Thirty Mainland teams make softball Classic biggest one yet Three years ago the tournament was an idea. And it belonged to Carl Clifton, a Colorado resident known for facilitating sports teams’ travel. Clifton met Kaua’i Junior Olympics Commissioner Albert Soto
Thirty Mainland teams make softball Classic biggest one yet
Three years ago the tournament was an idea. And it belonged to Carl Clifton, a Colorado resident known for facilitating sports teams’ travel.
Clifton met Kaua’i Junior Olympics Commissioner Albert Soto and a relationship was born. The fruit of which will be on display Thursday, Aug. 2 through Saturday, Aug. 4 during the 3rd Annual Garden Island Classic.
Over the three days, 36 teams will vie for titles in 18-, 16- and 14-and-under divisions at Waimea Canyon School and Kekaha Ball Park. Pool play begins at 8 a.m. Thursday and Friday. A single-elimination tournament starts Sunday at 8 a.m.
“This started out as a 12-team tournament,” said Classic coordinator Pat Baniaga, also the president of Kaua’i Junior Olympics. “Last year we were at 18 or 20 teams.
“This year it just exploded. I guess the word got out.”
Thirty of the participating teams have traveled from the Mainland. And many of those are returnees from last year.
“Carl has been our travel agent and Mainland coordinator,” Baniaga said. “He’s had a large hand in putting all this together.”
Baniaga, Soto and other members of a board have been responsible on the Kaua’i end. They have been setting up for the weekend’s play, and putting the finishing touches on the tournament-opening luau set for Wednesday night at Kekaha Neighborhood Center.
“We’re setting that up for about 900 people,” Baniaga said. “It’s a big undertaking.”
The luau is also something incoming teams are looking forward to.
“That’ll be our first chance to meet some of the coaches and players from other parts of the country,” said Dan Yost, coach of Trouble, a 16-and-under travel team from southern California. “We’ve got teams from California, Colorado and Ohio in our pool.”
Teams are also making their way from New Jersey, Iowa, Alaska, Washington, Nevada, Oregon and Oahu.
And some of them will be very good.
“This is as good as softball is going to get on this island,” Baniaga said. “You’re going to see whole high school teams and some graduating seniors and returning college freshman.
“There’s going to be talent here.”
Trouble, in fact, which plays in the Amateur Softball Association has “done well in other tournaments” this summer in its Southern California region, according to Yost.
“We actually qualified in an American Fastpitch Association tournament,” Yost said. “We were invited to a national tournament for the AFA, but already had our reservations for this [Garden Island Classic] tourney.”
Trouble arrived on Kaua’i Monday. To keep his team sharp, Yost headed for Lydgate State Park for practice.
“We got in some running and other work,” Yost said. “We want to come out here and do well in this tournament.”
And have some fun on the island. Yost said he, his girls and their support group are looking to do some horseback riding, snorkeling and possibly go on a catamaran cruise of the Napali coast.
“I’ve never been here,” Yost said. “It’s beautiful and I was able to bring my family so I’m sure we’ll get a chance to enjoy it.”
The Skinny
– What: 3rd Annual Garden Island Classic
– When: Thursday, Aug. 2 thru Saturday, Aug. 4 – beginning at 8 a.m. each day
– Where: Waimea Canyon School and Kekaha Ball Park
– Teams: 36 total – 30 from the Mainland, three from Oahu, three from Kaua’i
– Divisions: 18-and-under, 16-and-under, 14-and-under
– Format: Pool play on Thursday and Friday; championship Saturday
