With the summer all-star tournament scene shifting into high gear, Jones County is taking advantage of the opportunity to roll out the red carpet.
While some of last week’s Little League tournaments were hosted just past I-475 at Western Little League in Macon-Bibb County, Jones County’s Department of Parks & Recreation took on the role of host, welcoming teams for the baseball and softball coach pitch tournaments to the Highway 18 Recreation Complex.
Teams from all over middle Georgia were on hand, coming from Macon, Dudley and Warner Robins. It’s an undertaking that Jones County Director of Parks & Recreation Bert Rosenberger says cannot happen without one key group.
“We couldn’t do it without our volunteers,” Rosenberger said. “Everyone, from the people working the concession stands, gate staff or event officials, a lot of them are volunteers and coaches in our leagues, as well. We definitely could not do it without them.”
As a result, local all-star teams were given the advantage of playing close to home. Western Little League, for example, which also hosted district tournaments last week, is nearly an hour away from Gray, with other cities competing – Dudley and Warner Robins – being a similar distance away, if not more.
“We’re very excited to host because it’s a chance for us to showcase our facility,” Rosenberger said. “When you’re the parent of a kid, it’s a lot nicer to be home instead of on the road, especially when you haven an 8 p.m. game.”
Naturally, there’s an economic impact with fans coming into town. It’s part of an overall benefit that would make it an easy decision if another tournament should come calling in the future.
“There’s an economic impact, as well. Hopefully when you have people come into town, they’ll stop in restaurants and gas stations,” Rosenberger said. “This is a good thing for us, and hopefully we can do it again going forward.”
