05/31/2026
π§οΈ Yesterday was one of those tournament days that reminds me why experience, preparation, and great facilities matter. I wish I had taken photos of how bad the fields were. If you were there and have some, feel free to drop them below π
It rained nonstop from 2:00 AM until around 4:00 AM. Looking at the forecast, I was concerned we might face delays, so before ever leaving home (at 4:30am when I got up) I drafted a backup tournament format. Not because I knew weβd need it, but because if we did, I wanted a plan ready instead of trying to figure it out standing at the ballpark.
When I arrived, the fields looked fantastic. The radar showed the rain moving out with only about a 20% chance over the next hour, so I sent the message every tournament director loves to send:
β
βWeβre a GO!β
Teams started arriving, warming up, and getting ready to play.
Then Mother Nature had other plans.
A rain cloud parked directly over us and dumped what felt like a half inch of rain in about 15 minutes. Fields that looked perfect suddenly looked like lakes. WORST possible timing!
Thankfully, the crew at Johnson City Parks & Recreation jumped into action. Their hard work and dedication got the complex back in shape, and despite the setback we were able to start at 11:00 AM and complete the entire event, including a championship game that wrapped up around 11:30PM.
The best part? The transition to the backup format was seamless because the work had already been done before the first pitch was ever thrown. Several coaches and teams were complimentary of the communication and efforts throughout the day, and that means a lot.
Itβs a good reminder that when teams choose where to play, theyβre not just choosing an entry fee. Theyβre choosing facilities, field crews, communication systems, contingency planning, and tournament staff with the experience to adapt when things donβt go as planned.
Yesterday could have gone very differently.
Thanks to the hard working park staff at Winged Deer Softball Fields every team got to play ball. Thanks to all of umpires for hanging around for 2 hours to see if we got to play.
Thank you to all of our teams for your patience, understanding, and flexibility throughout the day. Your cooperation made it possible for us to adjust, adapt, and still finish a great day of softball. π₯π
DC Fastpitch
