By Eric Stock
NORMAL – It’s become an every-other-year tradition in Normal.
Communities aren’t allowed to host the Amateur Softball Association national fast pitch championship two years in row. As a result, Normal has applied every-other-year to host and has landed the event nine times since 1994. This year, the top 10-and-under girls’ teams in the country are coming to town.
Tournament director Cary Frey said there are fewer teams from that age bracket that are willing to travel, so there will be about one-third the number of teams this year.
“(With) this size tournament, we’ll be able to do everything at the eight fields at Champion Fields,” Frey said. “That’s probably logistically the biggest change, not having to go out to six different fields to get these games in.”
Frey is hoping to get close to 40 teams signed up to play. They come from as far away as California, Texas and Georgia, but there’s also the host team, the Bloomington-Normal Girls Softball Association Angels.
There were 128 teams who came to Normal in 2013 when it hosted the 14-and-under squads.
The tournament is expected to bring an estimated $1 million in economic impact to Bloomington-Normal. While there are fewer teams this year, Frey expects they will travel better because for many of their girls this will be their first national competition.
“The parents of every player and grandparents and extended family are going to come and watch these young girls play because this is something new,” Frey said. ”
The tournament is also looking for volunteers to help announce and operate scoreboards on July 29 through the championship game on Aug. 1.
Opening ceremonies are scheduled for July 26 at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium. Games will begin on July 27. Frey said each team will be providing someone who can provide volunteer help in exchange for free tickets.
More information is available at www.softball.normal.org.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
