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Lutz Leaguerettes

Lutz softball continues to fine-tune its offerings

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Following a successful spring campaign, Lutz Softball is gearing up for another season of fastpitch softball next month — with a number of recent additions and upgrades.

Formerly known as the Lutz Leaguerettes, the ages 4 to 18 recreational girls softball organization has expanded its fastpitch offerings since scrapping slowpitch play altogether a few years ago.

The league has introduced a five-on-five, infield-only 6U division to guide younger players through basic fundamentals, including the shift from T-ball to coaches’ fastpitch.

The Lutz Softball recreational fastpitch girls softball league featured about 200 players across 17 teams last spring. Those numbers are expected to remain steady in the fall season. (Courtesy of Jennifer Parry)

The new division had a test run last year for the first time — to beneficial results, said Jennifer Parry,  league president.

“It’s been pretty successful, so we’re going to do it again this season,” she said. “The girls that maybe have a shorter attention span, they stay more involved, they learn the basics of the game and hitting.”

The league also is finding ways to cater to more experienced players.

Lutz Softball implemented Xtreme Fastpitch divisions in conjunction with its parent program, Babe Ruth League, which is designed for higher-level players to have more organized competitive play against other Babe Ruth teams throughout Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Parry said the Xtreme league “is for the girls that are either trying to get a little better for high school or that just are a little better than most, they can play there and kind of fine-tune some of those skills that they may not get to practice on a regular rec league.”

Introduced last year, Xtreme Fastpitch has helped “bridge the gap” between recreational and travel ball play as a more affordable option for families, the league president said.

She noted some former Lutz Softball players who previously left for travel leagues have since returned to participate in the league’s Xtreme divisions.

“It’s been pretty successful,” Parry said. “Travel ball really decimates rec ball, so it’s really kind of a step in the right direction to kind of keep girls locally, playing with the girls they go to school with and not put so much pressure on the parents to travel all over.

“We’ve had some girls that went to travel and where they might be girls that get more play in our Xtreme division, (but) in their travel team they don’t play or they maybe play one inning. “They’re all good players, but there’s just a difference in playing time and the community and who you’re playing with, friends with school,” she said.

Lutz Softball transitioned solely to fastpitch play in 2016. Dwindling registration figures forced the league to drop slowpitch, after 37 years. They were the last recreational league in the county to offer that style of the sport.

Parry acknowledged the drastic move to fastpitch has been challenging, particularly in terms of training players the methods of pitching and catching.

So, this season the league is offering free pitching lessons to all registered players, including clinics for beginners and advanced.

Parry put it like this: “It was a big change, especially for some of our older girls who had been pitching for a couple of years because the motion is different, and so we’re still trying to get through that transition. …I think still our biggest hurdle is just getting those girls trained in that area, because when you don’t have a pitcher or a catcher, those games can get really rough, because they’re just walking girls around. It was our biggest struggle in the transition and continues to be our biggest struggle.”

That aside, Parry said Lutz Softball’s registration numbers have been on the increase since the move to exclusively fastpitch.

The league is believed to be the county’s second-largest girls recreation softball league, behind FishHawk .

The Lutz league featured about 200 players and 17 teams in the spring — up from about 160 players a few years ago. Parry expects those numbers to remain steady for the upcoming fall season then “go up a little bit” next spring.

To generate more interest this season, the league is offering a $50 registration discount to families that bring new families and players to the league.

Said Parry, “We’re just trying to get some new families to our parks. We find that once they get there, they really enjoy it. We have a very family like atmosphere and try to include everybody.”

Performance-wise, Lutz Softball is coming off a spring season that saw three of its all-star teams compile strong showings in postseason play.

Its 8U team finished second in districts, third in regionals and fifth in states; 12U placed second at a Babe Ruth all-star warm-up tournament in FishHawk; and 16U won the FishHawk warm-up tournament and finished second at districts.

Besides on-the-field play, the league’s home base at Oscar Cooler Sports Complex in Lutz is witnessing a makeover. The county’s parks and recreation department recently leveled and re-sodded the complex’s three softball fields with Bermuda grass; side field bullpens, parking lights and a new playground are some other additions.

Said Parry, “This will be our first season playing on the new sod. It’s looking good. Gone are the days of dirt patches and things like that.”

Player registration closes Aug. 24 for the fall season. The season runs from September through November.

For more information, visit LutzSoftball.com, or email .

Published August 21, 2019

Super Saturday offers a swingin’ good time

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It might’ve been April Fool’s Day, but this softball event was no joke.

This dog belongs to Mackenzie Pavloff, of Lutz. The service dog, named Koda Bear, is a 5-year-old Pitbull-mix, who seems to like the sounds of the softball games at Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex. The pet’s owner said she played softball at the complex years ago.
(Fred Bellet)

It’s called Super Saturday, and it’s an annual fundraiser for Lutz Softball, a recreational fast-pitch league for girls ages 5 through 18.

On April 1, several hundred softball families gathered to cheer on more than 20 teams, soaking in the daylong festivities at the Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex.

Besides a full slate of softball matchups, there was plenty to keep attendees amused, from family friendly games and activities, to numerous vendors and countless raffles.

“This is probably the biggest Super Saturday we’ve ever held,” said Mike Cook, president of Lutz Softball Inc.

“Every year, it’s gotten bigger and bigger and bigger,” added event coordinator Jennifer Bommarito. “This is quite a bit bigger than it started out to be.”

Ten-year-old Sicily Jordan, of the visiting Wesley Chapel Pink Rockets, gets a hit against the Renegades during game action last Saturday at Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex.

Held each spring, Super Saturday is one of the league’s two major fundraisers. The other is Fall Festival, in October.

Amid softball rivalries and competition, Super Saturday gives young athletes a chance to unwind.

“This is actually like a fun day for them,” Bommarito said, “where they actually get to goof all a little bit…and not have to be so serious.”

Mike Bosworth, who has coached in the league since 2013, said the annual shindig also helps foster positive interactions among families.

“People are…competitive with one another, and when you do an event like this, it gets you to know other people, and it softens those relationships on the field,” he explained.

Other parents agreed.

After playing his Little League game, 5-year-old Wyatt Gingras, of Lutz, totes his favorite bat and backpack to watch Leaguerette softball and cool off with an icy beverage. Wyatt was with his grandfather, Scott Knoeppel, of Lutz, and spent the day enjoying the family fun event at Oscar Cooler Youth Sports Complex.

“I think it brings us closer,” said parent-coach Rainey Rosenberger.

“It’s just fun to get families together from the community,” parent Natalie Brown added.

Another parent, Maggie Mixon, believes the event has nearly become a Lutz tradition.

“It’s phenomenal — just to see the community come together, in the spirit of collaboration,” she said. “It’s just a good, old-fashioned, small-town gathering.”

Among the afternoon’s top highlights was the parents’ tournament — and it’s unlike any other.

A 16-inch blooper ball was used, bases were run in reverse, fathers batted with their non-dominant hand, and kids served as coaches.

“It’s fun and confusing — everything’s backwards,” Rosenberger said, smiling.
The sports complex’s ballyhooed concession stand was another draw.

From biscuits and gravy during early morning games, to mushroom Swiss burgers and buffalo chicken wraps, there’s never a shortage of tasty grub offerings.

Bosworth, whose wife, Alissa, is the concessions manager, said parents from other youth leagues — Brandon, Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel —can’t say enough about the ballpark’s spreads.

Bryan Bounds, of Gainesville, watches softball action with friend, Charlene Ierna, of Lutz. Ierna’s 15-year-old daughter, Emma Ierna, plays on the softball team called the Rebels. Ierna is also the team’s sponsor.

“The parents are always like, ‘You guys have got the best concession stand we’ve ever seen, anywhere,’” Bosworth said.

Super Saturday, meanwhile, couldn’t have come at a better time for the softball organization.

On March 8, two suspects burglarized the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex during early morning hours, causing losses in excess of $5,000.

“That (robbery) threw us for a loop tremendously,” Mike Cook said.

In wake of the incident, the league has received “overwhelming” community support, with donations from the likes of Home Depot, Walgreens, Lowe’s and Ford.

Over $1,920 has also been raised, via a GoFundMe page.

Lutz Softball, formerly known as the Lutz Leaguerettes, also has seen quite a transition since January 2016, when the organization announced it was offering a recreational fast-pitch league for the first time in its 37-year history.

Just six months later, its slow-pitch leagues were discontinued because of dwindling registration and an overwhelming preference for fast-pitch. The fast-pitch league now claims to have about 200 participants, the highest figure in several years.

Lutz Softball Inc., is a PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) Softball affiliate.

Published April 5, 2017

 

Burglars can’t steal softball league’s spirit

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Lutz Softball Inc., formerly known as the Lutz Leaguerettes, isn’t going to let a recent burglary ruin its season.

While still picking up the pieces from a March 8 break-in, the league is moving forward with practices and games, as usual.

“We are not going to have the girls suffer,” said Mike Cook, president of Lutz Softball.
“We’re still going to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, and try to spin it in a positive direction, someway, somehow.”

Two suspects burglarized the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex in the early morning hours of March 8, causing losses in excess of $5,000.

While Hillsborough County owns the park, Lutz Softball has a field-usage agreement, working closely with the county’s parks and recreation department.

The hooded suspects stole approximately $1,000 in cash, $1,000 worth of sporting equipment, $1,500 in food, and caused $2,000 in property damage, according to information from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Lutz Softball Inc., is having several fundraisers after a burglary at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex caused about $5,000 in losses for the organization. The recreational fast pitch league caters to girls, ages 5 to 18.
(Courtesy of Lutz Softball Inc.)

Released video surveillance footage shows the suspects used pry bars to break into the concession stand, office and equipment storage areas.
“They took whatever they could get their hands on,” the league president said.
The footage also shows the suspects loading the items into an unknown vehicle parked on the west side of Crooked Lane, just south of West Lutz Lake Fern Road.
Pilfered items included an 80-pound safe, safe shields, shin guards and softballs.

“It’s unfortunate they got into the equipment room,” Cook said. “I’m guessing it’s probably just stuff they can sell quick, and get a couple of bucks for.”
Bulk quantities of various concession items also were swiped by the burglars, the league president said.
“They took everything in the freezer,” Cook said. “They took the hot dogs, the buns, the cheese, the chicken tenders, the mozzarella sticks, the onion rings, the bacon —everything.”

The recreational fast pitch organization has created a GoFundMe page to recoup the thousands of dollars in losses.

So far, more than $1,000 has been raised, including numerous donations from players’ families.
“We’re a strong unit, a strong network,” Cook said, “and everybody’s come together on this.”

There will also be another major fundraising opportunity on April 1, when the league hosts its annual Super Saturday event.
Described as a “fun-filled day,” the event will feature a parent softball tournament, along with various games, a bounce house and dunk tank. There’s also a silent auction and basket raffles.
“It’s a huge day for us,” Cook said. “It’ll certainly help in recovering and recouping from (the burglary).”

To Cook, the hardest part to grasp from the incident is the impact on the league’s young players, who range from 5 to 18 years old.
“You’re not stealing from the parents there. You’re not stealing from the executive board. You’re stealing from these girls, who just want to go to a place where they’re not playing video games or hanging out on the street corner,” Cook said.

Besides raising money to replace lost items, the league is working with Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation to repair the broken locks and doors, and one of the damaged fields.
Cook noted the sports complex was last burglarized about three years ago.
Additional security measures to prevent a similar instance are being discussed with the league’s executive board, he said.
“We’re trying to figure out what the best route is, but we certainly want to upgrade our current surveillance system, with some other precautionary measures,” he said.

Besides the burglary, it’s been an eventful year-plus for the softball organization.
In January 2016, Lutz Softball announced it would offer a recreational fast-pitch league for the first time in its 37-year history.
Just six months later, the league discontinued its slow-pitch leagues altogether, citing dwindling registration figures and an overwhelming preference for fast-pitch.
Cook said the league now has about 200 girls (ages 5 to 18), the highest number since he joined the organization four years ago.
“The transition to fast pitch is going really, really well,” he said.
The Leaguerettes are a PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) Softball affiliate.

To donate, visit GoFundMe.com/eyqzb-lutz-softball.
Anyone with any information on the burglary is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at (813) 247-8200.

Published March 15, 2017

 

Facility upgrades highlight Leaguerettes 2017 season

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Coming off a calendar year of fast-pitch softball, the Lutz Leaguerettes have taken another step forward.

The girls recreational softball league recently announced the completion of several new capital improvement projects at both Oscar Cooler and Nye parks.

Some of the highlights:

  • Field refurbishments, including new clay and magnetic break-free bases on all five fields
  • Outdoor batting turfs and mats for hitting cages
  • New remote-operated scoreboards
  • Updated concession area with a sound system
  • Remodeled board room with new carpet and paint job
  • Park security cameras

Hillsborough County owns both parks, but the Leaguerettes have a field-usage agreement, and work closely with county’s parks and recreation department.

New clay surfaces are one of the many facility upgrades for the Lutz Leaguerettes 2017 spring fast-pitch season. The girls recreational fast-pitch organization plays its games at both Oscar Cooler Park and Nye Park. (Courtesy of Mike Cook)

Mike Cook, president of the Lutz Leaguerettes, said the additions were made gradually during the past 18 months to two years.

He estimates more than $40,000 in upgrades were made via a combination of donations, league funds and various sponsorships.

“We try not to skimp on equipment, because it gets used every day,” Cook said.

Affiliations with local professional sports teams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, USF Bulls) and other businesses (Disney World, Great Clips, Publix) also helped make the upgrades possible, he said.

“We work with a lot of different organizations,” Cook said. “We work with whoever we can.”

Though he’s unsure of a timeline, the league president said he’d eventually like to install CCTV video cameras for each field; the cameras would allow players’ families and friends to live stream Leaguerettes games through a computer.

The announced upgrades, meanwhile, follow what was an eventful 2016 for the organization.

Last January, the Leaguerettes announced they were offering a recreational fast-pitch league for the first time in its 37-year history.

Just six months later, the Leaguerettes discontinued their slow-pitch leagues altogether, citing dwindling registration figures and an overwhelming preference for fast-pitch.

(Other softball programs — the Brandon Leaguerettes, North Tampa Leaguerettes, Tampa Bay Velocity and FishHawk Miss Tampa Bay Softball — all transitioned exclusively to fast-pitch over the past few seasons.)

For the Leaguerettes, the exclusive move to fast pitch has been a success thus far.

The 2016 fall fast-pitch season reportedly had about 160 players.

That figure, Cook said, was about three times as many as previous slow-pitch fall leagues, which typically drew “40 or 50 players.”

“We were pleasantly surprised to get as many registered players as we did,” Cook said of the fall season. “I think a lot of that has to do with the upgrades to the field…and the word spreading of moving over to fast pitch.

“I’m really happy with the turnout.”

Meantime, the 2017 Leaguerettes spring season is just around the corner.

Registration is open through Jan. 21, with the season slated to kick off in February.

The spring league is limited to the first 300 players that sign up, due to available field space and resources; about 130 players were registered, as of Jan. 11.

Cook said six divisions will likely be offered, for girls ages 4 to 18.

They include: t-ball (ages 4-5), 8U (ages 6-8), 10U (ages 8-10), 12U (10-12), 14U (ages 12-14), 16U (ages 14 to 16) and 18U (ages 16 to 18).

Despite “some growing pains” in the initial transition to fast pitch, the second full season should be smoother, Cook acknowledged.

“We’ve had a lot to learn—a lot of meetings and a lot of different ideas,” Cook said. “We had to learn the rules of fast pitch compared to slow pitch.”

In fact, the organization brought in a few fast-pitch experts, training Leaguerettes coaches and players via skill clinics. League board members, too, spoke at length with high school coaches and athletic directors, learning the nuances of the game.

In general, the offensive strategy differs between fast pitch and slow pitch.

In fast pitch, the general offensive approach is to play ‘small ball,’ where bunting, slapping and hitting singles are heavily relied upon to generate runs. Conversely, offensive players in slow-pitch softball are often taught to hit the ball as far as possible, due to the relative ease at making contact.

More protective gear, such as facemasks, is also required in fast pitch.

“We’re at the point where we’re pretty sufficient in our knowledge of the game; a lot of people are happy about fast pitch,” Cook said. “We’re continuously evolving,”

The league president also noted there aren’t too many requests for slow pitch anymore.

“I think we’re at the point where everybody realizes we’re completely fast pitch, and now we’re just in the process of growing the league.”

Even so, the league’s “ultimate objective” remains the same — create a family based atmosphere in a community setting.

And, let the youngsters have fun. The Leaguerettes are a PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) Softball affiliate. For more information, visit LutzSoftball.com.

Published January 18, 2017

No more slow-pitch softball for Lutz Leaguerettes

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After 37 years, the Lutz Leaguerettes girls’ softball organization has discontinued its slow-pitch leagues.

The decision was made due to dwindling registration figures, and an overwhelming preference for fast-pitch, which was first introduced in the spring.

A survey and questionnaire by players and parents showed a 92-to-4 vote in favor of fast-pitch over slow-pitch, said Mike Cook, president of the Leaguerettes.

After 37 years, the Lutz Leaguerettes has discontinued slow-pitch softball. The organization now offers only fast-pitch and T-ball leagues. (File Photo)
After 37 years, the Lutz Leaguerettes has discontinued slow-pitch softball. The organization now offers only fast-pitch and T-ball leagues.
(File Photo)

The nonprofit league only had about 20 girls registered for slow-pitch in the spring, compared to about 200 for fast-pitch.

At one point, the Leaguerettes had 400-plus girls playing in its slow-pitch leagues. But, that was before the rise in popularity of fast-pitch during the past few decades.

“The writing on the wall was that slow-pitch has pretty much fallen by the wayside,” Cook said. “The rest of the county and other areas don’t have slow-pitch available anymore, so we basically played among ourselves this past season.”

The Leaguerettes was the last recreational league in the county to offer slow-pitch softball to girls ages 5 to 18.

Other softball programs — the Brandon Leaguerettes, North Tampa Leaguerettes, Tampa Bay Velocity and FishHawk Miss Tampa Bay Softball — all transitioned exclusively to fast-pitch over the past few seasons.

“We found out how many other organizations were doing rec league fast-pitch, and we realized that we were able to compete against other organizations and other leagues,” Cook said. “It kind of gives the girls a different perspective.”

The league president said the introduction of fast-pitch was a strenuous one for the league’s board of directors, considering the significant variations in rules and regulations, age divisions and equipment.

“We had a lot to learn,” Cook said. “The move to fast-pitch had been brought up in the last few years, but logistically, it was a huge transition for us to make.”

Cook noted that over $2,000 worth of fast-pitch equipment was recently purchased, including softball pitching machines and catcher’s gear—leg pads, chest protector, mask and shin guards; protective face masks for all pitchers and infielders were also introduced.

One significant adjustment between fast-pitch and slow-pitch is the offensive strategy employed to try to win games.

In fast-pitch, the general offensive approach is to play ‘small ball,’ where bunting, slapping and hitting singles are heavily relied upon to generate runs. Conversely, offensive players in slow-pitch softball are often taught to hit the ball as far as possible, due to the relative ease at making contact.

“For us to learn the rules and transfer that information to the girls was a difficult task on the coaches, the player agents and the entire administrative portion of the league,” the league president said.

In the spring, 11 fast-pitch teams were formed across four age divisions — 8U, 10U, 12U and 16U.

“It probably exceeded expectations, because we didn’t really know what kind of response we were going to get,” Cook said.

The upcoming fall season may perhaps see an even larger response, since approximately 50 percent of the league’s current registered players will be new participants in the league.

While fast-pitch registration is open to girls ages 6 to 18, most of the league’s participants range from ages 10 to 14, Cook said.

“A lot of the girls, they think ‘fast-pitch’ is stressful competition, and they’re going to be playing with girls that are so far out of their skill level, but that wasn’t the case,” he said. “For probably about 70 (percent) to 80 percent of the girls, it was their first year playing fast-pitch as well.”

Jennifer Parry, the league’s secretary, told The Laker/Lutz News in January that the increased desire for young girls to play softball in high school has had a significant influence on the rise of fast-pitch.

“I think with the popularity of (former Olympic gold medalist softball pitcher) Jennie Finch, the Olympics and all these girls playing softball in college, it’s really changed softball for kids,” she said. “So many more kids want to play softball in high school, so they’re having to learn how to play fast-pitch.”

While slow-pitch will no longer be available, the league is bringing back T-ball leagues (ages 5 to 6) for the first time in several years.

“Basically it will be (softball) at a slower pace where we’ll be teaching them the fundamentals and the spirit of teamwork; it’s not about winning or losing at that age — it’s about learning the game and trying to have fun,” Cook said.

Refurbished fields will be another new feature this fall.

Cook said the five softball fields at both Oscar Cooler Sports Complex and Nye Park in Lutz are currently undergoing drastic renovations, including new clay field surface and new bases.

Player registration closes on Aug. 19, with fall practices starting Sept. 1. Opening Day is set for Oct. 1.

For more information, visit LutzSoftball.com.

Published July 27, 2016

Girls fast-pitch coming to Lutz

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Dwindling registration in recent years has prompted the Lutz Leaguerettes girls’ softball organization to add a recreational fast-pitch league for the first time in its 37-year history.

The league expects 15 teams, across four age groups, and the deadline for registrations is Feb. 1.

Girls in the fast-pitch league will transition to new bats, which are several ounces lighter than bats designed for slow-pitch softball. (Courtesy of Lutz Leaguerettes)
Girls in the fast-pitch league will transition to new bats, which are several ounces lighter than bats designed for slow-pitch softball.
(Courtesy of Lutz Leaguerettes)

The Lutz Leaguerettes, a nonprofit organization, has provided slow-pitch softball to girls ages 5 to 18, making it the lone recreational slow-pitch girls’ league in Hillsborough County.

Other softball programs — the Brandon Leaguerettes, North Tampa Leaguerettes, Tampa Bay Velocity and FishHawk Miss Tampa Bay Softball — all transitioned exclusively to fast-pitch over the past few seasons.

“The Lutz Leaguerettes is the last of a dying breed,” said Mike Cook, president of the Leaguerettes.  “Slow-pitch is kind of dying out, because a lot of people want to play fast-pitch, and they see all these college girls playing fast-pitch; there’s just a lot more interest in fast-pitch.”

Jennifer Parry, who’s the league’s secretary, said the increased desire for young girls to play in high school also has had an influence.

“I think with the popularity of (former Olympic gold medalist softball pitcher) Jennie Finch, the Olympics and all these girls playing softball in college, it’s really changed softball for kids,” she said. “So many more kids want to play softball in high school, so they’re having to learn how to play fast-pitch. The registration numbers are dwindling for slow-pitch, so now we’re adding fast-pitch. …We’re trying to get girls excited and out there playing.”

The Lutz Leaguerettes girls’ softball recreation league is adding a fast-pitch program for the first time in its 37-year history.
The Lutz Leaguerettes girls’ softball recreation league is adding a fast-pitch program for the first time in its 37-year history.

Before the rise of fast-pitch, Cook said the Leaguerettes once had 400-plus girls playing in the league. Now, the league has around 120 girls participating in the slow-pitch category.

The dip in participation has made scheduling difficult, and the competition monotonous.

“Last season, my daughter played in the Pixie (ages 5-9) division and there were five teams, and this season there’s only three,” Parry said. “Just for the kids, to be able to keep it going, you got to have more participation.”

Ideally, the Leaguerettes would like to offer both slow-pitch and fast-pitch leagues, with the former running from November to January, and the latter starting in February each year.

“We’re going to see what happens. If we have to give up slow-pitch by the wayside, then we’ll make a decision when the time comes,” Cook said. “Until then, we’re going to try to continue with both leagues.”

Cook noted that “fast-pitch isn’t all that different from slow-pitch,” but there will be a few adjustments. For example, there are a few rules that differ for fast-pitch, as well as the type of equipment required for players to be safe and effective.

Additionally, the offensive strategy for fast-pitch softball contrasts with slow-pitch.

In fast-pitch, the general offensive approach is to play ‘small ball,’ where bunting, slapping and hitting singles are heavily relied upon to generate runs. Conversely, offensive players in slow-pitch softball are often taught to hit the ball as far as possible, due to the relative ease at making contact.

Typically, fast-pitch age divisions are separated every two years, but the Leaguerettes will start with just four age divisions: 8U (ages 6-8), 12U (ages 9-12), 16U (ages 13-16) and 18U (ages 17-18).

The deadline for registrations is Feb. 1. The league expects 15 teams, across four age divisions
The deadline for registrations is Feb. 1. The league expects 15 teams, across four age divisions

“I’d be willing to bet we’ll have 15 teams divided up among the divisions,” said Parry, who expects about 150 girls in the league’s inaugural fast-pitch season. “The 18U is our toughest (to fill) right now, because the girls at that age don’t want to transition from slow-pitch to fast-pitch, because they’ve been playing slow-pitch their entire life, and that’s a big adjustment…but, the 12U division is blowing up and is by far the fullest.”

A majority of the games will be played at the Oscar Cooler Sports Complex in Lutz, with the league hoping to host some tournaments that feature rec teams throughout Tampa, Wesley Chapel, Brandon and Temple Terrace.

The league has already been selected to host the all-county Early Bird Tournament from Feb. 26 to Feb. 28, which will include up to 10 different leagues.

“We’re in the process of scheduling some tournaments,” Cook said. “We’d love to have some tournaments at our field, because it’s a wonderful fundraiser, and it just creates a buzz at the field like no other. …When you have three fields going — three different games, six different teams playing, concession stand buzzing — it just gives a feeling of belonging.

“The concession stand is, bar none, the best you will find in the county. It’s clean, they provide quality service and have monthly specials, and it’s volunteers that run it all,” he said.

Getting the league back to its height of popularity isn’t the only goal. League officials also stressed the importance making sure the participants’ experiences are rewarding and enjoyable.

“It’s an opportunity for the girls to make new friends. All the girls can commiserate and create friendships that last a lifetime,” the league president said. “The lessons that they learn are lessons they’ll carry for the rest of their life — patience, understanding, tolerance and communication.

“There’s a number of things the girls learn and a number of tools they receive that they utilize for life that they don’t even realize at the time,” Cook said.

Published January 20, 2016

Land O’ Lakes softball completes dominating season

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After going 13-13 in his first year coaching the Land O’ Lakes High School softball team, there was probably an expectation of improvement and becoming more competitive in his second season.

But nobody expected a 24-3 record. Not even the team’s coach.

I knew we’d be a lot better. I didn’t know our record would be this much better,” said Mitch Wilkins.

But the Gators really were that much better.

Softball coach Mitch Wilkins will say farewell to four seniors, but has an undefeated junior varsity team full of talent to find replacements. (Courtesy of Edwin Rodriguez)
Softball coach Mitch Wilkins will say farewell to four seniors, but has an undefeated junior varsity team full of talent to find replacements.
(Courtesy of Edwin Rodriguez)

It took players just 14 games to match last season’s win total, and they capped off the regular season with 10 straight victories. After beating Fivay 15-0 to open the district playoffs, Land O’ Lakes dropped a 2-1 decision to River Ridge. All three of the team’s defeats were by just one run.

The team’s success was no accident.

The coach, a retired police officer who has been coaching for more than 30 years, took his role seriously.

Wilkins — who has coached with the Lutz Lightning and the Lutz Leaguerettes — found out which of his players also played on travel ball softball teams, and he went to watch them play, including the junior varsity players.

He also created a travel ball team for the junior varsity team, so they’d get in extra work over the summer.

As a result, the junior varsity team had one loss and one tie last season, and went undefeated this past season. That provides not only a good foundation for the softball program, but a talented reserve that Wilkins can use to replace graduating seniors on his varsity squad. It also helps to create a true team atmosphere that fosters camaraderie.

“The girls get used to playing with each other. They understand the brand of ball that we play. And they enjoy it, or they wouldn’t still be there,” Wilkins said.

That style of ball doesn’t include a lot of power hitting. Instead, the Gators try to remain unpredictable, combining strong pitching with stealing, bunting and hitting to overwhelm their opponents. And with seven shutouts and eight games where they scored double-digits, that style is working.

It’s also working for junior Gaby Santiago, who has played with the team since her freshman year.

Santiago notices a big difference in the team since Wilkins came on board.

“Since coach got here, team unity has gotten better,” Santiago said. “My freshmen year it was kind of a mess, but coach really brought us together over the past two years.”

Wilkins showed the team that he cared early on, Santiago said. By showing up to their travel ball games, it was clear that he was serious about building a strong program and getting the most out of his players. Team meals have also become a regular part of game day, which has also improved team unity.

Another activity Wilkins introduced to Land O’ Lakes is what he calls “positives.” After each game, the team gathers and gives positive feedback to each other, noting what their teammates did well during the game.

“We always end with positives. After the game we circle up and everybody’s got to say something positive that somebody else did during the game,” Wilkins explained. Allowing players to hear praise from their teammates helps keep things in perspective, softens the blow when things don’t go well and lets the team end each game on a high note, regardless of the score.

With a successful season in the books and a strong foundation in place, the future also looks to be promising for the Gators. They’ll lose four seniors, but have a skilled junior varsity squad to find replacements, and a team mindset to help the new players fit in.

And even though they didn’t go as far as they wanted this season, Wilkins is pleased with their effort and success.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Wilkins said.

Published April 29, 2015