TRAVERSE CITY -- TAGS, you're it.
You're 20 years old.
Traverse Area Girls Softball, established in 1989, celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer season. The organization gives hundreds of area girls ages 6 to 18 a chance to form friendships, learn teamwork and play ball.
"This taught my kids what team spirit was all about," said Betty McGrew, a former coach, board member and mother of four TAGS veterans.
McGrew said the organization's history traces back to a girls' softball league run by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Key supporters over the years included players' parents, local business sponsors and the Grand Traverse County Deputy Sheriffs Association.
"There were a lot of girls who never would have been able to play in high school, and for them it was a great opportunity to have a really nice experience and have a lot of fun," said Stan Smyka, a dentist who coached for many years and also sponsored Smyka's Drill teams.
Girls with different levels of skill are welcome, and parents often coach their daughters' teams.
"It was fun," Smyka said. "We always tried to emphasize that it was fun and instructional, but, of course, everybody likes to win; so it was competitive, too."
Traverse City Central High School varsity softball coach Shawna Esther elevated her softball game from "backyard" play after she joined TAGS at age 13.
"It was a really good start. I had some great coaches who kind of became lifelong friends right away. They really kind of encouraged me to keep going, so I did," Esther said.
TAGS plays the primary role in introducing the game to youngsters in this region, coaches said. Many of the high school players Esther coaches participated in TAGS ball at some point.
Kathy Breece, varsity softball coach at Traverse City West, said TAGS players "definitely have a little more knowledge of the game." Plus, younger girls interact at clinics with older teens who love the game.
Players are split into divisions by age. Registration for this season has ended, and players are assigned to teams by a draft system with special attention paid to the equal distribution of experienced pitchers, said TAGS president Tony Jenkins. Practice starts in mid-May, and games continue through the end of July.
The girls play at local schools, and TAGS is developing new fields at Oak Park, Jenkins said.
McGrew said her daughters learned sportsmanship as well as athletic skills during summer softball. It's also a way to introduce girls to "the contagiousness" of a game they can play and love for many years.
"TAGS has been there for a lot of little girls," Esther said.
For more information about the organization, check out the Web site www.tagsoftball.com.
Print this story
E-mail this story
