Junior Softball World Series prepares for latest event

For almost as long as this summers participants have been alive, the Little League Junior Softball World Series has called Kirkland home.

By Megan Managan • August 3, 2011 4:54 pm
A member of each team playing at the JSWS recited the Little League oath with tournament director John Chadwick during the 2010 opening ceremonies in Kirkland.
A member of each team playing at the JSWS recited the Little League oath with tournament director John Chadwick during the 2010 opening ceremonies in Kirkland.

For almost as long as this summers participants have been alive, the Little League Junior Softball World Series has called Kirkland home.

For 13 years girls ages 13 and 14 from across the world traveled to Kirkland for a softball pilgrimage unlike many others – coming to one place to vie for a world title.

The Little League Junior Softball World Series will begin Aug. 14 at noon at Everest Park in Kirkland. The tournament features the top team from regions around the world playing in a weeklong tournament.

The event’s opening ceremonies will begin at noon at the park on Sunday, Aug. 14. Tournament Director John Chadwick said several special guests will be on hand for the opening ceremonies, as well as the teams, umpires and spectators.

While not much has changed in the last year as far as how the tournament will run, Chadwick said they did move around one of the brackets in the pool play, just to make things different.

“We shook things up a little bit, but nothing major has changed,” he said.

Some teams won’t know if they qualify for the tournament until shortly before it begins, but several have already secured their positions.

Soraida Juliana Little League from Willemstad, Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles just off the coast of Venezuela will represent Latin America, while Bacolod City West Little League from the Philippines will represent Asia Pacific.

The EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) team hails from Midden-Nederland Little League in the Netherlands and the Bellevue/Mercer Island Little League team will once again host the tournament after winning Washington’s district 9 event.

Chadwick said about five years ago was the first time a team from the Netherlands attended the event, coming in back to back years and winning once during that time frame.

Games begin Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with East and Southwest U.S. teams playing each other. The host team’s first game will be against Canada on Sunday at 5:45 p.m. The tournament will end on Saturday, Aug. 20 with the championship game at 1 p.m. The final match will be broadcast on ESPN.

To learn more about the tournament to see a game schedule visit http://www.jrsoftballworldseries.com.