This year is absolutely flying by… We’re coming up on the end of the season already. This weekend marks the 2024 Gulf Coast Championships. We have 45 teams participating in this year’s event. The event will be held at the Pascagoula Sport Complex. The address is 1813 Tucker Av, Pascagoula, MS 39567.
You’d think with 7 fields, it would be easy. But there are some complications to work out. No one wants to play on Sunday. It’s Sunday to start with, it’s Father’s Day… and the forecast just isn’t very good. We have 12 teams in Tee Ball and Coach Pitch. Doing a one day tournament with that many teams is just brutal. So we need to start Friday night. It’s cooler and it will take a lot of pressure off on Sunday. I got creative mixing TB and CP games. For the most part, we avoid too many back to back games until we get down to the end.
Per City of Pascagoula policy, no game can start after 10pm. So it’s extremely important this tournament run on time. We do a good job for the most part, but we must keep the games rolling. Each team needs to leave the dugout as soon as possible. Team meetings must occur off the field. The next team needs to be ready immediately following the prior game. There is no warmup on the field. We’ll be very conscious about the clock and keeping things moving.
1. The entry fee for Tee Ball and Coach Pitch is $250 and Fast Pitch is $300.
2. Attached is a Roster Form. For this weekend, I do not need it signed. We just need a list of players that will be participating. First and last names with the birthdate for each player.
3. You’ll need to have a birth certificate and recent picture for each player. I recommend put each player in a sheet protector where it can be easily retrieved.
4. Rules for All-Stars are attached. Please familiarize your age division. It will cut down on a lot of arguments.
Someone from each team will need to check-in with me before they play. Entry Fee needs to be paid and the Roster Form turned in. It can be paid with check, cash, CashApp ($tstanley2128) or Venmo (@tstanley2128). If you using Venmo, please add $10 to cover the credit card fees.
Finally, the Gulf Coast Championship is a special event. It was first held in 2011 as a symbolic way of recognizing the best teams in our region. It’s evolved since then and I’m very excited to see the interest so high. I asked for everyone’s patience and understanding this weekend. It’s been a long season and everyone’s nerves are getting frayed. So let’s make this a great weekend.
Thanks for Playing USA Softball!