Bradley County Recreation Department Director Paul Wyrick and his staff have done an outstanding job of organizing the leagues and scheduling the team’s games on the county’s playing fields. This huge undertaking involved scheduling 139 baseball and softball teams with more than 1,600 youth participating.
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, 5- and 6-year-olds coached by Dustin Cross; the Rockies, 7- and 8-year-olds coached by Chris Higgins; and the Cardinals, 9- and 10-year-olds coached by Steven Hayley.
The baseball champions in the Bradley County division are: Red Sox, 6-year-olds coached by Shawn Kent; the Indians, 7-year-olds coached by Bob Perry; the Dodgers, 8-year-olds coached by Justin Fowler; the Diamondbacks, 9-year-olds coached by Brian Newberry; the Indians, 10-year-olds coached by Stuart Clark; and the Cardinals, 11- and 12-year-olds coached by Michael Cawood.
The Bradley North baseball champions are: the Braves, 5- and 6-year-olds coached by Dewayne Wilson; the Braves, 7- and 8-year-olds coached by Kenny Hooper; and the Yankees, 9-and 10-year-olds coached by Mickey Clark.
The Softball League champions are: the Orange Crush, 5-and 6-year-olds coached by Brian Fowler; the Lady Wave, 7-and 8-year olds coached by Ashley Sermons; the Blue Angels, 9- and 10-year-olds coached by Troy Long; and the Swat, 11- and 12-year-olds 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 had the honor of hosting the North District Dizzy Dean baseball tournament for 6-year-olds. The Bradley North Baseball Park hosted the district tournament for 7- and 10-year-olds on the same day. The state tournament for 9-year-olds will be held 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 and the Leukemia Society. The County BMX track has been busy and hosted an Olympic Race Day on Saturday, June 23. Olympic Day is always designed to promote the Olympic values and participation in sports across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.
The responsibility of the Bradley 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.
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 their 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.
