This article is the fourth part in a series on Milligan softball in preparation for Sunday’s game with the U.S. Olympic team.
By Wes Holtsclaw (wholtsclaw@starhq.com)
JOHNSON CITY - By the time Sunday’s softball exhibition between the United States Olympic team and Milligan College concludes, hundreds of people will have worked towards delivering one of the largest sporting events to make its way through this region to perfection.
The planning phases of Johnson City’s stop on Team USA’s ‘Bound 4 Beijing Tour’ began last year.
Since then, folks have worked around the clock to deliver a great show to a sellout crowd of over 3,500 at Cardinal Park.
Not many people realize how much work goes into an event like this.
It takes plenty of dedication and teamwork in every sense of the word to make it a success.
GETTING THE EVENT
Last year at the ASA National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, Tennessee’s ASA Commissioner James Ellis, who doubles as Johnson City’s Parks and Recreation Athletic Director, learned of plans for a tour involving the United States Olympic softball team.
Ellis, who has been the state’s top softball official in the organization for five years, discovered that the University of Tennessee had jumped the gun on the event for their new softball stadium.
Ellis asked officials to give Johnson City consideration, assuring them that the event would be successful in this area.
“I told them if they could give us any consideration whatsoever we would love to have them,” Ellis recalled earlier this week. “Even though we’re only 90 minutes driving time apart from Knoxville, I was sure we would sell out in areas they probably wouldn’t and vice versa. After much discussion, they basically asked if we were definitely interested. I told them yes.”
Ellis partnered with Johnson City’s Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Once some details were in place, he made the pitch to Milligan softball coach Wes Holly during their annual fall softball tournament at Winged Deer Park last September.
“Mr. Ellis asked me out there if the opportunity arose, would Milligan be interested in facing the USA Olympic team,” Holly said. “I didn’t even hesitate. I said absolutely. I think it shocked him. He asked if I was sure. I said yes.
“We’re a young team, but I felt like it would be a great opportunity for them and for the program, which we’re just thankful we got the opportunity, but more importantly for the whole area.”
Like Ellis, who has spent over 20 years serving the sport of softball in this region and the state, Holly played fast-pitch ball for 23 years and has coached for 24 years, including the last 20 at Milligan.
He knew a game of this magnitude would be great for his program and the area.
“As far as keeping fast-pitch alive, transferring from men to women, I’ve done a lot in the area and I’m just thankful the area is going to be able to see what has happened in women’s fast-pitch softball,” Holly said.
Once Milligan agreed to join the event, Holly met with Ellis and members of the Johnson City Chamber and CVB to iron out a deal.
“James contacted ASA, we got together in October with the Chamber, had a meeting and had a contract sent from ASA,” Holly continued. “The question then became: Can you fulfill the obligations? I said ‘absolutely, Milligan can do their part.’ We all decided we could pull it off.”
The rest is history.
PREPARATION
With a team and event in place, many people went to work.
Brenda Whitson and Karen Hubbs with the CVB and the Johnson City Chamber teamed with Ellis to organize everything down to the smallest detail.
First, they had to have park to hold a large crowd. They turned to East Tennessee State, who leases the city’s Cardinal Park each spring for its baseball games. ETSU immediately obliged.
“You couldn’t ask for a better field,” said Gary Mabrey, President of the Johnson City Chamber of Commerce. “The university has been very kind to allow the use of that field. (ETSU Director of Athletics) Coach (Dave ) Mullins and (ETSU baseball coach Tony) Skole have been phenomenal in making that happen. It has been great collaboration between the ETSU, Milligan, and the City and the Chamber to make this happen.”
Once the game was in place, the group announced information for ticket sales. They got an impressive amount of feedback.
“We work with the ASA through James Ellis and have hosted a number of national events for them,” said Hubbs, who serves as the CVB’s Sports Development Manager. “Through the ASA and different tournaments they run, they have an established mailing list. We sent out 150 flyers to softball teams in this area and into Southwest Virginia.
“We could tell they got the mail because we stared getting phone calls. All these teams across the area were calling in for this game. We’ve had people call in for 120 tickets.”
The event became a sellout with 3,500 tickets sold, marking the largest crowd to attend a game at Cardinal Park.
Not only with folks from this area, but states as far away as Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and even New York.
“I’ve been with the Parks department for 30 years in a full-time capacity and never at Cardinal Park have we had this many folks,” Ellis said. “In baseball, you can’t put seats in the outfield. In softball, we have that advantage. Obviously, we can sell more tickets. To sell out at 3,500 when I heard that UT sold out at 3,000, it makes us feel pretty good.”
Turning Cardinal Park into a softball facility after an ETSU baseball game in less than 24 hours will be a hard task. But the city’s up for it.
“We’re basically modifying a minor league baseball field to accommodate the Olympic softball team,” said Ellis. “They can play on grass, but we have to take down the mound and we’ve got to cut an area in the infield for second game.
“Naturally, immediately following the game on Sunday, our work crew will go in and put the sod back down, pamper that and make sure it’s ready for the following Wednesday because ETSU’s baseball team will be back in the facility. We will build the mound back that night.”
When people arrive at Cardinal Park, they will notice the softball configuration, but they will also notice several improvements made to the facility.
“We’ve really done some touch up work on the stadium this week,” Ellis continued. “Yes you’re doing it for the Olympic team, but it’s going to benefit the Cardinals, Science Hill and the East Tennessee State Bucs because they’re going to see some of those improvements too. Hopefully everyone that uses the facility will benefit from it.”
Hubbs noted that up to 100 volunteers will be helping work at the facility during the game. Chiropractic and massage services will be there for the team, as well as the Washington County EMS, Johnson City Police and others, including Aramark, which will be in charge of concessions.
Elizabethton’s Parks and Recreation Department have worked with the city in case there is some inclement weather.
“It really does take a village to run one of these events,” Hubbs said. “It’s taken a whole team to put this thing on.”
Mabrey said all of the hard work from the various outlets puts the event into perspective.
“You have ETSU, Milligan College, the city, the chamber and a wonderful team of young women at Milligan who see just what this means for them and their memories forever and what it means to us as a nation because we’re just a few months away from the Olympics,” he said.
“And to think some of the finest athletes in the world are coming to our region. I think the most important thing is it reminds us of the importance of teamwork. We’ve had a lot of folks work with us on this event. Coach Holly has been phenomenal, the business community has been phenomenal, the city has been phenomenal. We have a cast of thousands making this possible. And it’s sold out. We have spectators coming from several states. It’s good for everybody.”
WHAT TO EXPECT
Spectators attending Sunday’s game can expect to see the largest and most important softball game in the history of the region.
“This is probably the largest softball event that’s ever happened here, and by far the largest crowd at Cardinal Park,” Hubbs said. “We’re excited to see the crowd there. ASA has been so good to us throughout the years. We’ve hosted a number of national events for them. We’ve been going to their convention the last nine years to get events into Johnson City. We’ve been able to land three of their events.
“They trust us. They trust the city and our hospitality. This is another pat on the back from them, allowing us to host this event.”
Players from the age of four through adulthood will be able to see some of their role models take the field, while Milligan’s team will get to play against them.
“It’s a dream come true for many, many youngsters,” Ellis added. “And speaking with Coach Holly, it’s the pinnacle of his career. He was quoted as saying that. Milligan getting to face this group of elite athletes, that’s a positive too.
“I’ve heard many, many quotes from all across the nation. This team is probably one of the best fast-pitch teams ever assembled. You take the likes of Cat Osterman, Jennie Finch, Monica Abbott and the list goes on and on and on.”
It will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for many. But for Milligan’s team, it’ll be something they’ll take with them the rest of their lives.
“For all age groups, from our college girls to the youth groups and the high schools, it’s the greatest thing in the world,” Holly said. “Those are our role models. For everyone to have the opportunity, regardless of age group, but particularly for the small girls and our players of tomorrow (to see them). Hopefully that will inspire them to work for that level.
“We told our girls at the first of the year, we will use every game we play to improve our skills so we can go over there and compete. Of course, the Olympic team is expected by all odds to win that game. They have been beating the Division I schools from anywhere to 15 to 23 to nothing. I’m well aware of that team.
“I honestly think we’ll have a good effort out of this little old Milligan school because we love to play the game. It’s the same bases, the same distance. They’re a little older and mature and better than we are.
“We’re not going to put pressure on ourselves. By far it will be the biggest game I have ever coached at Milligan College. I want them to go over there and have fun, but I want them to compete at the best of their ability. It will be the biggest crowd we’ve ever played in. Hopefully that will motivate us and we will play ahead of our skills.”
Should weather become a factor Sunday, the Olympic team will sign autographs for fans at the Doubletree Hotel in Johnson City.
If the weather holds up, spectators attending the game can still expect autographs.
Team USA will spend approximately thirty minutes cooling off and speaking with members of the media before returning to the field for an autograph session.
Not only will folks get to watch the best softball team in the world, they’ll get an opportunity to meet members of the squad.
“After the game, after they’ve cooled down and had media interviews, they’re going to come back out on the field for 45 minutes for an autograph session,” Ellis said. “They’re really dedicated to that. They want to give everyone at least one autograph, time allowing. They’re really big in that. They promote the ASA brand at just an unbelievable level and realize the importance of it.”
So does this area, particularly those who have worked tirelessly towards a successful event on Sunday.
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