Several teams enjoyed the thrill of victory as the spring season came to a close and the champions were crowned. In the Blue Springs Baseball Division the champions are: the Diamondbacks, fifth and sixth grades coached by Dustin Cross; the Rockies, seventh and eighth grades coached by Chris Higgins; and the Cardinals, ninth and 10th grades coached by Steven Hayley.
The baseball champions in the Bradley County Division are: Red Sox, sixth grade coached by Shawn Kent; the Indians, seventh grade coached by Bob Perry; the Dodgers, eighth grade coached by Justin Fowler; the Diamondbacks, ninth grade coached by Brian Newberry; the Indians, 10th grade coached by Stuart Clark; and the Cardinals, 11th and 12th grades coached by Michael Cawood.
The Bradley North Baseball champions are: the Braves, fifth and sixth grades coached by Dewayne Wilson; the Braves, seventh and eighth grades coached by Kenny Hooper; and the Yankees, ninth and 10th grades coached by Mickey Clark.
The Softball League champions are: the Orange Crush, fifth and sixth grades coached by Brian Fowler; the Lady Wave, seventh and eighth grades coached by Ashley Sermons; the Blue Angels, ninth and 10th grades coached by Troy Long; and the Swat, 11th and 12th grades coached by Kevin Cordell.
I congratulate the winners and all the teams for their good sportsmanship and fair play. I commend the parents for encouraging their children to take advantage of the many sports activities in Bradley County. As county mayor, I also want to express my appreciation to the coaches, the sponsors and hundreds of volunteers who work to make team sports possible throughout the year. This is truly a team effort and by working together, the Parks and Recreation Department has provided team sports opportunities for all county residents since 1983.
On Thursday, June 21, the Bradley County Recreation Park will have the honor of hosting the North District Dizzy Dean baseball tournament for 6-year-olds. The Bradley North Baseball Park will host the district tournament for 7- and 10-year-olds on the same day. This will be followed by the state tournament for 9-year-olds at the Bradley County Park on July 28.
In addition to baseball and softball, the Bradley BMX program continues to grow, with more than 46 new riders signed up this spring. The program hosted the annual “Race For Life” on May 19, and raised more than $1,300 for lymphoma research and the Leukemia Society. USA BMX will sponsor an Olympic Race Day on Saturday, June 23. The Olympic Race will be free to all participants! Olympic Day is designed to promote the Olympic values and participation in sports across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.
The responsibility of the County Parks and Recreation Department goes far beyond organizing and overseeing safe and enjoyable recreational programs. Paul and his staff are also responsible for maintenance and upkeep, and currently maintain more than 200 acres of recreation facilities in Bradley County.
The mission of Bradley County Parks and Recreation is to provide professional, safe recreational programs and facilities for the citizens of Bradley County. We are fortunate to have nice parks for our children to play on and a variety of programs for their enjoyment. When you and your family participate in these team activities you are helping the department promote health through physical activity and connect children with the outdoors.
For more information on any of the programs offered by the department, please call Director Paul Wyrick at 728-7035 or visit the website at the Parks and Recreation page at www.bradleyco.net.
The Parks and Recreation Department is another reason I say that Bradley County is Tennessee at its best.
