Lee Trawick
Reporter2@riverbendnews.org
The Suwannee River Elite (SRE) 12u travel softball team consists of girls from Branford, Lafayette and surrounding areas. This team has played together for several years now. They began the season with two goals: get better every day and have fun doing it. To some, travel baseball and softball is a cash cow for programs to promote their kids in hopes of getting college scholarships in sports. However, travel ball sports are much more than that. For SRE 12u, it's an opportunity to spend their summers together, learn the game of softball, and make memories with friends. Countless days of swimming at random hotels and playing softball against some of the nation's best all around the United States are memories these kids will carry with them forever.
For the parents, it's a sacrifice of money and time. While some may say only the privileged have the opportunity to travel all summer to watch their kids play baseball or softball, the reality is these teams and parents prepare behind the scenes to help raise money for their summers on the road. Facebook and other social media outlets are flooded with pictures from games and of smiling faces, but tons of work goes on behind the scenes that are never posted; work done by parents, coaches and sponsors allow the teams to play ball.
For SRE, their 2022 season began on Jan. 23, 2022, with a 24-3 win. That win started a nine-game winning streak to begin the season. As the season progressed, SRE navigated through it to end with a 28-16-1 overall record. Then, in July, SRE set their sights on Panama City Beach for the pinnacle of their season at the World Series.
There, the girls faced a plethora of obstacles, including rain delays, lightning delays and many hours of sitting in the parking lots waiting for play to resume. While the tournament did not go in the girls’ favor on the field, as they went 0-4-1, the memories the girls made and they got to play against the top talent throughout the country will benefit them far more than a World Series ring would have. While the ultimate goal was to win, the girls still left Panama City Beach as champions.
The SRE will say goodbye and are grateful to Julianne Lampton, Grace Masterson, Emerson Hourbourt and Bella Vann for their leadership on and off the field to their teammates. Each will be missed, as they will move on next season to the 14u ranks. SRE hopes that what they have learned while with the 12u team will translate into their careers as they move forward, the SRE 12u coaches wish them the very best and want them to know they always have a family and fans in the SRE ranks.
Congratulations to SRE 12u on a great season and a World Series appearance.