Nearly two decades old, the Junior Softball World Series appears comfortably settled at Kirkland’s Everest Park.
The international softball showcase, which began on Sunday, July 31 and continues to Saturday, August 6, has been an annual event in Kirkland for 18 years.
In 1999, Little League decided to split softball from three-year divisions into two-year divisions.Kirkland was one of three cities vying for the inaugural Junior League championship tournament.
One rainy Sunday morning in February, a handful of league and city officials stopped by for a look.The then-mayor, head of the city’s parks department and the head of Everest Park field maintenance accompanied top Little League brass, who were impressed by what they found.
“[Little League] liked that the city was so behind it, and they awarded us three years of the Junior Softball World Series,” said John Chadwick, tournament director. “The only requirements we have are no major incidents, and we have to pay our bills. So far, we’ve been able to squeak that out.”
Chadwick said the organization liked the facilities at Everest Park, but also Kirkland’s relatively small-city feel. The bigger cities like Portland, which hosts the Little League Softball World Series, are rare.
Washington’s District 9 is fairly rural, apart from the collection of cities along Lake Washington.
“We have towns that have half the number of players Kirkland American [Little League] has, like Fall City, North Bend, Carnation, Duvall — small towns, but they love their Little League programs,” Chadwick said. “That’s what Little League is about, and that’s where it started. That’s where we in Little League, other than the corporate office, would like to keep it.”
Each August, 10 teams have gathered from around the world — some from Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and across the United States — for one of the most visible events Kirkland offers.
“It puts Kirkland on the national scene,” said Kirkland City Councilwoman Penny Sweet, who has been involved in either supporting or attending the World Series for its entire existence. “People stay, shop and party in Kirkland, and it’s a fun vibe when the girls are visiting restaurants or coming down to the beach.”
Sweet said the city typically uses lodging tax dollars through the tourism program to help fund the event, which draws support from businesses for many of the logistics.
For the last several years, the championship game has been broadcast on ESPN, including an appearance by the Kirkland team in 2013. The park is at its best for Saturday’s finale, scheduled for 1 p.m., but the city puts in countless hours to prepare the grounds for the tournament overall.
The two fields used for games are adorned with banners and flags, and the grass is a little softer and smoother than during the regular season.
“You’d swear those guys are out there with scissors,” Chadwick said.
There are hot dogs and popcorn, t-shirts and ice cream. The grandstands, added several years ago in part because of the world series, typically bustle with fans in various colors and in varying temperaments.
There’s no admission and the parking is free, but that hasn’t drawn Kirklanders to the games the way Sweet would like.
“[The World Series] is thousands of times cooler than citizens think, sometimes,” Sweet said. “The attendance is not near what the quality and status [would suggest]. There are 12- and 13-year-olds from across the world; it’s a powerful thing.”
