2021 Nationwide Conference USSSA
"Crown Town" Classic
Shawnee, KS
May 21-23
Crown Town Women’s Major was quite the show and the atmosphere was electric. There’s nothing more inspiring than seeing 12 teams competing, with players coming from different states with one goal on their mind. Hosting at the newly renovated Mid America Sports Complex on turf, we had a variety of different rank teams trying to fight for the crown. Smash It Sports/Derby Girls/Easton came out on top as the Crown Town Women’s Major Champions but not without a hard fight. Having to go through Greenspace/First Watch/Dudley Saturday night in the winner's bracket final, they pulled off a nail-biting win 9-7. Facing Classic Glass/Easton/Dirty Trojans on Championship Sunday, the road was anything but easy. They battle back and forth going into extra innings to come out on top 15-14.
During the tournament, I got to catch up with Smash It Sports/Derby Girls/Easton local player Jess Tolbert for an interview. I asked Jess Tolbert what it takes to be successful at the next level. She stated, “It takes dedication and practice, BP sessions, and strength training. You need the right mindset to take the knowledge and criticism in order to grow to become better.” I also asked her how she felt about the competition in the tournament. She stated, “Not a single team here that wasn’t competitive. Seeing 7 conference and 5 non-conference teams compete, can’t wait to see what next year brings. There is so much talent in the Midwest, I'm glad to see local teams compete and finish strong.”
Unlike the men’s side, all the women’s games went to 4 innings or more. I did get one more interview. This one was unique because I interviewed Jessica Stroud, the coach of the C team Nally Girl’s, whose team is playing their first major and jumping from ASA to USSSA on the road to Worlds in October. The team finished 5th beating out 4 of 7 conference teams. I asked Jessica what made her team successful in the tournament and what advice could she give for others who are wanting to put a team in next year to compete. She stated, “Chemistry is everything. The players build that bond and trust in one another. As a coach, you have to be the motivation and example. Having a variety of players that can play any position at any given time helps the team grow.” As the women’s program continues to grow each year, we can’t wait to see all the talent at the next MWUSSA resents: Crown Town Major Dual in 2022!
