If you’re going
• When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Where: Central Park, 2300 Keith Bridge Road
• Cost: $5 for adults; $3 for students ages 12 to 17; and free for children under 12
• When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday
• Where: Central Park, 2300 Keith Bridge Road
• Cost: $5 for adults; $3 for students ages 12 to 17; and free for children under 12
The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department will play host to its third national tournament for the Amateur Softball Association over Labor Day weekend.
The ASA Men’s Modified Pitch National Championship at Central Park will feature 15 top teams from six states, including Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
“It’ll be pretty competitive,” said Wayne Maddox, manager of the athletic division. “There’ll be some pretty darn good athletes out there.”
The teams qualified for the national tournament in their state competitions, Maddox said. They advanced with the go-ahead from their state ASA commissioner.
The weekend tournament winner will be determined through double-elimination play.
The first game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, continuing at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The championship game is slated for 3 p.m. Sunday.
The style of play is similar to local high school fast-pitch softball, Maddox said, but it’s called “modified” because the pitch isn’t always a full windmill throw.
He said the games usually draw good-sized crowds of team supporters and local softball fans.
The ASA tournaments have been a source of revenue for the parks and recreation department since the first series in 2008. Entry fees and the sale of tickets and souvenirs bring in money for the county.
Forsyth won the right to host the national games based on its facilities, staff and local amenities, Maddox said.
County leaders saw the tournament as a way to attract visitors from out of town, he said. The games also “showcase our facilities and our department and then hopefully also provide some economic impact.”
An ASA tournament for girls age 10 and younger was supposed to take place in August, he said, but had to be canceled when not enough teams could make it.
In 2011, the county plans to hold the ASA Men’s Church Tournament.
The ASA Men’s Modified Pitch National Championship at Central Park will feature 15 top teams from six states, including Georgia, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
“It’ll be pretty competitive,” said Wayne Maddox, manager of the athletic division. “There’ll be some pretty darn good athletes out there.”
The teams qualified for the national tournament in their state competitions, Maddox said. They advanced with the go-ahead from their state ASA commissioner.
The weekend tournament winner will be determined through double-elimination play.
The first game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, continuing at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The championship game is slated for 3 p.m. Sunday.
The style of play is similar to local high school fast-pitch softball, Maddox said, but it’s called “modified” because the pitch isn’t always a full windmill throw.
He said the games usually draw good-sized crowds of team supporters and local softball fans.
The ASA tournaments have been a source of revenue for the parks and recreation department since the first series in 2008. Entry fees and the sale of tickets and souvenirs bring in money for the county.
Forsyth won the right to host the national games based on its facilities, staff and local amenities, Maddox said.
County leaders saw the tournament as a way to attract visitors from out of town, he said. The games also “showcase our facilities and our department and then hopefully also provide some economic impact.”
An ASA tournament for girls age 10 and younger was supposed to take place in August, he said, but had to be canceled when not enough teams could make it.
In 2011, the county plans to hold the ASA Men’s Church Tournament.