There have been many disappointments during this crazy year of coronavirus and quarantine! When the sports world came to a grinding halt there were many things that we all knew we would miss and none more than the continuation of the college softball season.
We knew we would miss the games. We knew we would miss seeing the record setting number of games that were set to be on ESPN and all the other networks. We knew we were going to miss all the highlights, the walk-offs, the diving catches and all the great players who were going to be making those plays.
What I didn’t know I was going to miss was the unveiling of the amazing upgrades that were made to Hall of Fame Stadium in OKC. I didn’t know that I was going to miss out on seeing record setting crowds thanks to the increased seating.
One of the things that the quarantine allowed us to do was watch some classic WCWS action from years gone by. It was amazing to see the “old” stadium before the many upgrades and changes that have taken place over the year. it was also amazing to see the empty seats and limited production of the games on ESPN.
Wow, how much has our game grown? It is amazing to see the growth of the game and, especially the WCWS. Our sport has created a “bucket list” sporting event that draws people from all over the world to Oklahoma City.
There is no doubt that the players are a big part of the draw but the investment that has been made by everyone in OKC to create the electric atmosphere that has become the WCWS can not be understated. We all owe a great debt to the people of OKC, USA Softball and the visionaries who thought that our sport could become what it has.
OKC, Wow!
We can’t wait to see the place packed with fans cheering their lungs out for the next group of amazing teams and players to compete for the NCAA national championship!
