The Annual Recreational League Majors Division All-Star Softball Game of the West Milford Girls Softball Association was held Monday, June 24th, at the Association's premiere softball field at the West Milford Presbyterian Church.
Four top players from each of the Majors Division's five teams were selected by their Coaches and teammates to represent their respective teams in the All-Star Game.
Players were assigned together with their teammates onto two teams: Majors Black or Majors Gold.
The managers of the 1st and 2nd place Majors Championship teams managed the all-stars with their respective team coaches.
Coaches and managers from the other teams also helped out as assistant coaches for the game.
This year, the competition on the field was closely matched between the teams, with the score remaining within one run, or tied, for the majority of the game.
Despite the strong competitive desire within each of these players to play hard to win the game, the camaraderie, mutual respect, great sportsmanship, and friendships made both on and off the field were strong and evident across the dugouts.
Players, coaches, and spectators from both sides of the field cheered on players from both teams, congratulated or applauded individual players for great plays made, great hits, and showed genuine concern for opposing players after close plays with typical player contact for a tag, or hard-hit balls stopped in the field but missing the player's gloves.
These young ladies played tough, strong, and skillfully, with grace and class.
They set a example of how youths can be competitive while also being cordial and respectful, and still have fun with their friends, their competitors, and their competitor- friends.
The Majors Gold Team managed to score a run after stealing home to take the lead by one run in the top of the final inning, and followed up with a strong defense to prevent the Majors Black Team from scoring - ending the game with a one run win, 9-8.
The final score of the game was Majors Gold: 9, Majors Black: 8.