The 2023 “Spirit of the Sandhills” girls youth softball tournament is scheduled for this weekend in Broken Bow. Games will take place at the Melham Ball Field Complex and at Tyke Arnold Field at Tomahawk Park. Over 30 teams have registered to take part. Tournaments will be held in three different age divisions, 12U, 14U, and a combined 16/18U division. Event organizer Tom Griffith told KCNI/KBBN sports that teams from all over the state are expected to compete.
“We get a lot of Columbus teams, McCook…They love the facility, they love the atmosphere. We also get teams from Chadron, Lincoln, and Omaha that come out. They are repeat customers that keep wanting to come back. They love the small town atmosphere.”
When the tournament was created five years ago, Griffith said the goal was to spotlight the youth softball facilities in Broken Bow and to create a positive economic impact for the community. Two goals that Griffith believes have been achieved.
“I’ve had reports that restaurants are completely full…There’s a lot of planning, working with the chamber trying to make sure everybody is aware. That was the intent. How can we help the area and how do we utilize the facility up there and make it worthwhile to have and justify the amount of money that was spent years ago on that. It’s definitely doing that right now.”
Griffith praised the several volunteers that give of their time to help run the tournament but said they could always use more help. If you would like to volunteer your time this weekend, click here