Safety Harbor Earns Praise For Little League Tournament
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The 2014 Little League Southeast Regional tournament wrapped up on Wednesday at Safety Harbor City Park, as the team from Dumfries, Virginia earned a trip to the World Series with a convincing 16-6 come-from-behind victory over the squad from Martinez-Evans Little League in Georgia.
But even before the boys from Dumfries collected their medals and championship banner on the field, coaches, parents and fans of many of the teams that participated in the tournament were singing the praises of the city, the Safety Harbor Little League and district officials who organized the event.
“This local Little League is the best,” David Dunston, a coach with the Spring Hill, Tennessee team told Safety Harbor Connect.com.
“I’ve been to a few regionals, and the organization and hospitality here was as just good as anywhere else,” he added. “They really did a great job.”
Much of the credit for the tournament, which featured state champions from seven southeastern Little Leagues, went to SHLL and District 12, which not only had to make sure the fields were in top condition, but also had to make sure the teams were fed throughout the six days of the event.
“They have done an excellent job of taking care of the kids, and the facility is top notch,” Georgia head coach Charlie Day said after his team’s semifinal win on Tuesday. “The field is in excellent shape, and everyone has been super supportive the whole week.”
Other visitors said they fell in love with the town and the rest of the Tampa Bay area while they were here.
“I love this area,” D’Ann Dunston, whose son, Austin, is the starting shortstop for the Spring Hill team. “Being from middle Tennessee, we don’t have beaches like you have here.”
Dunston said she and the other families went to Clearwater Beach, Disney World and Universal Studios, and she appreciated how everything was so easy to get to from Safety Harbor.
“This is a great location. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to host the regional,” she said. “I think we may have found our new vacation spot!”
For their part, City of Safety Harbor and District 12 officials were thrilled with the reception for the event.
“What a great week of baseball in Safety Harbor,” Safety Harbor leisure services director Andrea Norwood said. “Our Safety Harbor Little League Board & District 12 staff did an outstanding job throughout the entire tournament, from scheduling to safety, they had it all covered while showcasing our great community.”
In fact, the everything went so well, they hope to be able to host the tournament again next year.
“The response to the tournament has been fantastic,” Eric Pearson, District 12 president, told Safety Harbor Connect near the conclusion of the event. “There has been a lot of praise for the venue, for Safety Harbor Little League and for District 12.”
“We hope to host the event next year, and based on the reception we’ve had, we thing we have a good chance at it,” he added, saying they plan to do more advertising and seek more sponsorships in the future.
“This is high quality baseball being played right here in our community, and we want plenty of people to come out and see it.”
Enjoy this photo gallery of sights from the 2014 Little League Southeast Regional Tournament at Safety Harbor City Field:
