By By BRIAN HAINES, Sports Writer
For many sports fans mid-summer marks the beginning of the football season, however, in Washington it also means that the annual Bobby Andrews Softball Scholarship tournament is right around the corner.
When the opening ceremony begins tonight at 6 p.m. at the Susiegray McConnell Sports Complex it will mark the 10th anniversary of the Andrews tournament, which grants multiple scholarships to local softball players.
“It’s hard to believe that it has been 10 years,” Andrews said. “Time waits for no one and it’s hard to believe it has been that quick.”
Andrews, whose name is synonymous with Washington sports and girls softball, helped start the tournament a decade ago with hopes of helping the young people in the community.
“God let me here to help the children that have nobody,” Andrews said. “With all that I have been through I feel like I can help some of these young people.
“It seems that in a lot of these sports, professional and college, that we just don’t have role models any more. … It means a lot to me to see these girls go to college, they are all good athletes and really good people.”
The tournament will feature roughly 20 teams competing in 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U and high school age brackets.
To be eligible for the scholarship the player must compete in the Washington Girls Fastpitch Softball League for four years and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or better. If chosen, the player will receive $1,200 to go to Beaufort Community College or $500 if they go anywhere else.
Every year the tournament awards about six or seven athletes with a scholarship, and Andrews estimated that in the 10 years the tourney has been running there have been over 65 recipients.
Aside from seeing local athletes get a college scholarship, Andrews said fans can expect to seem some quality softball.
“I think the games are going to be really good,” Andrews said. “The 8U division has improved tremendously, and once you get into the 10U and older where they start to pitch you can see some really great players. We have had some really good athletes come through the Washington area like Charity Watson and Meredith Knox, and I can go on and on; we have just had some really good players who are pretty darn good girls too.”