With vacation season in full swing, Lawrence is the hot spot for close to 4,000 visitors this week for the American Fastpitch Assn.’s national B-division tournament.

Last year the AFA national tournament was estimated to have brought in more than $1.1 million. Tournament Director Ed Kimminau expects this year’s tournament to top that.

Express softball players, left to right, Bethany Henry, 14, Alora Marble, 12, Chenae Marble 14, and South West Hammers player Jessica Marble, 16, behind, walk down Mass. Street before a American Fastpitch Association National B tournament game.

Despite such expectations, Kimminau isn’t going to change the way he runs things.

“I’ve been doing this for forever,” he said. “Lawrence is one of the best places to host a tournament because everything always goes so smoothly.”

Although Kimminau isn’t going to alter his methods, this year’s tournament differs quite a bit from last year.

With the addition of another age group and 50 more teams, more than 1,200 players and close to 4,000 visitors are expected to stay in Lawrence throughout the week-long tournament.

With the AFA making a return to Lawrence, they added the 18-U age division. Last year’s opening ceremonies took place at Free State High School, but this year they were at the Lied Center. In order to accommodate the number of participants, Kimminau and his staff staggered the three age groups in three different ceremonies.

The opening ceremonies started a half-hour earlier than expected, but the number teams in the 14-U bracket caused them to run later. Each team had the opportunity to be recognized on stage and do a cheer for their team if they chose to.

The ceremony resembled something like variety show. The softball tournament kick off led one coach to ask on stage, “Are we at a softball tournament, or the wild frontier?”

Teams rapped, clapped, chanted, sang, yelled and danced to wish the other teams good luck and let everyone in the crowd know why their team was the best.

Wichita Sorm player Logann Peterson shows off the pin she traded for at the Americna Fastpitch Assn. National B tournamnet July 18 at Youth Sports Inc. fields. The tournament participants had a barbeque and competed in various contests at the kick-off event.

In addition coaches and parents signed up in advance for an “American Idol”-like competition complete with judges and renditions of songs like John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” by the softball moms from the Oklahoma Ricochet and “Davey Crockett,” personalized for the Eagen Wildcats from Colorado.

Teams from states as far as Washington came decked out in flamboyant uniforms and accessories such as Dr. Seuss hats, decorated flip flops or hair ties and the most popular of all — beads.

Teams threw beads, beach balls, and candy to the capacity crowd at the Lied Center until officials tried to stymie the aerial action.

Duke Ogan, a Kansas City, Kan., parent from the KC Impact, dressed up like Elvis and entertained teams in the Lied Center’s lobby with his guitar while the 16-U and 18-U teams waited to enter the Lied Center.

The festivities continued at the Youth Sports Inc. fields with a barbeque, a DJ and contests. Players from all teams competed in a home run derby and base-running contests, and mingled with the competition.

Throughout the complex, girls clinched to their bags full of their team’s personalized pins to trade. Trading pins is a common activity at softball tournaments. Some pins are appealing because they are elaborate, with such features as blinking lights, and others are popular because of their team’s name, or where they came from.

Throughout the week, players and parents were encouraged to escape the heat and visit air-conditioned attractions such as Kansas

University’s museums and the JayBowl — which is offering reduced student rates to all softball tournament participants.

Softball event comes to town (7-19-04) American Fastpitch Association

Pool play concluded Tuesday and the double elimination tournament begins today. The tournament will conclude with the championship game Sunday.