Collecting hardware is the name of the game in competitive sports.
From early-aged athletes to the professional ranks, the competitive nature of a game suggests trophies, banners and/or individual and team accolades are all part of the equation.
Have trouble with the concept? Jerry Self, manager of the Blue Springs Fireballs softball team that won the Amateur Softball Association’s 12-and-under Class A Northern National Championship in August, explains winning the title this way: “It’s one of those things that you hope for, but you never measure your success in terms of winning there. I told our girls that any time you go to a national-level tournament and you come home with hardware — with trophies — that means you’re really accomplishing something.”
The Fireballs feature five future Blue Springs South Jaguars and three future Blue Springs Wildcats on their roster, including Madison Sykes and Gabbi Self, the younger sisters of Wildcats standouts Mackenzie Sykes and Amanda Self. The elder Sykes and Self starred on the 2008 Wildcat softball team that captured the Class 4 state title with a 31-0 record.
Another future Wildcat, pitcher Lauren Kerby, posted two wins and a save at the national tournament Aug. 4-7 in the Green Bay, Wisc. suburb of Kimberly. Future Jaguars pitchers Skyler Robinson and Erin Griesbauer each posted two wins, with Robinson winning the semifinal game and Griesbauer winning the championship game.
“It felt awesome,” Robinson said of winning the national championship. “We really didn’t get to do anything, but that’s okay because we were able to pull it off.”
Mariah Welch and Emily Lavelle, both future Jaguars, starred in the Fireballs outfield and second baseman Julia Woeble — yet another future Jaguar — played at a golden glove level at second base.
The Fireballs completed the tournament with a 6-0 record. In pool play, they defeated Kenosha (Wisc.) Cyclones Blue and the New Lennox (Ill.) Lightning to earn the top seed going into double elimination bracket play.
In bracket play, the Fireballs downed the Bloomington (Ind.) Sting and then moved on to beat the Watertown (Wisc.) Thunder to advance to the semifinals versus the Heart of Ohio Nitro from Marysville, Ohio.
In the semi-final game, Self drove in Griesbauer with a walk-off line drive to centerfield in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Fireballs to the championship game, where they faced the Nitro again.
The Fireballs scored four runs in the top of the first and three more in the top of the second en route to an 8-5 win and a national title.
“There were quite a few teams up there,” Self said of the experience. “We played good ball. We went 6-0. Two out of the three years this team has went, they have come home with hardware on a national level.
“They’re just a special group of kids. Blue Springs and Blue Springs South are going to be set up pretty good in future years.”
By winning the title, the Fireballs earned a berth at the 2011 ASA/USA Nationals. The 2011 national tournament will make for the third year in a row the team has qualified for the ASA/USA Nationals.
