The annual Blue Ridge Ball Tournament is more than just softball

By Corrine Gadke

Last weekend, the 10^th Annual Blue Ridge Slo-pitch tournament took place at the Blue Ridge ball diamonds.

Committed to tradition, Henry and Shelley Nelson continued this year to organize and put on the tournament.  Every year, for ten years now, the couple has devoted their time and effort to host this event with no other sponsors. Lois Kootney was also a volunteer for the tournament.

From Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, Shelly and Henry Nelson rallied up teams and organized the three-day event. The tournament brings together friends and family from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation and the Blue Ridge-Whitecourt area. The tournament brings family and friends together to meet, reunite, and bond through a team-oriented event.

The tournament had eight teams that entered; each team consisted mostly of generations of families, young and old, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Teams from Alexis included Ridge Runners, Almost, Big Mama’s Crew, Snookies, Hoochies, Bucks and Hoe’s and Little Chiefs, and from the Blue Ridge-Whitecourt area was the Bannocks.

The event had music, a large fire pit area, a concession, and areas for camping. Laughter and smiles were prominent on and off the fields. The tournament’s theme was in memory of all the past ballplayers from each team or family. Shelly Nelson said, “This may be the last year we organize this tournament, we would like to see it continue. Hopefully, someone else will step up to the plate.”

Saturday evening, the tournament had a Homerun derby, which had 20 participants, 13 men and seven women stepped up to the plate to demonstrate their hitting skills.  One of the youngest participants, Xavier Alexis-Beairegard, only 15 years old, set the mood by hitting three home runs out of five to begin the competition. In the end, Cadeh Potts won the men’s division of the derby, and Tahnee Rain won the women’s division of the Home Run Derby.

Final rounds were played on Sunday, September 20, and the winners of the tournament were not available at press time.