacksonville State University in Alabama being named Defensive Player of the Year and making the All-Gulf South Conference team. At Jacksonville she earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and Wellness; Master's in Education; and Educational Specialist in Physical Education.
Alana continued playing softball following her college career for many years. She presently is a teacher at Pepperell High School in Rome, Georgia. She has earned many honors as a teacher including making the National Honor Roll for Outstanding American Teachers in 2006 and being named the Pepperell High Teacher of the Year in 2008. She was the softball coach for a number of years helping to establish a fast pitch program at Pepperell and in a few years she had her team placed as one of the top 10 softball teams in the state of Georgia.
MICHELLE ARMSTRONG BELL - Michelle played her Dixie Softball for the Hueytown, Alabama league. Hueytown won championships in the 2003 Dixie Angels (10 and under) and the 1985, '86, '88 and '95 Dixie Ponytails World Series. Michelle was a great player for the Hueytown Dixie Softball program and was a star player for her Hueytown High School team. While playing for Hueytown Dixie Softball she helped to lead her teams to a number of district championships and trips to the Alabama state tournaments.
Following high school, Michelle was awarded a scholarship to Jefferson State College in Birmingham, Alabama. While at Jefferson State she was named First Team All-American as a center fielder. She attended the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama for a while and earned her Bachelor degree in 2003 and her Master's degree in Education in 2006 from the University of Montevallo in Alabama.
At present, Michelle is a teacher and the varsity softball coach at Thompson High School located in Alabaster, Alabama.
LORRAINE "LES" STUEDEMAN - Les played her Dixie Softball for the Vestavia Hills, Alabama league. She helped to lead her team to the 1987 Dixie Debs (18 and under) World Series championship played in Huntsville, Alabama.
Following her years of softball at Vestavia High School, Les started her college playing career at Samford University located in Birmingham, Alabama. After a year at Samford she transferred to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama where she lettered for three years as a catcher and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science degree.
Following her college career Les was an assistant coach for the University of West Alabama located in Livingston. There she earned her Master's degree in Education.
In 1995, Les became the first and up to now the only head coach of softball at the University of Alabama - Huntsville (UAH). Under Les, UAH has won eight Gulf South Conference titles and has appeared in two NCAA College World Series. She and her staff have been named conference staff of the year four different times. UAH is predicted to win their region conference title in 2009.
Before her UAH career Les first coached for Hewitt-Trussville High School located in Trussville, Alabama where she earned Coach of the Year honors. Trussville is a Dixie Softball league that won two World Series championships (1996, '97) and hosted the 2002 World Series in the Dixie Ponytails (12 and under) age division.
VANN STUEDEMAN - Like her sister Les, Vann also played her Dixie Softball for the Vestavia Hills, Alabama league. She helped to lead her team to the 1987 Dixie Debs World Series campionship played in Huntsville, Alabama.
After playing for Vestavia High School, Vann played her college softball at Huntingdon College located in Montgomery, Alabama. There she was an All-American pitcher. Later she went to the University of West Alabama (UWA) in Livingston to earn her Master's degree in Elementary Education. While at UWA she helped to lead the softball team to the 1995 Gulf South Conference championship. The head coach was away at the time on maternity leave.
Vann came to the University of Alabama in 1990 as the pitching coach for the softball team and has been a big part in Alabama's softball success. In 2008, Alabama made it to the NCAA College World Series and is currently ranked number ONE in the nation.
Anyone interested in attending a Vann's softball camp may contact: www.alabamasoftballcamps.com.
LEE ANNE "BEANIE" KETCHAM - Beanie played her Dixie Softball for the Vestavia Hills, Alabama league. She helped lead her team to the 1987 Dixie Debs World Series played in Huntsville, Alabama.
Beanie's first love was baseball and did not start her softball career until she played in the Dixie Debs age division. Following her Vestavia Hills High School playing days, she played college softball for Oklahoma State University (OSU) where she lettered for four years and helped to lead her team to two appearances in the NCAA College World Series. While at OSU she earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She was named three times to the Big Eight Conference All-Academic team and named the OSU female Christian Fellowship Athletic of the year in 1992.
Beanie played four years with the Colorado Silver Bullets, a professional women's baseball team. A photo of Beanie and the rest of her teammates hangs in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. She played one year of Minor League Baseball (not to be confused with the community of Minor) and was one of only two females to play Hawaiian Winter Ball for the Maui Stingrays in 1994. She pitched in a number of Major League ballparks in her professional career including: Fenway Park in Boston, Candlestick Park in San Franciso, Oakland Coliseum, Coors Field in Denver and the old Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta. In 1995, she was awarded the Fred Sington Award as the Alabama Female Athletic of the Year from the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
Beanie came to Samford University located in Birmingham, Alabama in 1998 as a graduate assistant and was an assistant coach through 2002. She became head coach at Samford in 2003. In 2006, she became the first coach in Samford's history to reach the prestigious 100-wins plateau.
The late NATALIE BUNN - Natalie played her Dixie Softball for the Hueytown, Alabama league. She was a great player and a team leader. She was on her way to becoming one the best softball players Dixie Softball had ever helped to produce. Sadly she died untimely at the age of 16 in an automobile accident. The softball field at Hueytown High School is named for Natalie.
Not only am I PROUD of all those mentioned above at both the Lynchburg and Gardendale Dixie Softball Hall of Fame inductions but I was PROUD to have 2004 inductee, Marla Townsend, attend the induction reception in Gardendale. Marla participated in Dixie Softball back in the early days of Dixie Softball for the Huffman and Pinson Valley, Alabama Dixie Softball leagues. In 1976, she was a member of the Huffman team that won the first ever Dixie Ponytails World Series played in Huntsville, Texas. She finished out her Dixie Softball career with the Pinson Valley league. In 1980, Pinson Valley hosted the Dixie Ponytails World Series.
Marla continued playing softball in an adult womens league until 1983. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama in 1988; her Master's from the University of Alabama - Birmingham (UAB) in 1991; and Educational Specialist degree from the University of Montevallo in Alabama in 1998.
Marla, as a coach, started girls softball at McAdory High School in 1988. McAdory has been a franchised league in Dixie Softball since 1976 and is one of the few leagues that have played Dixie Softball every year that Dixie Softball has been in existence. McAdory is a Dixie Softball Hall of Fame league and has received the national Dixie Softball Spirit Award. Perhaps McAdory's most world renown Dixie player is Bo Jackson. Bo played Dixie Youth and Baseball for McAdory before becoming a great athlete and Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn University at later a professional star in both football and baseball.
A thing of pride for Marla is that she coached in the first ever Alabama high school fast pitch softball game when her team played Berry High School. She coached at McAdory until 1992. She then started a softball program at Rudd Jr. High School in Pinson Valley in 1993. She later coached at Pelham High School in 1997 and 1998. Pelham hosted and won the 1998 Dixie Ponytails World Series.
In 1988, UAB athletic director, Gene Bartow, called Marla and asked her to come to UAB and start a softball program. Marla is still the head coach at UAB for womens softball.
Any one interested in attending Marla's softball camp may contact: www.uabsoftball.com.
I have been told that another Dixie Softball alumni may be the head coach of another major college in Alabama. I know that the former head coach of Huntingdon College coached in Dixie Softball for many years. Another Dixie Softball alumni has started a program helping to fight kids cancer. I will try to find out more information about these people and if I can, I will write about how PROUD I am of them.
What am I PROUD of?
When I look at Alana, Michelle, Les, Vann, Beanie and Marla, I realize that had it not been for Dixie Softball blazing the trail for girls softball in the South these young ladies may not have had the opportunity to have done what they enjoyed and enjoy doing: coaching and teaching young people how to improve their lives using the game of softball as a vehicle to get there.
In a paraphrased statement by Vann Stuedeman that clearly says it all: "Thanks to Dixie Softball and all those associated with Dixie Softball. The officials, coaches and parents and all who made community softball possible for girls to be introduced to a sport that would ultimately lead me to my career vocation, coaching softball." I am PROUD of the time these young ladies played Dixie Softball but I am PROUDER of the fact that they have become outstanding people and have chosen to offer their time to the improvement of young girls and young ladies.
Dixie Softball broke the glass ceiling for girls softball in the South which led other regions of our country to look at the communtiy aspect of girls softball. Dixie Softball broke that glass. It was not ASA, NSA, ISA, USSSA, UFSA (or any of the other "SA's"), AAU, Little League, Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken, Pony League or any other programs offering youth girls softball. In fact, most of these programs have taken the template that Dixie Softball laid down and are using it for their own program but usually without the concerns of participation, good competition and safety that Dixie Softball has.
I cannot say enough of how PROUD I was to once again visit with Natalie's parents, Cindy and Benny Bunn. Natalie died at the too young age of 15 from a terrible car accident. It is good, as Natalie's father stated, "to know that Natalie is remembered." Even though Natalie forever will be 15 she made an impact in the lives of others. I am glad that I played a small part in her short life. God bless her.
I finish this article with the following lyrics: "In Dixie Land I'll take my stand. Away, away, away down South in Dixie." THE SOUTH IS DIXIE AND DIXIE IS THE SOUTH.
Note: This article is in progress and will be finished in time.
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A MESSAGE FROM JENNIFER FINCH
by Obie Evans, President of Dixie Softball, Inc.
While attending the 2009 Virginia Dixie Softball/Baseball state meeting on January 17 in Lynchburg I met a couple of ladies when the meeting was over. They were from the Crewe-Burkeville Dixie Softball program. Their names were Amanda Parkham and Jennifer Finch. No, not THE Jennifer Finch of world renown softball fame but a lady who coached Dixie Softball and had a very heartwarming story to tell about her daughter, Taylor. She was asking me about the "COACHES CURING KIDS CANCER" logo that appears on the 2009 Dixie Softball rule book. She told me her interest was tweaked due to a circumstance involving Taylor. I asked Mrs. Finch, I will take the liberty of calling her Jennifer, to write me an article about Taylor so I could share it with all of Dixie Softball. Below is that article and I have again taken some liberty to edit and make the article fit to this website and hopefully not taken away from the spirit of the article.
I believe Jennifer told me Taylor's age but I forget. From photos I received with the e-mail Jennifer sent to me it appears that Taylor is somewhere between 8 and 10 years of age. Taylor, like a lot of Dixie Softball players started her softball career playing T-Ball. Jennifer began her coaching career the same year Taylor began playing and has continued to coach ever since.
In February 2008, Taylor began experiencing a pain in her right thigh area. On a Sunday afternoon Taylor was taken to the hospital and was told that she only had a sprained leg. By Thursday she was suffering pain in both legs so once again she was taken to the hospital but came back home not knowing what was causing the pain. Taylor was taken to her regular doctor who ordered that blood samples be taken. One test showed that Taylor had a high blood count but that did not concern the doctor that much due to the fact that Taylor had just gotten over the flu earlier in February. The following Saturday the pain was so intense Taylor could hardly walk. Taylor's doctor was called and he told them to take Taylor to another hospital where a pediatiic emergency room was available. So on March 8 the Finches were on their way to Richmond.
An MRI was done on Taylor with unexpected results. Blood was not moving in Taylor's pelvic area which was putting the pressure on her legs that resulted in the intense pain she was suffering. Jennifer was told that she needed to take Taylor to the VCU/MCU Hospital where they had a team of specialists. On March 9 Taylor was admitted to the hospital and had two bone marrow aspirations done. Following procedures on Taylor the heart stopping news came. Taylor had gone from an active healthy child to a child with leukemia.
For 2008, Taylor's softball career was put on hold. A friend of Jennifer's volunteered to step in and coach the team. This helped out very much for Jennifer and Taylor were still concerned about the softball team but knew they would have to step aside for a while.
From March until September, Taylor has gone through two phases of treatment. This was a tough period for Taylor but she responded well. Jennifer stated that "By the grace of God" Taylor is in remission and on September 12 Taylor began the final phase of her treatments. This phase is called "maintenance" and it will last for two years. Taylor continues to take oral chemotherapy daily and has monthly doctor visits.
While Taylor was in the hospital she was visited by many friends and received many cards and letters and of course for young people today, many phone calls. Jennifer's brother, Travis, came to visit Jennifer and requested a special decision from Taylor. Travis, who is also active in Dixie Softball, asked Taylor to choose the team's uniform colors for the 2008 season. Jennifer did not note the colors chosen but from the photos sent it appears that Taylor chose pink and white. Pink jerseys and socks with white shorts. A great chose!
Following Taylor's release from the hospital on March 25th a phone call was received asking if Taylor would be willing to throw out the first pitch at the opening ceremony for the 2008 season. Taylor was excited about this and more than willing to do the honors. Taylor's coach made sure that Taylor was announced with her team and Taylor was invited to be in the team's photograph and to the team's party.
Taylor attended as many games as she could and even during one game she was allowed to "coach" at first base. The Crewe-Burkeville Dixie Softball league made sure that Taylor was made to feel as much a part of the Crewe-Burkeville program as they could. The smiles on Taylor's face while just being at the ballfield warmed many hearts for they knew the love of the game of softball that Taylor has.
Today, Taylor is ready to play softball again. The doctor told Jennifer back in September that Taylor could get back into her regular activities. Taylor will be checked out before and regularly during the season to see if softball was ready for Taylor. Taylor is ready for softball.
While going through her health ordeal Taylor's academics remained good. While homebound she took her first Standards of Learning Test. Out of the four she made a perfect score on two of them. Since returning to school in September Taylor has made the honor roll for each grading period.
On a personal note Jennifer had e-mailed me that Taylor liked the softball I had sent to Taylor. JP Sports, the official Dixie Softball tournament softballs supplier, was a vendor at the Virginia state meeting and gave me a softball. I signed the softball and put a note to Taylor on it: "Thank you for playing Dixie Softball".
There is a website you can go to that see updates about Taylor. The site's address is www.caringbridge.org. Type in taylorfinch in the box. The site for the COACHES CURING KIDS CANCER that invoked this article is a good program that leagues may want to take advantage of. The site's address is www.curingkidscancer.org. Check both of them out.
Sadly, this is the third time in as many years that it has been brought to my attention about one of Dixie Softball's young ladies contracting leukemia. I have met a young lady from Alabama and one from Louisiana whose love for softball was interrupted by luekemia but they have fought back. One day I hope to meet Taylor. Please keep these young ladies in your thoughts and prayers.
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MORE NAILS IN TRAVEL TEAM COFFIN
by Obie Evans
The below letter I received on January 22, 2009 and I have chosen to write an article from it. I have changed the name of the state and communities mentioned in the letter to protect the writer.
NOTE: Any time I write about the harm travel ball is bringing to community programs I write not to denegrate coaches or parents who coach or have children playing both in a community program and a travel ball program. I fully understand that some people can do both and keep what is best for the children in perspective but the odds are against it. Dixie Softball was forced many years ago to allow players to do dual participation. Dixie Softball has complied with the dual participation rule but other programs and especially travel team programs do not honor it. They do not want their players playing anything else. This is where it hurts community ball.
Mr. Evans,
I was on the web today looking for a way to sanction or certify travel ball coaches in the state of Mississippi. The reasoning behind this was due to an unfortunate experience this fall (2008) in our first travel ball experience.
I have been coaching youth for about 22 years, mostly boys. I coached my nieces in girls fast pitch travel ball a few years back when there was only two teams in the area. We live in the Jackson area and my daughter is eleven. She participates in competitive cheerleading and wanted to try softball. She had not played softball since coach-pitch four years ago. So my coaching credentials would be put to the test. We worked three months before the local rec league started.
The local league here is *Little League sponsorship, and since I was already a Little League umpire I was easily certified to coach. I worked the team with two other coaches and I instructed them nothing but fundamentals and fun drills for the game would be presented to the players. Long story short, we won the league. All-stars were chosen and my coaches and I were asked to coach the all-star team by the parents. We accepted this honor and prepared to play a team from Oxford, MS.
Well, Oxford came to our field and just destroyed us. You could not tell by the reaction of my girls. They were great sports and never lost the smiles on their faces. I was so proud. I, on the other hand could not understand the huge ability difference so I asked the other team's coach. His response was simple, "we are a travel ball team on the weekends". His girls had played the regulation games in league play and about 60 more in travel ball. When my daughter heard this and being competitive from cheerleading she said, "I want to play travel ball".
At the end of the summer an opportunity came along to play with one of the teams in the Forest Hills area in the 10 & under division. Three tournaments were scheduled. This would give the girls a good taste of travel ball. I knew the head coach from prior games in the area and our daughters went to daycare together. I was asked to help coach. The first tournament was a total shock for the girls as the speed of the game was different. But the shock for me was when the head coach verbally berated and used profanity toward the 10 & under girls on the team. I approached him about this and he just ignored me. I went to the league board and they did the same. The same thing happened at the 2nd tournament and the 3rd one. My other coach also expressed his displeasure and was ignored too.
At the 3rd tournament I confronted the offending coach and he stated, "I had been a **Dixie Youth coach for nine years and I know what I am doing". He had been coaching in a Dixie league and I tried to contact Dixie officials. Meanwhile the team advised me I couldn't coach next year for their 12 & under travel team because the parents of the 10 & under team complained because I spoke out about the profanity and belittling of the players.
My daughter meanwhile has refused all offers to play travel ball due to the way she was treated by the offending coach of the 10 & under travel team coach. Her stats for the three tournaments were in the top three on our team so she has the ability. This coach has just destroyed her will to play. She says she will play rec ball if I coach.
Sadly the story that the above letter so ably wrote is not uncommon in travel ball. Years ago the wife of a Dixie Softball official conveyed to me a story about her daughter's travel ball experience. Following a game the daughter's coach called a team meeting and lit right in on the girls belittling and berating them for thier play with profanity interlaced in his comments. Not only did the coach do this but parents were given the opportunity to do the same. When this started the Dixie official's wife got her daughter and quickly left before the meeting was over. Good for her. Later on the coach called and wanted her daughter to play for his team again. The mother told the coach that never would her daughter play for him and would not again be placed in a position to be treated as she was. She stated that her daughter had never witnessed such behavior in all of her Dixie Softball experience.
Dixie Softball promotes sportsmanship and proudly considers the sportsmanship award the highest honor a team can receive in Dixie Softball play. During the 2008 Debs World Series a coach was removed from not only a game but rightfully so, from further participation in the Series. What made the situation worse was the local newspaper exasperated the problem with their making the coach a hero regardless of the reason he was removed from the Series. They never tried to really get to the whole story. I am sure had they investigated the removal, as they should have, their story would have taken a different slant. In fact, the newspaper wrote several negative articles concerning the Series and would not meet with Dixie Softball officials to clarify the articles. The reporter writing the articles refused to meet with me personally.
I have been asked to not go so heavy against travel ball. I only reply that if people could see what I have seen over the years they would understand my passion against travel ball. I cannot count the number of Dixie Softball programs that allowed travel ball to creep into their program and destroyed the community aspect of their program. In fact, many of these programs no longer exist because of what travel ball brought to their program. I implore any program that has coaches, board member, etc., infiltrating their program to remove those people at once. The motive is to make the local program a travel ball program and thus ruining a good thing for ALL the girls in the program because travel ball only wants the best players and NOT those of less ability. I have stated and still do that travel ball coaches are not good coaches for they cannot coach those players who have no ability or have poor ability. Coaching those type of players is what coaching youth ball is really all about. I say to those who are being confronted by people wanting to promote travel ball: FOLLOW THE MONEY!
Travel ball is even hurting school ball. Some travel ball players are skipping school play in order to play travel ball. Travel ball is only interested in their own venue and devil may care about what is best for the players and the community. Never should a community present their program as a feeder system for local schools or as a feeder system for the "better" teams. A community softball program should always be for the all the girls and what is best for the community. This is what Dixie Softball promotes and what should be done. Whether a program chooses Dixie Softball or one of the other organizations that promotes community style softball it should always choose what is best for the girls. If they don't they risk losing the true reason for having a program: for the girls. Dixie Softball's motto is: PARTICIPATION. NOT PERFECTION. In other words, we care more about a player getting to play than whether she makes the "all-stars". If a program is ran right not only will the players get to play but they may become good enough to be an "all-star".
Please, please think before you consider travel ball for your child. Never destroy your community's softball program just so your child can stand in a spotlight. The spotlight will dim as soon as the travel ball team coach finds a player who may be a bit better than your child or a parent who may be able to financially put more in the coffer than you are offering. The coffer is truly the coffin that is being nailed. If there was not a financial benefit or tainted promises in travel ball, travel ball would not exist. All Dixie Softball officials serve as volunteers. None of us are paid for our work in Dixie Softball. Dixie Softball does not promise players a scholarship at the end of their Dixie playing career but do promise them that they will have the opportunity to participate in all games they are eligilble to play in and have fun playing them. Dixie Softball gives a player the opportunity to improve and perhaps get that athletic scholarship in softball. But more than that Dixie Softball gives a player the opportunity to learn sportsmanship, how to work as a team and a respect for God, country and others. Softball is fun but so are other sports. When Dixie Softball is not in season go out play other sports and not play softball all year. Diversity is best and who knows, the other sport may be the one that gets you that scholarship.
*Since Little League was capitalized it is assumed that the program mentioned is Little League, Inc.
**Whether the term Dixie Youth should have been Dixie Softball or not is not clear.
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2008 DIXIE SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
PLAYERS:
MICHELLE ARMSTRONG (Bell) (Hueytown, AL); the late NATALIE BUNN (Hueytown, AL); DARLENE CAMEAUX (Jefferson Parish, LA); ALANA ELLENBURG (78 West, AL); WENDY HUNT (Amherst, VA); LANA IBIETA (St. Bernard, LA); CHERYL JORDAN (Zephyrhills, FL); LEE ANNE "BEANIE" KETCHAM (Vestavia Hills, AL); MICHELE MARTIN (West Pasco, FL); LORRAINE "LES" STUEDEMAN (Vestavia Hills, AL); VANN STUEDEMAN (Vestavia Hills, AL)
LEAGUES:
BOAZ, AL; BROOKS, AL; MONTGOMERY A.U.M. GREEN, AL; MUSCLE SHOALS, AL; VALLEY, AL; MULBERRY, FL; GREENE COUNTY, GA; GRANT PARISH, LA; OAKDALE, LA; PINEVILLE, AL; PLAQUEMINES PARISH NORTH & SOUTH, LA; WEST CARROLL, LA; WINN PARISH, LA; WINNSBORO, LA; CARTHAGE, MS; WAYNE COUNTY, MS; PLEASANT HILL, SC; HOUSTON COUNTY, TN; WHITE HOUSE, TN; HOPKINS COUNTY, TX; HUNTSVILLE, TX; CARROLL COUNTY, VA; CLARKSVILLE, VA; CUMBERLAND, VA
COACHES:
LARRY GILLIAM (Chester County, TN), MARY HILL (78 West, AL); DONALD LEGG (Hartselle, AL); TED BELASIC (Zephyrhills, FL); KELLI BARNETT (TX); KIM RICHARDS (TX); D. D. EDWARDS (Alexandria, LA)
ADMINISTRATORS:
PAT BELINOWSKI (Ladonia, TX); WAYNE BISHOP (Pleasant Grove, AL); EUGENE GRINDER (Lewis County, TN); SYLVESTER GUERRA (Lufkin, TX); DALE WOODING (Crewe-Burkeville, VA); GEORGE DESMOND (River Bend, AL); the late LEO HAMRICK (Centreville, AL); CHARLES McCAIN (Gardendale, AL); JAMES "JIM" SWIFT (Hoover, AL); GREG PEPPERS (Liberty, SC)
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS
PHIL BOLLINGER (West Pasco, FL/Waynesville, NC); JODY WHITE (Alexandria, LA); SHIRLEY BISHOP (Pleasant Grove, AL)
UMPIRES:
TOMMY LACY (Pleasant Grove, AL); DAVID HATLEY (West Stanly, NC); MARTY PHILPOT, (Mena, AR); LOU ISAACSON, (Birmingham, AL)
APPROVED SUPPLIERS:
LARRY'S PHOTOGRAPHY out of North Carolina
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KIDS’ TRAVEL BASEBALL TEAMS GOING FARTHER, GET YOUNGER
Note: The below article was written by Jay Reeves of The Associated Press and appeared in The Birmingham News on Wednesday, August 13, 2008. The bold italicized comments are mine. I am Obie Evans.
For more than 15 years I have been writing about the dangers of travel ball to community-based youth recreational programs and to the health and welfare of the young players. I wrote some of the articles while others were written by different writers and, as in this case, I sometimes add my comments. While reading this article and my comments please keep in mind that my main concern is that the child will continue playing baseball or softball and have fun doing it and do not injure themselves while playing the game. Too many children burn out on the game of ball or they are injured to the point they cannot compete in the game in which they once had a great future. I welcome stories of the children, negative and positive, which participated in travel ball and either dropped out of ball altogether or went on to become players in colleges at the top level. I am talking the level of Auburn University, U. C. L. A., Texas A & M, Penn State and the like. Travel team coaches/organizations often make college scholarships a faux promise to travel ball parents and players. Let me hear from those with a story. Send your story to: DSI, 1101 Skelton Drive, Birmingham, AL 35224.
One inning at a time, Brady Kemp is getting closer to his dream of playing for the Atlanta Braves. He has endured numbing road trips to no-name ballparks and crashed in small-town motels after late games.
A seasoned veteran, Brady is 8. He’s been playing ball since he was 3.
Once, mainly for middle and high school players, traveling baseball teams are luring younger and younger players. Teams rove the nation like big leaguers so kids still learning to read can play the best competition in the nicest parks for the biggest trophies.
It’s August: Is the tournament this weekend in Cooperstown, N. Y., or Orlando, FL?
Sadly, parents are forcing youth baseball and softball organizations to create organized tournament play for younger and younger children. It took Dixie Softball 21 years before it offered 10 and under teams a state tournament and a World Series. However, it was only 5 years later that Dixie Softball offered 8 and under teams a state tournament and a World Series. I question the best competition remark because travel teams have become so diluted that the teams, in a lot of cases, are no better than the community-based teams. As Jimmy Durante used to say, “Everyone is trying to get in on the act”, and this lessens the quality of travel ball teams.
The trend troubles some parents and coaches. They worry about spending thousands annually so youngsters can play in baseball tournaments run by national organizations pulling in millions of dollars. One nonprofit’s CEO took in $400,000 in a year.
They also fear elementary-age kids getting burned out o