The Madison Minors Softball Team is heading to Tennessee.
The Little League All-Star Softball Team of 8-10 year-olds has secured a spot in the Tournament of Champions for the Southeast Region. The tournament is the highest level of play for the age group and includes teams from Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida.
The 12-member team was named the District 14 Champions last month in Culpeper, advancing to the state tournament in Bedford earlier this month. The girls played six games at the tournament, outsourcing opponents 51-30 and finishing in the top two. The first place team from McLean has opted to not attend the Tournament of Champions, allowing Madison to be invited.
“We feel as a league that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these children and are so excited for them,” league president Lauren Eanes said. “We were not able to play to our full potential in the championship game due to the heat and already having played five games and were heartbroken when we fell short after all of our girls’ hard work.”
Eanes said Madison is much smaller than other leagues, with only 24 girls to choose from to form the Minors All-Star team, far less than counties like McLean who had more than a hundred.
“To be able to put Madison County on the map like this in softball has been amazing for the fans, players, coaches and families,” Eanes said.
The girls and their families have put in time and dedication this season, which Eanes said truly shows. When asked if the team wanted to accept the Southeast Region invitation, all parents responded yes within 15 minutes to the 9.5 hour trip to Clarksville, TN. This was after having just returned from spending five days in Bedford at the state tournament.
“We have such a supportive group of families and it is so great to see,” Eanes said.
Now, the team is hoping to fundraise for its upcoming trip. Eanes said the goal is to raise $12,000–$1,000 per family. The hotel stay is approximately $500 per family which would leave $500 for gas, food, travel expenses and more. Donations are being accepted online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/madison-countys-little-league-dream or by check payable to Madison County Parks and Recreation-Softball and mailed to 186 Blakenbaker Road, Madison, VA 22727. The team will also be at the Madison County Fair selling 50/50 raffle tickets for $5 each or five tickets for $20. A winner will be pulled nightly at 10 p.m. Fundraising will continue through Thursday when the team will leave for the tournament.
The Tournament of Champions will take place July 26-27. Follow the league’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/madisonvayouthsoftball for updates during the tournament.
