Spring season at the Oglethorpe County Recreation Department was jam packed with approximately 700 kids participating in various sports. In-house championships and all-star tournaments concluded the season.
From mid-March to the end of May, Oglethorpe County kids participated in volleyball, soccer, track and field, tennis, softball and baseball. Kids ages 6-17 participate in spring sports, with ages varying across each sport. Little League baseball and softball ranges from ages 4-14.
Michael White, the director of the rec department, has developed a system to accommodate the players and coaches over the past eight years. Although, he admits it takes a great amount of time to plan logistics, such as practice and playing time on the limited fields.
“It’s still a space crunch when it comes to fields with that many kids,” White said. “But we were able to do what we needed to do.”
Both soccer and volleyball compete in in-house championships during the spring season and in all-star tournaments during the fall season.
Little League baseball and softball, however, have both in-house championships and all-star tournaments.
Tennis and track and field don’t have all-star tournaments. Tennis plays in-house sessions and track and field competes in district and state tournaments.
“(Tennis is) still playing in-house, because it’s kind of a new thing here,” White said. “We haven’t branched off from that yet.”
All-star tournaments are played by the best players in each age division. After the regular season ends, coaches pick the best 12 players from each age division to play together during all-stars.
The teams play various counties from around the area in a double elimination tournament.
“It’s the kids that performed at the highest level during the season,” White said.
Track and field season took place from March 8-April 26.
The GRPA Class B & C State Championships took place at East Jackson High School on April 25-26. Oglethorpe County’s girls track and field team placed 24th out of 43 counties. The boys track were 27th out of 43 counties.
“We had 52 children this year,” said Dwight Howard Sr., the track and field coach. “Out of the 52 students, 20 of the students qualified in the district to go to state.”
Howard said coaching younger kids is his “love,” and he wants to teach them the fundamentals like he has been doing since 1987.
“I just really like the challenge of, especially the younger ones, to get them started with the fundamentals,” Howard said.
No Oglethorpe County baseball or softball teams won their all-star tournaments. The Minors softball all-star team was runner up to Hart County in that tournament, said Kristin Young, the rec department’s administrative assistant.
Spring soccer season took place from March 24-May 15.
The in-house champions were Step Nation’s 6u team, Mary Kate Shealy’s 8u team, Martin Ruiz’s 10u team and Kevin Hernandez’s 14u team.
Spring volleyball season took place from March 24-May 3.
The in-house champions were Courtney Wheless’ 8u team, Joseph Bridges’ 10u team, TJ Wray’s 12u team, Andy Nguyen and Aryana Knight’s 14u team and Phillip Nelson’s 17u team.
Spring baseball season took place from March 10-May 12.
The Majors champions were Brody Bearden’s team. The Minors champions were Richard Wisham’s team. The Mighty Mites champions were Trae Lovin’s team. The Coach Toss champions were Jake Willcox’s team.
Track and field results
Boys
Andrew Lamm (13-14 age group), sixth in 13-14 3,200 meter run; Maximus Cheesborough (13-14), fifth in the javelin throw; Kieron Shaw (11-12), eighth in the shot put; Zamarrea Smith (11-12), sixth in the long jump; William McCarty (9-1), eighth in the triple jump standing; Ky Faust (6-8) third in the triple jump standing; Jordan Lumpkin (6-8), seventh in the triple jump standing; Timothy Cheesborough (6-8), third in the javelin.
Girls
Kortni Foote (13-14), fourth in the 100 meter hurdles; Mary Brown (11-12), seventh in the javelin; Meara Shaw (9-10), fifth in the 800-meter run; Brielle Jones (9-10), third in the triple jump standing; Kimarie Bonds (6-8), fifth in the triple jump standing; Falynn Joiner (6-8), sixth in the triple jump standing.