JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — For the past several years, the middle portion of the summer sports season has also come to include the end of the little league baseball and softball seasons. At times, it means another season down, but for many, it means the All-Star season is heating up.

This weekend at diamonds mixed between the JAGS Complex, Lakeside High School, and the Havens Baseball Complex in Jefferson, it’s time for the Ohio Jaguars Summer Showcase to display both area talents at different levels, and also some teams that have done some real traveling to get to Ashtabula County.

One common thread unites all these diverse mixes of talents from their area high schools, as was proven by mingling among the crowd at the Havens Complex while teams in the 16U division went to combat.

That thread is the unity in supporting family members taking part, coupled with just friends coming to watch the girls play ball.

With nearly 50 teams at every level, the camaraderie among everybody, even those who have been strangers to the point just before the teams were built, has been a bonding point for memories for many years.

Brian Hupp, whose daughter, Megan, plays right field for the Turbos, acknowledged the importance of tournaments such as this one. The Turbos are based in Lewis Center, Ohio, with team members a mix of schools from Northeast Franklin, Muskingum, and Delaware Counties.

“Once girls in our area get to high school,” Hupp said Friday afternoon, “it almost became a necessity for the girls to play travel ball. With high schools picking up fast pitch softball more and more, the girls need this level of play to meet the expectations at local schools to play.”

Hupp also stated how these teams become a means of families to get to know each other.

“It’s a lot of fun for the girls,” he said. “It’s a great time for getting close with other parents. We have a couple girls on our team who have been playing travel ball together since they were in the fourth grade now.”

Gene Theibert, whose daughter plays for the Phoenix, is part of a first-year team with a wide area of coverage.

They are based in Athens, Ohio, and are the brainstorm of manager Roger Bissell.

“We had a local team in Athens,” Bissell said. :We only had about four girls who were interested in playing travel ball, so I did some advertising, got some girls to sign up, and we have a team. We’ve played in Findlay, Toledo twice, Kentucky, Marysville, and here this year.”

Theibert stated that the team is mostly Columbus area girls, but also is represented by girls from Waverly and Medina as well.

“My daughter and I are softball junkies,” he said. “Just having this team is all Roger’s doing, and it’s given us a chance to meet new people from different areas. It’s been great for making friendships which will last a lifetime.”

The Frost didn’t have to travel quite so far. They are based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Kevin Schlosser, the father of Kayla Schlosser, knows exactly how much his daughter’s participation means.

“Kayla was the starting shortstop for Villa Maria this year as a junior,” he said. “Playing there and being part of this team has presented opportunities both for learning the game and for building relationships for a lifetime. I am fortunate that I am in a position to be able to afford keeping Kayla involved, too. It can be expensive. Many of these girls have played together for five to six years now.”

Possibly the farthest trip to Ashtabula County came from the Xplosion. They came from Clarion, Parker, and Knox in Pennsylvania. Jennifer May made the trip just for Friday’s contests to watch her niece play.

“My niece is playing today, so I just came to watch her and to support the team,” she said. “They are a great bunch of girls who get along so well, and are fun to see playing.”

Area teams were well represented as well.

The North Coast AC Stingers are a group of young ladies that are a mix and match group from several area high school, with the organization based in Perry.

Geneva pitcher Kristen Schupska is part of the team, and her biggest booster may have been her dad, Pat, who led the cheering from just outside the team dugout.

“I’m just here to be a big cheerleader today,” the elder Schupska said. “This is a lot of fun, but at the same time, the girls need to have as much support as we can all give them.

The Stingers were doing battle with the Shock Wave, made up of girls from the Garfield Heights area on Cleveland’s east side.

Andrea Stegmaier had her daughter, Jenna, working behind the plate for the team.

“I more or less have to come along anyway,” Mrs. Stegmaier said. “My husband is an assistant coach, so if I want to see my family on weekends, I more or less agree to go to the games. This is our first time out here, but the girls have played softball since they were nearly five years old.

“It’s a softball tourney every weekend, and if it’s not softball, it’s basketball anyway. Might as well enjoy it. We’ve made many great friendships over the years, too.”

Tim Becks, whose daughter, Kori, is the second baseman for the Shock Wave, is succinct in his approach to it all.

“It seems like softball all four seasons anyway, and when it’s not softball, the girls sneak in some travel basketball to keep us busy,” he said.

The tournament is a major family affair at the local level, too.

The Jaguars 16U team is managed by Star Beacon freelance writer, Bob Ettinger. In splitting their pair of games in pool play Friday, the team was cheered on by Ettinger’s sister, Stephanie Claypool. She was, unfortunately, joined by oldest daughter Sydney. Sydney is part of the team, but a possibly serious knee injury has put a major damper on her efforts on the diamond.

“I go for another checkup on Monday to see if I may need surgery, or if rest will take care of it,” she said.

The depth of the family involvement may come from a little fellow named Timmy Claypool, the managers nehpew.

Garbed in a team batting helmet that almost hides his head completely, the blonde hustler is proud to say “I like getting the bats.”

In between trips to the stands from the dugout to confer with Mom about taking off his sandals and running in the dirt in the dugout with the girls, he actually was having a good time as bat boy.

The girls play to win the games, but no matter what the outcomes of their efforts, the closeness of teammates, family and friends can never be emphasized enough. Friendships and softball make all the travel worth it all.

It is safe to say that area motels are also thrilled to have all these family groups in town.

Kelly is a freelance writer from Jefferson.

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