Broken Bow will be host this weekend to the “Spirit of the Sandhills Summer Shootout” softball tournament. The tournament has continued to grow each year. Thirty seven teams are scheduled to compete in this year’s event across four divisions (10U, 12U, 14U, 16/18U). DYO and Spirit softball representative Sarah Russell visited with KCNI/KBBN sports about the upcoming tournament.
“I think the tournament has grown to be super popular. We have teams that come from all over the state. This year we’re going to host 37 teams. We counted up and that is almost 500 girls so that’s going to bring a lot of people into our community like families and coaches and all the things that go along with that so it’s really an awesome thing for our community every year to host that. The energy is fantastic.”
Games will be played at the Melham Park ball field complex and at Tyke Arnold Field at Tomahawk Park. Russell praised the facilities that are available in Broken Bow that allow the tournament to grow and succeed.
“We have people coming for even “pick up” games that will say ‘Oh we love playing at Melham Park. I wish our community had something like that’. And down at Tyke (Arnold Field) they put up the new net for us and made the improvements there and it is just a fantastic field. It’s amazing how much rain we can get. Those fields absorb it so quickly and we are still able to play. Last year we had like three or four inches the night before our tournament and we were able to play Saturday morning. Those things alone, just keeping the maintenance up on those, I have to give the City Parks Department a big shout out because they do a phenomenal job maintaining our facilities and helping make sure we have what we need.”
It takes several volunteers to put on an event of this magnitude. Russell said that they are still seeking assistance for field crews, scoreboard operators, concessions, and cleanup crews. If interested in volunteering, click here to sign up.
