There’s no place like home

BOB ETTINGER
Star Beacon

July 17, 2008 01:28 am

— There’s no place like home. At least that’s the thought for the seven local teams participating in the Ohio Jaguars ASA Summer Showcase in Jefferson this weekend.
“With the (Ohio Jaguars 18-and-under team), we have traveled a lot,” tournament director Scott Francis said. “It’s nice to stay close to home. The girls’ families and friends will be able to see them play, and it’s nice for the girls to have them there to cheer them on.
“A lot of people from the county come out to watch and that’s nice to see. Softball has gained a lot of interest in recent years with the College World Series and the Olympics.”
The tournament will feature 49 teams in five age groups from all over Ohio and Pennsylvania and some from as far away as Canada.
“That’s a pretty good number of teams,” Francis said. “We had something like 60 teams two years ago and last year, we had around 30. Next year, we hope to have more. It’s a matter of building up from here.
“(The building numbers) has a lot to do with us going back to ASA and then last year we got good. That got our name out there. When other teams see you’re a decent team, you start to get more teams because they know you want to play better teams.”
The event will be held at the JAGS Complex, Havens Complex and Memorial Field starting Friday and continuing on through the championship games Sunday afternoon.
“The people at JAGS and Havens have been great as far as accommodating us,” Francis said. “They like having us there. They don’t like those fields to just sit idle. They put a lot of work into those fields and they like people to get out and use them. They have a lot of pride in those complexes. They do a nice job keeping them up and they like that they get to show them off.
“And, of course, we’re happy to come and use them, too.”
The 10-, 12- and 14-and-unders will mainly play at the Havens Complex and the 16- and 18-and-unders will play at the JAGS Complex. Memorial Field will play to host to a mixture of all of the age groups.
Each of the 49 teams will play three games in pool play on Friday and Saturday. They will also play at least one game on Sunday in the single-elimination championship tournament.
The winner of each age group will receive a berth in the ASA Eastern Nationals in York, Pa.
Area softball fans have more than just the local teams as a reason to make the trek to Jefferson this weekend. The quality of competition all the way up from the 10-and-under teams through the 18-and-unders is spectacular and provides for plenty of good softball.
“(The fans) will able to watch some very good softball teams from all over Ohio,” Francis said. “There will be teams from the west side of Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Erie and even some teams from Canada. They’re going to see some very good softball teams. There are a lot of similarities between fastpitch and baseball. The advantage it has over baseball is it’s a faster-paced game.”
Fans will be treated to seeing the best softball players from each area represented by the teams competing.
“Basically, any team is made up from the best players in an area,” Francis said. “My team (the Ohio Jaguars 18-and-under) has girls from Hubbard, Jefferson, Ashtabula and Kirtland. That’s a large area. The best girls from each area will be playing. The girls are all dedicated to softball and love the game. They are all trying to get better and they like working at it.”
Those looking to attend will be charged a $5 parking fee per car that’s good for the entire weekend.
“It’s like going to the drive-in,” Francis said. “Fill the car up and get as many people in as you can for $5.”
The tournament also serves as a college showcase for the older kids. Jefferson graduate Courtney Francis even got a Division I college scholarship to St. Francis (Pa.) University to play from Conneaut product Sabrina Lane through the tournament.
“(Lane) heard of her during high school last year, but she came to the tournament just to watch Courtney and a few others,” Francis said. “This year we’ll have a few colleges in to look at the girls.
“We’re getting more successful (in that area). We have a goal set and we’re not quite there yet, but we’ve got some time.”
But it all comes back to being at home for the locals.
“(The best part of being home) is the kids are able to play in front of people from the county,” Francis said. “There’s a big crowd. When we travel the kids make a good play, it’s just their parents cheering for them. They cheer for them all summer, so it just becomes normal for them. When we’re at home, the crowd is behind them and that’s exciting. As in any sport, when the crowd is behind you, you pick up your game.
“All of the (Jaguars) teams practice at JAGS. The kids are going to appreciate the fact they can play in front of home crowds. And their friends and the family members that don’t get to travel with them will get to see them play for a change. When we’re in Toledo or Youngstown, those people don’t get a chance to see them play. It’s nice for them to see familiar faces in the crowd.”

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.