Year in review: Recreation sports

Published 7:08 pm Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Any questions about where Troy recreation sports ranks with the rest of the surrounding state teams were answered relatively quickly in 2010.

Again, the recreation teams had an outstanding season no matter the sport they were competing.

The two most prosperous times for the recreation times almost take place back-to-back.

Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

From June to August, the baseball and softball teams can be found running the bases all across the state, while at the beginning of October, young Troy athletes take to the soccer fields hoping to reach and score goals for their respective teams.

It’s the success shared by both of these sports that has built Troy into a powerhouse of sorts for recreation sports.

Like they have for the past couple of years, the baseball and softball teams proved to be the teams to beat.

And even though there were no World Series champions in the past year, several teams came fairly close.

Both the Junior Dixie Boys and the Pre-Minor teams won state championships, before falling short of a World Series title.

On the softball side, the Dixie Belles came away with a district championship, after falling one game short of a World Series berth.

On the soccer fields, Troy had its greatest year in terms of winning, ever.

Not only did the recreation department send seven teams to the state tournament in Dothan this past November, which was a record, it saw four of its teams bring home state championships, something else that had never been done before.

The 18-and-under, 15-and-under, 13-and-under, and 11-and-under girls teams all were the last standing, as each won titles.

For Doug McLendon, who was the head coach of both the 18 and 15-and-under teams, this was the second time both of his teams walked away on top, with the last time taking place two years ago.

While the teams were winning almost everywhere it seemed the Troy Sportsplex was playing host to almost every tournament.

In all, there were five different baseball or softball tournaments held over the summer and a district soccer tournament later on in the fall.

And if the kids were not swinging or kicking, they were in the pool.

The Troy Tiger Sharks sent 15 swimmers, the most ever, to compete against 1,500 of Alabama’s best swimmers in the ARPA State Swimming and Diving Championship this past August.

And against the best, each of the Troy swimmers placed in the state competition.