JEFFERSON -- The life of a travel softball player is filled with motel rooms, early mornings and long drives. A true home date is as rare as the buffalo nickel.

The comforts of home are just wistful memories each weekend.

For the five teams in the Ohio Jaguars organization, the two Top Guns’ teams and the Pymatuning Area Youth Organization Panthers, the 2008 Ohio Jaguars Summer Showcase is an opportunity to not only play on a home field, but to compete in front of those friends and family members that don’t get to watch them on a weekly basis.

“It’s great,” Ohio Jaguars 14-and-under manager Steve Urchek said. “They get to play in front of their own fans. A lot of people come to this tournament that can’t come when we play somewhere else. There were a lot of people watching. It was a big crowd.”

“I like it because our families and friends can come and watch because it’s close to home,” Kate Thompson of the 16-and-under Jaguars said. “It’s a plus to have my friends and family here to support me. There’s nothing bad about being at home. I like to play close to home.”

The kids even took it upon themselves to call their families and friends and tell them to make their way to the JAGS, Havens and Memorial Field complexes to take in the action.

“I know a lot of the kids, including my daughter (Sarah), were calling people to tell them to come out,” Urchek said. “They were excited. Before the game, when it was time to warm up, we didn’t have to poke and prod them. They were ready to play. This is special for them. They want to win their own tournament.”

Being at home does mean there are no motels involved and no having to be up by five in the morning to drive a couple of hours. And that means a lot to the players and their families.

“It’s good for us,” Kayla King of the 16-and-under Jaguars said. “We don’t have to drive so far. That bugs me. It takes a lot out of you when you have to drive so far. Gas prices are higher and we travel. I don’t know what’s going to happen to travel softball when the gas prices get too high.”

“We have to get up early to travel and it makes me feel lethargic,” Amber Hurst of the 16-and-under Jaguars said.

“We get tired from the long drives and getting up early,” Thompson said.

That extra sleep seems to mean a lot to the players.

“We get to sleep in,” Lauren Childs of the 18-and-under Jaguars said.

“We’re able to wake up later,” Liz Wilson of the 18-and-under Jaguars said. “We get to sleep in a familiar place. We’re more comfortable. There are no hotels and we get to sleep in our own beds.”

Having local fans there to support them means an awful lot to the players.