Planned Parenthood hosts
women’s softball

By D'Arcy Rapp

Planned Parenthood Heart of Illinois has long been an organization that has helped teenagers, especially young women, cope with many difficult decisions. In the interest of helping young people make positive choices, Planned Parenthood has decided to host the First Choice 2002 Girls 18 and Under Fast Pitch Softball Tournament this summer.

The event is the first corporation-sponsored girls’ softball tourney of its kind. In the past, Planned Parenthood Heart of Illinois has worked through the public mostly through donation programs and volunteerism; the softball tournament is to be one of the first community outreach events for the organization in the Peoria area. Many local girls are set to play come time for the tournament, being joined by teams from throughout the Midwest. The over 400 girls playing in the tournament will receive the opportunity to be seen by college coaches and recruiters.

Serving as Honorary Tournament Chairperson for the Fast Pitch Softball Tournament is Lorene Ramsey. Highly noted for her place in women’s athletics, Ramsey was once Head Coach of ICC’s Women’s Softball Team and is now Head Coach of ICC’s Women’s Basketball Team. Ramsey has also been honored in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and was named NJCAA Coach of the Year for four years. Lorene Ramsey has taken a very active role in aiding the creation of the Planned Parenthood tournament. Other women heavily involved in Peoria area athletics helping with the tournament are Stefanie McAllister, Former Head Coach of Bradley’s Women’s Softball Team, and Marty Pump, current Head Coach of ICC’s Women’s Softball Team.

Fran Kepler, Vice President of Communication and Development of Planned Parenthood Heart of Illinois said that this softball tournament would hopefully encourage young women to make positive choices by allowing them to see role models in action. Kepler commented that so often, society focuses on the youths that are making poor choices; however, she feels that the softball tourney will allow the fact that there are positive people making good decisions to come to light.

Also, Planned Parenthood hopes that the tournament will allow the public to see the true mission of the organization, which is to be proactive and preventative in the lives of teenagers struggling with difficulties. Softball, being a team sport that attracts many families to the games, seemed to be the perfect activity for Planned Parenthood to encourage.

The tournament will begin with team play on July 20 and continue through the 21st in East Peoria at the Eastside Center, a truly unique sports complex containing four soccer fields, five baseball fields, and five softball fields. Representatives at Planned Parenthood Heart of Illinois hope that the tournament will become an annual, and perhaps even a national, event.

Planned Parenthood also sponsor a scholarship for locally achieving women’s softball athletes, awarding two such scholarships at the tournament this year.

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