SUNBURY —
A record 63 girls softball teams will converge on the Central Susquehanna Valley this weekend for the Amateur Softball Association of Pennsylvania Junior Olympic Girls Fastpitch Hall of Fame Tournament.
There will be 14 tournaments, with age brackets ranging from U10 to U18. There are four U16 and four U14 tournaments; U12 will feature three tournaments, with U18 offering two and U10 one.
In all, more than 960 girls will take part in the tournament.
"It's a way to promote the community and show people what kind of a community we have," says Dave Persing, the mayor of Sunbury and the ASA of Pa. District 4 commissioner. "And we get people to spend money in our community."
The amount the tournament brings in could be in the thousands of dollars.
"(The players) all have their grandparents, parents, brothers and sisters," Persing says. "We're bringing in 2,000 or 3,000 people to the area this weekend."
"Tens of thousands of dollars are being dropped right here," adds Charlie Ross, the president and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. "Every family will probably spend about $200 a family; that kind of impact is just tremendous."
Pool play began Thursday evening and will continue through Sunday. The teams that survive will take part in single-elimination play beginning Sunday.
Most games will be played at fields throughout Sunbury, with Point Township, Lewisburg and Danville also hosting some games. The David L. Persing Recreation Complex in Sunbury will host all the championship games.
"We've been sold out this weekend for months, both at the Econo Lodge (of Shamokin Dam) and Comfort Inn Selinsgrove," says Connie Buck, the General manager for the Econo Lodge and Area Operations Manger for the Comfort Inn. "The ASA always brings in a lot of business with the teams."
According to Ross, sports is one of the leading attractions for tourism around the country.
"It's because of the interest," he says. "Look at the multiplicity of sports channels. ... (Sports) preoccupies our psyche. Even a casual sports fan is drawn in."
There will be teams from New Jersey and Maryland, and many from right here in the Central Susquehanna Valley. The Danville Rebels, Milton SWAT, SV Rebels of Elysburg, Amy's Angels of Beavertown and Port Trevorton, Sunbury SV Rebels, Zarick's Construction of Shamokin, Sunbury Phoenix, and S.C.L. Starz of Mifflinburg are some of the local teams.
The W.C. Warriors from Port Murray, N.J., and Forest Hill Black Heat of Forest Hill, Md., are coming from out of state for the tournament.
"It's a tremendous spotlight for the community," Ross says. "This is the way a region makes its image. ... Hopefully people will want to come back after they visit this time."
The ASA of Pa. Hall of Fame is located in Sunbury, at 311 Race Street; it opened in 2006. The organization's headquarters are also at the hall of fame.
n Todd Stanford covers softball for The Daily Item. E-mail comments to tstanford@dailyitem.com
Sports
Related Photos
-
Fans take in a ASA Hall of Fame tournament softball game Thursday afternoon in Sunbury.
Discussion
Softball teams descend on Valley
- Sports
-
-
H.S. softball: A great team by any other name
For the longest time, Warrior Run softball history could be summed up with one name: Laura Harris.
-
H.S. Track & Field notebook: Better late than never
As soon as the Class AA boys javelin throwers were finished Friday morning, Lewisburg’s Brandon Smith left his fellow competitors at the throwing area and took off for Seth Grove Stadium track, trying to hurry while negotiating the heavy foot traffic of fans, coaches and athletes.
-
Keller runs to his first victory
Amazing. That was the simple reply from Cody Keller after capping the long comeback from injury win his first sprint car race Saturday night at Selinsgrove Speedway.
-
Zaktansky: Life lessons learned from an earthworm
On my hands and knees, I slogged forward.
The steady rain had long before soaked through my clothes and turned the ground underneath me into a slick film of runny mud. My back hurt, my fingers were caked with brown goop and my mouth was aching from holding a small flashlight as I slowly scanned the backyard. -
Indigo buntings grace the Valley
Summer is the best time for viewing a spectrum of colorful birds.
Like most bird species, it is the male who exhibits bright coloration. From the orange and black patterns of the northern oriole to the scarlet tanager and yellow warbler and the rose-breasted grosbeak — all make a spectacle of themselves. -
Don Steese column: Counting the days
Memorial Day weekend is traditionally the start of the summer vacation season. Kids are out school, the weather is beautiful and all is well with the world ... except for folks like myself, who find themselves counting the days until fall.
-
Hartley, Billas fight off heat
Melanie Hartley was drained, a puddle of nerves and perspiration after a brutal 400-meter dash. While the official thermometer at Shippensburg University flirted with 90 degrees on Saturday, the heavy dose of humidity had the packed house at Seth Grove Stadium sweltering.
-
Moore bags two medals
Matt Moore is a hard guy to please. Or at least, he finds it hard to take pleasure in his own track and field performances.
-
Ken Maurer column: More talk about bass
This past week I attended 2 meetings involving the PFBC.
The first was in Harrisburg where fish commission officials explained to the state senators why they want the DEP to place the Susquehanna River on the “impaired” list. DEP has refused once, and the PFBC has reapplied. -
Scott Dudinskie's high school baseball column: Reich still going strong
Bryan Reich feels it with every pitch he throws. Some would call it pain, maybe discomfort. The Milton right-hander chooses "annoyance."
- More Sports Headlines
-
H.S. softball: A great team by any other name
