Snapshot / Eastside people and places
Bringing the world to Kirkland

By Nick Perry
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES Nicholas Watson, 3, of Morristown, Tenn., sits with his grandmother, left, and mother, right, during the Junior League Softball World Series yesterday in Kirkland. Although he doesn't look it, his mom says Nicholas, who is on hand to see his sister Brittney play, loves the game.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Long history: Chadwick, 70, began volunteering as a Little League coach in 1968. For the past 30 years, he has run Little League on the Eastside. He is administrator of the 14,000 children in District 9, which includes Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend and Duvall.

He has seen some top players come through the system, including former Mariner John Olerud, once a Bellevue National Bears player. As a boy, Olerud was better than average but "didn't give you the impression he was necessarily going to be a pro player," Chadwick said. "Of course, he improved a lot after that."

	John Chadwick, seen during a pregame warm-up, organized the sixth consecutive Junior League Softball World Series in Kirkland.

Tough competitors: The Junior League Softball World Series tournament began this year with 1,333 Little League teams that were winnowed to nine. They come from Puerto Rico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Canada, Pennsylvania, Idaho, Tennessee, Texas and Indiana. There is also room made for a home team, a spot won for the first time by Bellevue Little League. The girls play hard but fair, said Chadwick, who is tournament director.

"When they slide, they don't go in gingerly. They belly-flop and dive in head first," Chadwick said. "I've seen catchers take balls in the chest and face. It's not dirty, but it's competitive."

Bringing the world to Kirkland: Chadwick, of Bellevue, and Kirkland City Councilman Tom Dillon helped launch the tournament at Kirkland's Everest Park. Dillon convinced city officials it would be a good idea, while Chadwick courted Little League officials, four of whom flew out from Williamsport, Pa., and were impressed with the facilities and scenic location of Everest Park, which Chadwick describes as "probably the prettiest ballpark in the greater Seattle area."

Each year since, league officials call to make sure Chadwick and other organizers still want to host the event and can afford the price tag, about $85,000 annually. The money comes from fund-raising efforts, which this year included an inaugural silent auction. The money pays hotel bills and food for the 160 or so players and umpires who make the trip. Little League picks up the tab for their airfares.

Schedule Games continue today from noon, tomorrow from 3 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. The championship game begins at 4 p.m. Saturday. All games are free and held at Everest Park, 500 Eighth St. S., Kirkland. Hot dogs and other concessions are available. For more information, go to www.jrsoftballworldseries.com

Sponsors provide extras — such as an electronic scoreboard from AAA — and volunteers do the rest. Organizers say that when friends and family are added, about 500 people come for the tournament, pumping an estimated $200,000 into the Eastside economy.

Mollifying parents: Chadwick said Little League helps keep kids off the street and instills basic values like teamwork and sportsmanship. He likes the fact that a diverse group plays. As administrator, one thing he has to deal with is angry and competitive parents, he said.

The most common complaint?

"Parents saying, 'My kid should be a starting player and the coach doesn't know what he's doing,' " Chadwick said. He lends a sympathetic ear but doesn't bend Little League rules. "Sometimes you have to hurt one for the betterment of 500," he added.

He loves watching young kids playing T-ball, he said. "You just laugh and laugh, and everyone has a good time," he said. "The parents don't have huge expectations."

Divided loyalties: While Chadwick is loving the tournament, he also wishes he could be in Williamsport right now to cheer on the Redmond North Little League All-Stars boys baseball team, which begins competing Saturday against 15 other teams for the "major" World Series. It's the first time a District 9 team has been to Williamsport since the Kirkland National All-Stars won everything in 1982.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More eastside news headlines...