seymour softball team wants to build on first season

A highly-competitive round of tryouts are anticipated for July 28-through-July 31 at the Seymour High School softball field as the second installment of the Seymour Eagles middle school-aged softball squad seeks to complete its 2008 roster in time to begin preseason practice prior to the official start of the season on August 25.

Last year’s head coach Ed Lewis will return to coach the Seymour team after the 2007 squad managed a 5-7 overall record in its first year of existence. Veteran Seymour High School softball coach Dayna Carter will also be back in her role with the team as an assistant coach, according to Lewis.

The Seymour Eagles, like all other like middle school softball squads in Sevier County and Knox County, is not sanctioned to be an official representative of the middle school. This has drawn some local debate and confusion in softball circles.

Lewis said officials at Seymour Middle School refuse to announce tryouts or promote the team.

“When I asked them to announce tryouts they wouldn’t do it because they want to go in-house with hiring the coaches,” Lewis said. “(SMS) had a problem with our coaches and wanted one of their teachers to coach the team.”

A SMS administrator who spoke on behalf of the middle school explained the school simply can’t claim the start-up softball team because the only sports sanctioned by the Sevier County School Board are football, basketball and volleyball.

Despite the lack of support from the middle school, Lewis said 33 girls showed up at last year’s tryouts. Lewis said he expects another large turnout for tryouts this year.

“We should have plenty of girls,” he said. “We’d like to be able to field two different teams this year.

“Last year we didn’t start until after school started and (SMS) didn’t allow me to announce it at the school.”

Lewis said he expects to field a much-improved team this year. He said as many as nine players from last year’s team—mostly eighth-graders—should return to the Seymour Eagles squad this fall.

The Seymour team will compete in a Knoxville recreational league that consists of other area middle school-aged squads such as Halls, Powell, Karns and Gresham. All the rec league games will be played at Caswell Park in Knoxville.

With Seymour expected to field two different teams this season, Lewis said there should be plenty of roster spots up for grabs at tryouts, which begin at 6 p.m. each day.

Lewis said that prospective players who can’t attend tryouts but still wish to be on the team should call him at 293-2894