Softball is the latest FHSAA State Finals event to find a home in Central Florida. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) has announced that the State Softball Finals will be held at the Legends Way Ballfields at the National Training Center in Clermont in 2010 and 2011. The Central Florida Sports Commission, the National Training Center, Lake County Public Schools, and the Lake County Department of Business and Tourism Development will serve as hosts for the event.
“Central Florida has become the premier destination for FHSAA State Finals events,” said Sam Stark, president/CEO of the Central Florida Sports Commission. “Legends Way is an outstanding, recent addition in Lake County and provides an ideal location for the state’s top teams.”
The 2010 tournament will be held on May 10-15. The week will include semifinals and final games for all six state classifications (1A-6A). Legends Way Ballfields opened in 2008 and was built through a partnership with the South Lake Hospital/NTC, Lake County, Lake Sumter Community College and the City of Clermont. The facility regularly hosts nationally ranked softball events, including last month’s National Collegiate Softball Invitational, which attracted Division I programs such as the University of Michigan, Georgia and UCLA.
“We are honored to add the FHSAA Softball Finals to our roster of prestigious events,” said Dr. Dot Richardson, Director & Medical Director of the National Training Center and a two-time Olympic gold medalist in softball. “We will provide a world-class experience for the student-athletes, coaches and spectators this May when we welcome them to Legends Way for the first time.”
With the addition of softball, the Sports Commission will now host six FHSAA State Finals during the current school year. Water polo, lacrosse and tennis are also scheduled for this spring. The CFSC hosted the football and swimming and diving finals this past fall.
