2009 Florida State Championships

Davis Park

Ponte Vedra, Florida 32081 (St. Johns County)

Hosted by:

Ponte Vedra Girls Softball

Wednesday, July 1st - Sunday, July 5th

Florida - District #1

Updated Davis Park Weather

1.

Teams - Babe Ruth Softball has indicated that this could be the largest State Tournament of all time... not just Florida, but the entire country.  There could be as many as seventy-seven teams playing in five divisions at Davis Park: 25-8U teams (49 games), 17-10U teams (33 games), 15-12U teams (29 games), 11-14U teams (21 games), and 9-16U teams (17 games)... for a total of 149 games... yikes!

2.

Brackets - There will be public seed draw meeting at Davis Park on Tuesday, June 23rd.  This meeting will be conducted by Karen Wayt and Marc Bugbey, the Florida State Commissioner and State Tournament Director respectively.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM.  Representatives from participating teams are welcome to attend, but it is not necessary.  The drawn brackets will be published on this Web by late Wednesday (6/24) evening... Sorry for the delay, there were several last minute changes that require the bracket documents to be redone.

3.

Schedule Organization - State tournaments are traditionally organized in such a way that not all teams need to arrive at the same time (except the Managers).  In most cases, your first game will be on Wednesday, July 1st, however, some teams won't play their first games until Thursday.  Winners bracket games are played during the first two days leading up to the Skills Challenge and Opening Ceremonies on Thursday evening.  We don't want anybody to be eliminated before the Opening Ceremonies... 

If you win on Wednesday, you'll play at least one game on Thursday.  Some winning teams will play two games on Thursday. 

Elimination games begin on Friday at 8:00 AM.  Most teams won't know if they can check-out of their hotels until Friday afternoon.  THAT IS BY DESIGN.  Area hotels have made special arrangements and pricing for teams coming for the tournament.  They want you to maximize your stay.  Local Chambers of Commerce want you to stay all weekend and enjoy the various Attractions of St. Johns County. 

Managers Meeting - The meeting will be held at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, about seven miles north of Davis Park.  The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday morning, July 1st at 11:00.  All who plan to attend should arrive by 10:45 so the meeting can get started on time... Twelve teams will play their first games at 2:00 PM, so the meeting needs to be conducted in a timely manner.

We'll cover tournament essentials, Opening Ceremonies and Skills Challenge scheduling, and distribute info and team goody bags.  Each team is encouraged to have no more than 3-4 people in attendance, including the manager and a team parent.  We are planning for 250-300 people.  Pizza and soft drinks will be served. 

Click here to see a map showing the location of the Managers Meeting at the Sawgrass Marriott.  For those of you playing a 2:00 PM game, you may park near the Island Green Pavilion.  There isn't enough parking for everybody, so the rest of you can hoof it the meeting room.

Tournament Gate Passes can be picked up and paid for at the meeting.  See Gate Passes below for more information on the various ways you can pay to enter the park.

5.

Opening Ceremonies & Skills Challenge - This year, the Skills Challenge will precede the Opening Ceremonies - beginning at 5:00 PM with the 8Us, concluding at 7:00 with the 16Us.  Come hungry... There will be lots of food and drinks. 

Some 14U and 16U games will conclude close to 6:00 PM, so you can come early and watch these games at the Softball Complex. 

The Opening Ceremonies will begin at 7:00, featuring special aerial surprises, a new way to do the parade, speeches and presentation of awards for the winners of the Skills Challenge.

Go to the Opening Ceremonies page to get all the details.

6.

Car pool to the Opening Ceremonies - Parking during Tournament games will be no problem... However, 4000 people are expected for the Opening Ceremonies.  There are 485 marked spaces at Davis Park and another 250 in grassy areas adjacent to the main park road.  There are another 177 spaces at Crosswater Church which is at the entrance to the park.  That is just over 900 parking spaces for 4000 people... which means each car should contain five or more people.  So, bring your vans and SUV's full of BUCKLED passengers and we'll be okay.

7.

It will be the 4th of July weekend, so in addition to softball, there is plenty for you to do on the First Coast, including Saturday evening fireworks in St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Jacksonville Beach!  The World Golf Village has scheduled Community Fireworks on Thursday, July 2nd... Yes that's the same night as the Opening Ceremonies, but you'll likely have time to get there...

8.

Online Team Registration - Tournament organizers really need you to do this.  Manager and Team Parent contact information and Skills Challenge participants are captured on the online form.  Click the Team Registration link go to the form. 

Please make sure you have all the required information before filling out the form, including your team, home park information and the number of Tournament Gate Passes you want to pre-order... See Gate Passes below for all the details.  All this data will be used to produce the Tournament Program, the Brackets and help organize the Opening Ceremonies and Skills Challenge.  Please complete this task thoroughly... "measure twice, cut once."

Do this ASAP, however, don't do it until you've qualified at your local District Tournament.  8U teams can do this immediately since the State Tournament is an invitational.  Those teams from South Florida or the Panhandle with special waivers can register now.

Please review the out line Skills Challenge events on the Opening Ceremonies page. Please have this completed by midnight, Tuesday, June 23rd.

9.

Team Photo - Please submit the team photo you used for your Tournament Book.  It will be displayed in the Tournament Program.  You can deliver it to Rachel Pevey via e-mail (rachel@callaghanagency.com).  Please attach your high resolution photo to an e-mail.  In the body of the e-mail, please provide the following information:

Please list the player and coach names left-to-right.  As with the Online Registration, do this ASAP so Rachel can complete the program in plenty of time.  Please have this completed by Monday, June 22nd.  This will enable Rachel and company to get the Tournament Programs done in time for the Managers Meeting.

10.

Gate Passes - This is how Ponte Vedra Girls Softball will make a majority of the money needed to conduct the Tournament.  The passes are colored wristbands... one color for each day of the Tournament.  Except for uniformed players and coaches, everybody must have a Gate Pass.

Here are the various costs:

You are encouraged to pre-order Tournament Gate Passes when you complete the Online Team Registration.  This will assist Tournament Officials with budgeting and cash flow. 

Please see Paying for Things (below) to make the proper payment.  The Registration Confirmation page will also have instructions and options on how you can pay for your passes.

Otherwise, you may purchase a 1-Day Gate Pass at the gate, or a Tournament Gate Pass on Wednesday or Thursday.

11.

Tournament Program - This year's program is being designed by Rachel Pevey and published by Charles Callaghan, the PVGS 10U All-Star coach.  It will be a wonderful keepsake for all who attend the tournament. 

It will contain the following:

• All 77 team photos

• Letters from Tournament Officials

• All St. Johns County attractions featured on this Web site and on the back of the dugouts.

• Sponsor adds

• Contact information

• Opening Ceremonies Program

Anybody pre-ordering Tournament Gate Passes (see below) will receive one Tournament Program for free.  Otherwise, they will be for sale at the Gate for $2.00.  The pre-ordered Tournament Gate Passes and Programs will be distributed at the Managers Meeting.

Team Shout-Outs - Space has been reserved in the Tournament Program for anybody wanting to do a Team Shout-Out.  Congratulate your girls, thank your sponsors or parents... whatever you'd like to say in the program.  There are three Shout-Out sizes to choose from: Full page - $200, Half page - $100, Quarter page - $50.

Send your Shout-Out copy to Rachel Pevey via e-mail (rachel@callaghanagency.com).  If you want to include a photo, please attach it to your e-mail.  In the body of the e-mail, please provide the following information:

Please see Paying for Things (see below) to make the proper payment.

Paying for Things - You have two options to pay for things before the Tournament:

1. Bring a check or cash to the Managers Meeting - Wednesday, July 1st

2. Send a check to Ponte Vedra Girls Softball - See below

If you are pre-ordering Tournament Gate Passes via the online Team Registration form, you can either pay for them at the Managers Meeting, or send in a check.  If you choose the latter, please mail your payment by Thursday, June 25th.  No matter what option you choose to pay, the Passes can be picked up at the Managers Meeting or at the Softball Complex Gate on Wednesday or Thursday.

Because of printing deadlines, Program Shout-Out payments must be made by check and received by Friday, June 26th.  No exceptions can be made because the Program will take a few days to complete... If your check is not in the P.O. Box on that date, we cannot include your Shout-Out... so, please do your best to get those payments in the mail by Tuesday or Wednesday, June 23 or 24.  Please submit your Shout-Out info to Rachel by Wednesday, June 24th.

Please make all checks payable to PVGS.  If you mail them, please send them to this address:

Ponte Vedra Girls Softball

P.O. Box 3374

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL  32004

Your timely assistance will help the final days preparation go smoothly.  Thank you.

Tournament T-Shirt - Eagle Sportz will be printing the official 2009 Florida State Championships t-shirts on site, during the Tournament.

They will offer a variety of colors including tye-dyes. Wicking Denali shirts will also be available. You will have the Tournament logo as well as various other fastpitch prints to choose from for your shirts. Sleeve prints, including team name, number, position, and finish place will be available.

Stop by their trailer, located on Vendor Row, and check out their selection of products.

Glossy Finish is the official photography company for the Tournament.  They have prepared a wonderful array of photo products for the Tournament, including action photo montages that will contain your daughter's team name, jersey number and the Tournament logo.  The photo at right is similar to what they will be offering during the 2009 Florida State Championships.

There is a presentation of their services on the home page.  They've also prepared a hand-out that gives all the details of shooting team and action photos. 

Look for the Glossy Finish trailer along Vendor Row.  Don't forget to make a reservation for Team or Action Photos: 800.630.1022

Team Gift Bag Exchange - Each year at the Florida State Championships, teams bring gift bags that are exchanged with another team.  That tradition will continue this year.  Prepare gift bags with items that might represent where your team is from, a special interest, or your own team colors...  You can even make what you bring.  Have fun, be creative.

You'll be exchanging your bags with girls from the same age-division.  Teams have a maximum of fifteen (15) players, so make sure you've prepared enough bags.

Team Banners - Another tradition of the State Tournament is the display of your team banner during the Opening Ceremonies parade.  You are encouraged to make a banner that is 3'x8'.  The Lafayette All-Stars had a great one last year. 

When you arrive for the Skills Challenge, clip your team banner to an empty fence section... then get it in time for the parade.  The Skills Challenge will take place on two fields, so there are lots of places to proudly display your team banner.

The Lafayette All-Stars in 2008...

Vendor Row - All vendors will be setup between Softball Fields #1 & #4, which is near the Baseball Complex gate.  Please take the time during the Tournament to take a look at the various offerings that these folks work so hard to provide. 

• Glossy Finish

• EagleSportz

• Hawaiian Shave Ice

• Play It Again Sports

A percentage of their revenue will donated back to the Tournament.

Tournament Tents and Fans - We know that it will be hot and possibly wet during the Tournament.  20'x40' tents will be placed between all dugouts on the Softball complex and a single 20'x40' tent between the Baseball Complex fields used for the 8U games.  In addition, fans will be setup at the end of each dugout, creating a cool zone for the players.  They won't be misting fans, however, you can bring your own spray bottle mister to help.

There are aluminum stands for the spectators that have an overhead cover.  Teams can bring their own tent that can be setup between the stands and the dugout

Team Tents - A single team tent can be placed between the bleachers and dugout.  When you are not playing a game, but still want to setup a tent(s) at the park, you may do so beyond the 200' fences in the Warm-Up areas on the Softball Complex fields.  There are gates that can be used to move in and out of the Warm-Up areas without disturbing games.  Please see the Davis Park Up Close page for those locations.  Tents can also be setup around the perimeter of the 8U Baseball Complex fields.  Please avoid setting up a tent in front of any gates.

Speed Limit - Your arrival to Davis Park will be along the new Nocatee Parkway.  There are lots of clever spots for our County constables to keep an eye out for speeders.  Please do your best to maintain the posted speed limit signs on your approach to the park... and keep in mind, there will be lots of children at the park.

Team Coolers - The forecast for the week shows the temperatures in the mid to low 90s.  We understand the need to keep the girls fully hydrated.  However, PVGS is counting on the revenue generated by the purchase of food and drink during the tournament.  You will find our prices are fair and we are being well stocked by Pepsi with soft drinks, Gatorade and water.  Please do not bring personal coolers into the park.  We'll make sure everybody is properly fed and hydrated.

RVs - We've had several requests regarding RVs.  A County ordinance prohibits you from staying in an RV overnight.  However, you can bring one into the park for daily use.  Please park in a paved and marked parking lot.  The Football Field parking lot is a good place to put large vehicles and still allow you to be close to the Softball Complex.  Please do not park your RV on grass areas.