- April 18, 2024
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Sixteen teams battled it out for the title of coed champion Saturday, July 30, at the Flagler County Fairgrounds.
The Coed Grand Slam Classic, a double elimination tournament, acted as a fundraiser for the Flagler Palm Coast High School softball program.
“High school sports aren’t funded through the school budget,” said FPC head coach Sarah Poppe. “The athletic department has somewhat of a budget, but it mostly only goes for field maintenance and things like that.”
As a high school sport, the program must pay for umpires, which run around $2,500; equipment, which typically costs $1,000 to upgrade balls; and additional expenses if new uniforms are needed.
“We pay for everything, and typically it costs around $8,000 a year,” Poppe said. “So we have a lot to fundraise for throughout the year. It’s not just playing high school softball.”
Flagler head umpire George Fortuna played a big role in making the tournament happen. Not only did he help organize the umpires, he also donated the game balls and trophies, and got the league to approve the insurance aspects of the tournament.
Poppe said the day would not have happened without assistant coach Lisa Bennett and the many volunteers, whether they were umpires, parents or players.
The program is looking forward to planning a fall tournament in hopes of finishing their fundraising before the high school season kicks off.
THE WINNERS WERE …
First place—Flagler County Coed
Second place—Perez Mobile
Third place—Jason DeLorenzo
Fourth place—Strokin’ Hard
For more pictures from the tournament, click here.
