Meeker rec softball teams wrap up season with strong tournament showings
- ERBM Marketing
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
by Jared Henderson on July 30, 2025
MEEKER | The 8–10 and 11–13-year-old recreation center softball teams wrapped up their seasons last weekend as both squads hosted end-of-season tournaments in Meeker.
The 11–13 team hosted their tournament at Paintbrush Park, where they faced Rifle 1 in the semifinal round. It was a hard-fought game, and Meeker came up just short, falling by a single run. The final score was 7–6.
It was the closest game they’ve played against the Rifle One team all season. The team grew tremendously since the start of the year.
Meanwhile, the 8–10 team hosted their tournament at Sixth Street Park, where they faced Glenwood in another tightly contested matchup. The young Meeker squad played with heart and grit, narrowly losing 11–10 in a back-and-forth game.
Coach Phil Patton, who was one of the 8–10 team coaches this season, said the program continues to focus on development and fundamentals, especially for players new to the sport.
“As always, our goal is to make it into the end-of-season tournament and reach the championship game,” Patton said. “Priority one is to get the youngest and newest players up to speed as quickly as possible. We only get a few practices before we start regular season games.”
Patton described the season as a success, noting the team’s mix of returning players and first-time athletes.
“We have some veteran players who have been with the team a year or two already, we had about five new girls at the start of the season that had no experience,” he said. “We experienced growth in all of our players, regardless of their level of experience. Watching this growth is rewarding for sure.”
One of the biggest areas of improvement came in fielding and successfully throwing to first base—a foundational skill that can be challenging at the 8–10 level.
“This is easier said than done, especially if you have no experience and weigh 70 pounds,” Patton said. “In addition to that, our batting exponentially grew, and we were good enough to win some regular season games by more than double digits.”
Just as important as the physical skills, Patton emphasized, were the lessons in communication and teamwork.
“Learning to play as a team when fielding is a big deal in softball,” he said. “The girls learn communication skills so that everyone understands where plays will be made during the next at-bat.”
Above all, Patton said he was proud of the team’s attitude and camaraderie throughout the season.
“We have tremendous team spirit,” he said. “The sportsmanship is obvious at each practice and game, as they learn to support their teammates through good plays and bad.”
His favorite moment of the season?
“Definitely seeing the girls figure out batting,” he said. “When we put together back-to-back 14- and 15-run games, it was so much fun! We’re allowed a maximum of six runs per inning, and we were getting several innings per game with six runs.”
The 8–10 team closed out the regular season with a strong 4–1 record. The roster featured Onalise Braaten, Whitney Carroll, Carson Cook, Cara Hanberg, Marceline Hill, Brooklynn Lawson, Cora Ragsdale, Willow Renninger, Anden Rykhus, Tindy Slaugh, Eden Stagg, Axlynn Stallings, Teigann White, and Skyler Wilson. The team was led by coaches Phil Patton, Deloy Cook, and Sara Stephenson.
The 11–13 team wrapped up the regular season with a 2–3 record, demonstrating steady growth and perseverance along the way. The team was coached this season by Tia Legits and Shawnie Moody.
Though the season has come to a close, both Meeker rec teams left the field with progress, pride, and memories to build on for seasons to come.
Photos from ERBM
