Waite Park Tournament Brings Youth Sports Excitement Amid Heat [PHOTOS]

WAITE PARK (WJON News) -- The extreme heat this weekend didn't stop kids from playing some ball.  Waite Park Babe Ruth held its annual Summer Classic Baseball and Softball Tournament over the weekend.

Over 50 combined teams were in town for the games, and Softball Tournament Director Brian Mathiasen says the tourney is fun for the kids but great for the community too:

"It really is a boon for the area. The city does a good job of helping us out as needed, but it really generates a lot of additional traffic through the town. I know that all the restaurants, gas stations, shopping they all want to know when this is going on because it really does provide a lot of stimulus to the area."

How long has the Summer Classic been taking place, and how is it run?

The tournament has been taking place for over 10 years, and Mathiasen says a lot of people pull together to make the tournament happen:

"Our association does all the work, it's all volunteer hours, from our board members, we obviously pay the umpires, but everything is run by volunteers within our association to conduct all this and it's a lot of work but the kids have a great time and it's good for the community."

He says because of the heat they did have an extra emphasis on safety for everyone involved and the kids were still having a good time.

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The tournament will crown three champions in softball and four in baseball, plus runner-ups. The Summer Classic took place at River's Edge Park in Waite Park Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

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