The Lakeshore welcomes thousands of players and their families to a massive softball tournament this weekend.
The 17th annual girls “War on the Shore” fast pitch softball tournament will be held today through Sunday (July 30th-August 2nd) at the Manitowoc Youth Baseball Fields at Citizen Park in Manitowoc.
Two Rivers Head girls’ softball coach Kirk Shillcox tells seehafernews.com that he’s amazed to see this tournament grow from its humble beginnings to one of the most popular tournaments in the Upper Midwest.
“We started with 19 teams and have grown to a field of 82 this year,” he revealed. “I never imagined it would become as popular as it has. It just validates the hard work all of our volunteers and everyone involved has put in to make War on the Shore one of, if not the most favorite tournaments for everyone to come to.”
Shillcox says teams from Wisconsin, Illinois and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will be calling Manitowoc home for the next four days.
“We play in a beautiful facility, as Randy Heinzen and his team from the MYBA (Manitowoc Youth Baseball Association) do a fantastic job,” he explained. “The fields are pristine, plus there’s plenty for people to do, including a mini golf course and aquatic park on site. We currently have a waiting list of teams wanting to play here as our lakeshore sells itself.”
Although there are no official statistics of the total economic impact, Shillcox says he’s heard from several business owners that this has turned out to be their biggest weekend of the year.
The sport itself has grown by leaps and bounds, where you can catch a college game on multiple networks from late February through the College World Series in Norman, Oklahoma, in late May.
The Professional Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) just concluded its second season last weekend with the Utah Talons defeating the Chicago Blaze for their second consecutive title, something Shillcox says gives kids role models an outlet to learn more about the game.
“I overheard some kids talking the other day about the pros playing and being able to watch them on ESPN,” he said. “I know these kids are paying attention as more teams keep popping up all over the country. The sport is huge.”
If this is something that has piqued your interest in putting on your weekend bucket list, Shillcox says, “Come on out and take a chance. Watch a few games at different levels, and you might be surprised with what you see from some very talented youngsters and the passion they have for softball.”
The field features top-quality local and area teams ranging from age 8 to 18 that’ll be divided into three ability groups, Elite, Competitive and Developmental.
All teams are guaranteed to play 4 games with multiple fields to be utilized. Games begin at 5:00 tonight with championship games in all divisions to be played on Sunday.
Admission and parking are free with concessions and merchandise available on the grounds.
All event-related questions can be directed to Kirk Shillcox at lakeshoreriverhawks@gmail.com.
