Enterprise Parks and Recreation prepares for Dixie Youth “O” Zone state

By Jeremy Wise

Published: July 9, 2008

Another summer in Enterprise has arrived, and like so many summers past, a Dixie state tournament is in town.

This summer will be a little different as the Dixie Youth “O” Zone State Tournament will make its first visit to the City of Progress Friday.

Only recently has the “O” Zone division been created. In fact, only two World Series have been played in the division.

The division has longer basepaths and more distance between the pitching mound and home plate than it’s “traditional” counterparts.

Despite the first “O” Zone visit to Enterprise, many of the preparations are the same for the Enterprise Parks and Recreation Department, who has hosted one World Series and 16 state tournaments since 1997.

“We have done a lot of work prior to this week,” EPR Director Billy Powell said Wednesday.

“We’re in really good shape. If we had to play ball tonight, we could.”

Work done ahead of schedule includes booking of hotel rooms, making some modifications to fields and finding host families.

Powell said the work being done this week has to be done last-minute, especially since the participating teams are only known about a week in advance.

Last-minute preparations include setting up hospitality and entrance tents, stocking concessions stands, sending welcome packets to teams, landscaping and finalizing signs.

Last year, the department hosted the Junior Dixie Boys and Dixie Boys South Divisional state tournament amongst an extreme drought.

This year, the rains have come more often, and that has made a difference in the fields, Powell said.

“The fields are in excellent conditions. The rain has really helped in keeping everything greened up,” he said, adding the rain has also helped in the fertilizing process. “We’re having to cut everyday.”

All of the preparations made have two goals in mind.

Powell said goal number one involves the players.

“We want to make things presentable. We want them to remember the good times and concentrate on playing ball,” he said.

Powell said the second reason for all the preparations is to help “fans enjoy the game.”

About 40 to 50 full-time and seasonal employees will work before and during the tournament to make sure things go well.

Area businesses often benefit from the state tournaments as teams and families occupy hotel rooms, eat at restau-rants and buy gas.

“It’s hard to try to put a true figure on the impact because so much of it is left up to individuals’ budgets,” Powell said. “Anything we can do to help businesses and the tax base is a plus.”

Twelve teams are participating in the tournament, and only three are not using hotels rooms: host Enterprise Ameri-cans, Dothan National Blue and Troy.

Out of the nine other teams, seven are staying in Enterprise. One team is staying in Ozark and another is staying in Dothan.

“They opted for it because of more double beds,” Powell said. “We had enough rooms, but we were out of double beds.”

The tournament will have opening ceremonies at Warren field in Donaldson Park at 8 p.m. Friday.

At opening ceremonies, players and teams will be introduced and a fireworks show will serve as highlights. The event is open to the public.

The tournament begins Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the fields behind the M.N. “Jug” Brown Recreation Center.

The Enterprise Americans will host the Hartselle Americans at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.