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We live in Florence. I have 2 daughters that play softball (not in Florence due to no teams) I can't understand how the city keeps fields up (with MY tax money) for baseball from ages 5 to 50 when a girls team can't find a place to practice in the city (unless you won't to pay $20 per hr for a field IF they will let you reserve one). With the NEW sports plex I thought Florence would start cashing in on Travel Ball but I don't think Florence has heard of Title IX yet.
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I totally agree. By the way, there is no way the sportsplex will be ready to play on this spring--boys or girls. In the meanwhile the city and the tourism board are trying to draw in tourist by hosting fishing tourn. and putting in new golf courses. THere is money to be made in hosting these travel softball and baseball tourneys. Who comes to golf or fish? Older men and their buddies. In these ball tournaments, whole families come. They need food, lodging, and entertainment. Until Florence figures it out, Cullman, Decatur, Athens, and Hville continue to host these tourneys just about weekly from Feb--Nov. My child will continue to attend these tournaments and I guess we will continue to feed the economies of our neighboring towns. I guess I'm just dreaming because Florence can't even put together decent youth leagues.
The North Alabama Kraze is fielding teams in 8U through 18U in the Shoals area. Several of the Kraze teams are still looking for players. There are also other teams in different age groups in the area. The Kraze organization hopes to host at least one tournament in the area this spring/summer, hopefully at the new sports complex if it's ready. Check out the 14U teams web page at: Link

Just to give you some idea of what a major tournament can do for the area, Montgomery, Alabama hosted the ASA 12U nationals this past July. They had over 70 teams from all across the United States attend Sunday through Sunday. Most teams average 12 players who's families also attend. For each team they require 12 - 14 hotel rooms for players and other family members, they eat out two or three meals each day and sightsee while not playing. For many this year end tournament is their family's vacation. Even the regular season tournaments are usually Friday through Sunday and can have 50 or more teams of which as many as half will stay in town at a local hotel for the weekend. They eat out, shop and sightsee some while here. The teams pay entry fees which pay the city parks for use of the fields, ground crews to get the fields ready between games and umpires not to mention concession stand workers and other support staff. It's big money for a city to host these tournaments. But don't worry, if the Shoals area isn't interested in hosting these I'm sure Athens, Madison, Decatur, Cullman and Huntsville will be glad to.
Last edited by kraze14u
It's updated Sleepyshoals, thanks for pointing that out. And in the last sentence of my previous post I was only stating that I'm sure the Shoals area will be more than supportive of any team or organization that can host tournaments in this area. And while the new sportsplex may not be ready there are other complexes that can host a spring/summer tournament and when the sportsplex is ready it will be one of the top notch places to play compairable with Liberty Park in Birmingham and the Huntsville Sportsplex.
I support fastpitch, live in Florence, coach at Underwood. My daughter played at veterans park for 4 years before we started playing at Underwood. The reason we left Florence is there were not enough players to field a team. I am very disappointed (mad) that the new sportsplex will not be ready to host high school tourneys this spring. If the fields are not maintained better than veterans park fields than don't look for many teams much less tourneys to return. Does anyone know if there is anything scheduled for the sportsplex currently? Yes the location is not ideal but its there now so I will give it a chance. Not to beat a dead horse but if the city leaders don't do things better all around than the sportsplex has been done and continues to be done, then I will continue to be very disappointed (mad).
I personally hope to see the Kraze organization host an ASA fastpitch "A" qualifier at the Florence Sportsplex either this summer if it's ready or next summer. An ASA "A" qualifier would run Thursday through Sunday and attract teams from all over Alabama also Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and maybe other states looking to qualify for the ASA Nationals. Unlike other fastpitch World Series a team has to win or place second in an ASA qualifier to play in the Nationals. The two held in Birmingham this past summer had to be split between two parks because of the number of teams that attended.

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