Demopolis praised for Dixie Youth tourney

By Jeremy D. Smith (Contact) | Demopolis Times

Published Thursday, July 2, 2009

The Demopolis Dixie Youth Softball League put the finishing touches on the 2009 District 8 Tournament Wednesday night as play concluded in the 9-10 age division.

While none of the four Demopolis all-star squads advanced beyond district play, league president Randall Smith was enthused over the success the league and the city experienced in the event.

“I have had nothing but compliments,” Smith said. “Every coach that I talked to gave us the biggest props on field conditions, accommodations, everything.”

The annual tournament, which rotates through the towns that make up District 8, took place in Livingston in 2008 and began its latest Demopolis-hosted installment at the Sports-Plex Friday, June 26.

Over the course of the past six days, 28 teams from all over west Alabama descended upon the Sports-Plex, bringing with them a host a parents and fans.

“We had probably between 1,500 and 2,000 people on Saturday,” Smith said of the event’s biggest day.

In order to accommodate the volume of games, Smith said tournament organizers made the most of the Sports-Plex facilities, using five softball fields to keep play moving at a brisk pace.

“The board, the coaches, parents of our all-star kids, everyone stepped up big time,” Smith said.

According to Smith, successfully pulling off the tournament with minimal disruption was entirely a community-wide effort.

“Everything went really, really well,” Smith said. “A couple of college students did books for us on the lower fields. Our umpires did a great job. Our umpire chief organized the games very well.”

Smith said the herculean effort on the part of a cast of dependable people made the execution of the tournament the simplest of all tasks involved.

“After all the actual work that was put into it ahead of time, the tournament practically ran itself,” Smith said. “I’m very proud of everybody.”

While he was pleased with the behind-the-scenes work and actual conducting of the tournament, Smith also said that the four Demopolis all-star teams provided a source of pride for the city.

“In the 13-15 division, our team was runner-up to the champion. In the 11-12 division, we did receive the sportsmanship award. In the 9-10 division, we were runner-up,” Smith said. “All our teams did a great job.”

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---