There are 12 girls from different schools that have come together to create a dynasty on the softball diamond. Based here in the Bitterroot, the Bitterroot Sparks 14U team has players from Hamilton to Missoula, as well as one player from Bozeman, on their team. Some of these girls have been playing together since they were eight years old and just beginning to learn the game. Since then, they have put countless hours in on the playing field and covered many miles and states while playing in tournaments.
Chris Newman of Stevensville is the head coach of the team and says the team is continually evolving. Although there are a core group of girls on the team, new players go through tryouts in order to make the team.
Because this is a traveling team, the families have to be committed to providing support for their kids. It takes between $800 and $900 for transportation and tournament fees alone. And then there are motels and meals. The team does several fundraisers including a pint night at Lolo Peak Brewery, car washes and then just going around to businesses and individuals and asking for sponsorships. The team has been playing since the high school season ended and will be playing and traveling through the end of July.
The Bitterroot Sparks 14U won their first tournament, the Missoula Garden City Walk-Off tournament the first weekend in June. They went 6-0.
The next weekend, the team traveled to Pasco, Washington, for the USA Preps College Showcase Tournament. This tournament features teams from all over the Northwest and as well as college coaches who are scouting for players. The team went 5-0 and took first place honors. Haley Kampka led the team’s offense, batting a .727 average. Kampka is from Stevensville. Sophia Doyle, from Hamilton, had an on base percentage of .769. Erin Elgas of Bozeman led the pitching with four wins and an ERA of .81 and 34 strikeouts. The team played six games in 36 hours. Even though they have 12 players on the roster, on this particular trip the team ended up being shorthanded. One girl was gone on a trip. Another sustained an injury and hasn’t been able to play. The third injured her arm during the tournament. With these three players out, the nine remaining were on the field the entire time. Fortunately, the team is quite deep and players are able to play different positions.
“It’s good that we have depth,” said Newman. “They were able to change positions and keep the momentum going. Last year we took our lumps, but this year, we proved we could hang with the best.
The team had this past weekend off but will hit the road again and continue through the end of the month. They will play at the Montana State ASA championships in Kalispell next weekend. They will finish out their summer with a road trip/vacation to Reno and then on to Southern California. They will play in the Triple Crown Fastpitch World Series in Reno. There are 111 teams registered to play in that tournament.
From there, the team will travel to Roseville, California to compete in the ASA Western National Fastpitch tournament. Newman said that although there will be a lot of softball time; he’s hoping to get the girls to the beach for some fun and to do some ‘touristy’ time as well.
With this type of commitment on the field, Newman wants to make sure the players have fun and don’t get burned out. They only have one practice a week once the tournament grind begins. However the players begin their season in December with open gym. These practices focus on fundamentals and the mechanics of hitting and throwing. These winter practices are usually in addition to other sports the girls are playing in. Newman said that almost all of the players are multi-sport players.
The Sparks have a 3.9GPA average and all are committed to making good grades. Newman said that although the players hope to receive a college scholarship to play softball, they know (because he stresses it), that 97 percent of incoming scholarships are academic, not athletic scholarships. He said there were several coaches and scouts at the tournament in Pasco that thought he was ‘padding’ their GPA averages on the information sheets.
Even though they may be rivals during the school year, the team is very close and much like a large family. While they may tease each other throughout practice, they close ranks and become each other’s biggest supporter. During practice, there is a lot of teasing but it’s still a serious business. Even the injured players are out there timing drills and encouraging the rest. But the bottom line is, they are family. Even the parents who travel say all of the families become very close friends.
Newman credits his coaching staff for much of the team’s success. Rick Meisinger, Dennis Elgras and Brian Bessette all have their roles in coaching. The team building extends not just to the players but also to the coaches and even the families. Together, they are the Bitterroot Sparks 14U team.