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The Stars will be out in our area next week even before the sun sets.
And expect them to shine brighter than the Northern Lights that were visible to several states last night — unfortunately, Kentucky was not one of those states.
We get one more diamond experience before the sports season turns to pigskin, soccer and volleyball.
The softball and baseball All-Star games will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Softball will emanate from the Grayson Sports Park on Tuesday at 7. Baseball will take place at Raceland the next night at the same time.
The All-Star Games began in 2016 by a duo that started a social media account to showcase athletics in the 16th Region. After the COVID-19 pandemic closed down spring sports in 2020, several coaches were left wondering if the game would return the next year.
Geoff Stewart, who has coached in our area for 26 seasons, said the discussion carried into the 2021 postseason, and the 16th Region Softball Coaches Association decided to take the reins.
Stewart said the group works together to make sure the area players get the recognition they deserve.
“It’s the third year that the coaches association is sponsoring it,” Stewart said. “We went into the season after COVID said you know we really haven’t heard anything from the group on Twitter. We get to the region tournament and it’s that first day where you play four games in a row. I was in the outfield talking to a few coaches, including (Bath County coach) Kenny Williams and (Elliott County coach) Jack McDaniel.”
“We talked about it and said we don’t see why not,” he added. “We can still have the game. We have some really good coaches in our area and they use their time so these kids get recognized and rewarded for their efforts. They’re very helpful.”
Raceland baseball coach Marty Mills feels the same way about the rapport between the area coaches and the great working relationship that they have together.
The Rams have hosted all three All-Star games since its return after COVID-19. The rosters are based on The Daily Independent’s All-Area team. If a member of the team can not attend the All-Star Game, the coaches will select a player from the honorable mention list from the same school.
When you try to navigate summer schedules, it can be a daunting task. Mills said everyone who attends always has a good time.
“We’ve kind of taken over after COVID,” Mills said. “The coaches wanted to keep it going. When the team comes out and the coaches confirm whether or not their player can play. Several might have travel ball commitments or they are already on the college campuses after they graduated.”
“The kids that come and play, I think they really like it,” he continued. “It’s really good for camaraderie and they enjoy it. We have done it earlier but the deeper into the summer that we do it, you can get into fall sports. We’re in the first week of fall practice.”
Stewart has seen a positive response from all players involved in the game. He also respects those who honor the commitments they already have. Coaches want what’s best for the players.
“This sport means a lot to me,” Stewart said. “I love coaching. I love seeing kids succeed. Great things can come from kids playing sports. They will have memories that last a lifetime. I love being involved with it and I want to keep doing it in any way possible. You build a lot of great relationships with coaches in the area.”
Stewart expects 30 players to take part in Tuesday’s star-studded event. Softball rosters have been completed. Baseball rosters were not finalized as of press time on Thursday.
Each softball team will have four coaches. They include East Carter’s Derek Calhoun, Elliott County’s Jack McDaniel, Bath County’s Kenny Williams, Rowan County assistant Kaitlyn Muncy, Lewis County’s Chad Case, Greenup County’s Mike Diller, Raceland’s Destiny Goins and Ashland’s Scott Ingram.
“The players all have a blast,” Stewart said. “I want to run this like the East-West All-Star Game. It’s a special weekend. We want everybody to have the same amount of playing time. It’s especially fun when a player is in the circle and gets to face one of their teammates. They are giggling and having fun. The girls get to play positions they don’t normally play. They’re still serious. They want to play and they want to win. They get to put that uniform on one more time, especially the seniors. It’s a way to recognize these kids for a job well done throughout the year.”
Mills said it’s as much fun for the coaches to be around a group of talented players and coach a kid they wouldn’t get the opportunity to do otherwise.
East Carter’s Jeremiah Shearer and Bath County’s Patrick Armitage are two confirmed coaches for the event.
“It is always fun out there trying to compete and play and have a good time,” Mills said. “All the coaches in our area and in the region blend well together. Kids don’t get to be around each other all the time because they play on different select teams or travel teams. Guys get together to talk and goof off a little in the dugout. Our guys are stoked about it. There’s no pressure but they want to perform well. Everybody’s arm is in good shape after a break. We went to a seven-inning game and I think that went pretty well.”
Each softball player will get their own All-Star jersey this year and will get to keep it after the game, according to Stewart. He said Goins spearheaded the effort.
Stewart praised every area coach for their assistance to promote players in our area.
“We’ve always said that once we get money in our account, we’re going to get All-Star jerseys,” Stewart said. “Destiny Goins is the one who’s put a lot of time into this, and she’s been very helpful. We want to do this every year going forward. We have the money to do that from now on. We hope the gate and the T-shirt sales will help us out.”
Mills said the team names will be the same in 2023. The Kentucky Riflemen will compete against the Tri-State Tomahawks. It pays homage to two original members of the Frontier League. The Kentucky Rifles played at Boyd County in 1993. The Tomahawks called Paintsville and Pikeville home. Both teams disbanded after two seasons.
S’More SportsThe Daily Independent has more sports coming your way. The All-Area Track and Field teams will soon be revealed. The announcement for the 2022-23 Tony Curnutte Memorial Male and Female Sportsman of the Year will be in the paper to start the month of August.
The dead period concluded at the stroke of midnight on Monday morning and fall sports will be here in no time. Football, soccer, volleyball, cross country and golf coverage will be in print soon. Of course, we are on track to have the 51st annual high school football preview in your hands on Aug. 18.
Game on.
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