The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WITH the newly aligned sporting calendars between the GSSSA and BAISS, the first title contested on the academic year, the Austin “King Snake” Knowles National Championship is expected to be the biggest edition of the tournament to date.

The 2011 tournament featured 20 teams from throughout the Bahamas in senior boys and girls play, but Bahamas Softball Federation executives expect the 12th edition in 2012 to exceed that number when the teams take the field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex October 18-20.

“With the schools competing first on the sporting calendar and running at the same time, we definitely expect even more teams to take part and the competition level to be elevated as everyone will be into the swing of things,” said BSF president Burket Dorsett. “It is a welcome addition to the regular seasons among the schools as it helps the players themselves building the competitive spirit between leagues and islands, while getting in as much games as possible.”

Team managers wishing to enter the tournament can contact tournament facilitators Leroy Thompson at 456-6096 or Kelly Smith at 456-2881.

Along with the gold medal and “National Champion” title, tournament winners will also receive a kit courtesy of the BSF, which includes 24 softballs, 12 gloves, four bats, five helmets, catchers’ gear, DVDs on pitching and coaching clinics, and a computer.

Spanish Wells All Age School captured both the boys and girls titles in 2011.

Eleuthera dominated the boys’ division as previous winners Central Eleuthera High School captured third place.

“Over the years, it has been used as a tournament for the feeder system and has helped the development of all the member federations and their leagues throughout the country. We have seen the senior leagues benefit from the infiltration of players who have played in the tournament and the federation has assisted with the distribution of kits, conducting coaches clinics,” Dorsett said.

“We have a small amount of players who are off on softball scholarships at the moment and the ISF (International Softball Federation) has taken a keen interest in promoting young softball talent.

“Last year we attended the first softball World Cup for players 19 and under and now the Eastern Caribbean is establishing a regional championships for juniors 19 and under. The Austin Knowles tournament will be used as a yardstick for that, and we will continue to search at the end of the softball season to put together a strong national team for upcoming events.”

Evon Wisdom, who heads the Sports Unit in the Ministry of Education, said it’s a move that should benefit sports in general in the Bahamas, with the Austin Knowles Tournament being the first true test of the system.

“We know that we had a big problem with softball being last on the sporting programme for the GSSSA and Grand Bahama, while it’s first on the BAISS schedule and vice versa with volleyball. We found it was difficult to even do an invitational event that would decide a national champion in these two particular sports.”