East Coast Mini-Tournament attracts senior softballers
Senior softball players from throughout South Florida met up at Pompano Community Park to participate in the East Coast MiniTournament on the Four Fields Complex diamonds.
Tournament Director Ed Vecchio welcomed 115 players on nine teams to the competition.
Teams were placed in three different divisions based on a competitive skill level. Each squad was guaranteed two games.
Vecchio, a resident of Pompano Beach, was glad to see the players enjoying themselves.
“We are trying to do one mini-tournament a month and this is our third one with the last one being rained out,” Vecchio said. “Most of the games have been pretty close with only a few blowouts.”
Since most of the players are known from around the area, Vecchio said it was easier to set up balanced play.
“We know most of the players and try to categorize each player at his own skill level. This gives people a chance to play once a month in their own backyard,” Vecchio said. “(The mini-tournament is) ideal for the player who doesn’t want to play in national tournaments or can’t commit to playing an entire season. It’s one day to come out and have fun.”
The divisions are laddered to include higher tournament-caliber teams down to non-tournament squads that are more conducive to casual recreational play.
“This is an opportunity for everybody,” Vecchio said. “The division skill level each month can change depending on who is signing up. We will do this until the end of January, right before the big East Coast Tournament in March. We want to get more local teams involved with our out of town clubs coming down. Every month we get different teams and different players signing up.”
Bobby Harris is admittedly a softball junkie who plays four times a week. The 80-year-old has been playing in the Pompano Senior Softball League for eight years. He was pleased with the tournament set up.
“I think this tournament is terrific because we get to see other teams and new faces,” said Harris, who lives in Pompano Beach. “Fortunately, they put guys on teams with similar abilities. I don’t mind going against these high-caliber tournament gorillas, but at my age my reaction time is a little slower than it used to be. I love the game and have been playing either baseball or softball for 73 years. I always find time to play the game.”
In the last softball game of the tournament, 85-year-old pitcher Wally Roadarmel led his South Florida team to a 15-5 victory over Jet’s Pizza. Roadarmel resides in Parkland.
For further information, visit www.eastcoastseniorsoftball.com or call 954-603-6313.
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