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The Hotlanta Softball League is sending 11 teams, including the Packers and the Muddawgs, to the Gay Softball World Series in Seattle later this month. (Photos by Matt Hennie)
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Atlanta’s World Series teams
Open Division
Venom, Georgia Mudcats, A’s (A)
Sluggers (B)
Arsenal, Packers (C)
Steel, Muddawgs (D)
Women’s Division
Riptide (A)
Gamma (C)
Gamma Light (D)
Hotlanta Softball League
www.hotlantasoftball.org
Gay Softball World Series
Aug. 22-30
Seattle, Wash.
www.series2008.org
Matt Hennie blogs on Atlanta’s gay sports scene at www.gaytlsports.com.
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HOME > COMMUNITY > SPORTS
By: MATT HENNIE
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THE ODDS ARE stacked against them. But don’t tell the 11 teams from the Hotlanta Softball League that as they complete final preparations for the Gay Softball World Series in Seattle.
The event, scheduled for Aug. 22-30 with competition beginning Aug. 26, features nearly 180 gay and lesbian teams from across the continent, all hoping for a shot at one of eight titles that will be awarded during the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance championships. Teams from Atlanta, despite taking three of eight titles in 2007, don’t historically dominate the tournament.
That’s not dashing the hope — or preparation — of the HSL teams.
“We fully expect to have our best showing,” said Jolly Bruce, coach of the Packers, who will be playing in his fifth World Series. “Our goal is to win and it always has been. But we also know realistically that we have a battle to do so.”
The team played in the 2007 tournament, but fell short of the title game. That experience, though, provides a boost to the Packers this year, Bruce said.
“All of my players are veterans. Everybody is more committed and we know what it takes,” he said.
NINA COLE HEADS to the World Series for the 16th consecutive time and faces a unique moment in her history with the tournament — the team she coaches, the Riptide, won a title in 2007 and will return to defend it, one of two HSL teams looking to repeat as champions this year. A decade earlier, Cole was a member of the Atlanta Heat that won back-to-back titles.
“That’d be neat if we could do that 10 years later,” Cole said. “We will have to work for it, which is good. We need to do that.”
Ron Leathers, coach of the Muddawgs, hopes the ninth time is the charm. He’s played in the World Series eight times since 1997 but has yet to win a title. For his team, most of which hasn’t played in the tournament, their goal this year is to make it through until Saturday — the day of the championship games.
“The first goal is to make it to Saturday,” Leathers said. “I want my guys to go up there and have fun playing ball. If they do that, we will win games. The World Series will put knots in your stomach.”
MONEY MATTERS
Action Cycling Atlanta sure knows how to throw a party. The group behind the annual Action Cycling 200, a two-day bike ride to raise funds for the Emory Vaccine Center, took some time late last month to celebrate the success of the May event and present a check to center officials.
When the final numbers were tallied, the sixth rendition of the ride raised $106,000, bringing the total donated since its inception in 2003 to more than $400,000. The center researches vaccines for HIV and other infectious diseases.
Also late last month, about 85 people took part in an Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce reception at the Atlanta Dream game. The July 27 event helped raise nearly $500 for the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative and featured about two-dozen attendees forming a human tunnel as Dream players returned to the court after halftime.
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