A 13-14 year old Dizzy Dean State Tournament was played over the past weekend in Lookout Valley. One of the teams was mostly 13-year-olds while another team was mostly 14-year-olds.
The last two games, the team of 13-year-olds won 1-0. They needed to beat the 14-year-old team twice to win the tourney, that didn't happen, a 10-0 score ended their chances. The team of mostly 14-year-olds had won the Dizzy Dean Tennessee State Championship.
You can imagine the euphoria these young men felt by winning the tournament and becoming the Tennessee state champs.
Now, let's remember, the tournament was for 13 and 14-year-old players.
Before giving the awards, the director of the tournament turned to the 14-year-old team and asked, "you are mostly 14-year-olds?" The team nodded. Then he turned to the other team and asked the same question substituting, '13-year-olds," that team nodded.
The 14-year-olds were given their awards with a deafening silence from the other side of the field.
The director made it a point to announce that the 13-yea-old team were the 13-year-old Tennessee state champions, as well. This proclamation weakened some of the euphoria the 14-year-old team had felt.
Again, let's not forget....the tournament was hailed as the Dizzy Dean 13-14 Tennessee State Championship Tournament.
At least, as the awards were presented to the second place, runner up team, the parents of the 14-year-olds showed some class by applauding.
Both teams were also given Tennessee state champ T-shirts.
Uh, found out later, one of the players on the 14-year-old team was only 12, oops.
Steven Williams
Chattanooga