4/25/10 Letter to Sports

Thanks for help at fastpitch tourney

To the sports editor — On the weekend of April 18-19, the YVCC fastpitch team hosted 23 community college teams in the NWAACC Fastpitch Crossover Tournament at Carlon Park in Selah. For the third consecutive year the tournament ran extremely smooth, and this was due to the help and involvement of many, including the maintenance staff of Carlon Park. Jeff Hagler was a big help in obtaining apples for each team and a coaches’ social.

Trudy Bray and Carol Finney volunteered to be tournament managers again. They coordinated the fields, team packets, collecting scores and organized the operation of the scoreboards. Without their help, the tournament would not have gone as smooth as it did.

Rich Austin, and Mike Carey of the Yakima Sports Commission coordinated rooms for officials traveling from out of town. Dale Hefflinger and the Best Western Ahtanum Inn served as the host hotel.

This year’s tournament recognized and honored all those who have experienced breast cancer in their lives. Margarett Filkens of Wellness House of Yakima was on hand, with providing information on breast cancer. Many teams wore pink socks, T-shirts and hair ribbons in recognition of breast cancer. Fans, players, coaches and officials raised $1,350.00 for breast cancer care and research.

I have received lots of positive feedback on the tournament. Most of the coaches want the tournament to return to this area again for a fourth consecutive year. The success of the tournament couldn’t have happened without the efforts of those mentioned above.

Chuck Bodeen

Yakima Valley Community College fastpitch Coach