The plans for this week were hatched last October when we were camping with our friends at Rend Lake. We decided to attend the SEC softball tournament and booked a campground, aptly named “Hog Valley” near the University of Arkansas. The tournament rotates between SEC teams and it was Fayetteville’s turn to be the tournament host. For those that don’t know college sports, the Razorbacks are also called the hogs.
We had one free day before the tournament began and drove out to walk the dogs at Lake Fayetteville. You may remember Kismet’s friend Tibby? The two of them would have lots of quality time to play together while we watched softball.
We had dinner at an outstanding Mexican restaurant, La Media Luna. It is located in an unassuming building but inside, it is something special. They have a really unique menu which includes an enchilada served with a pecan based cream sauce that is sweet and savory.
Tuesday night, the games began and we watched a lot of games between the raindrops. The storms caused some delays and postponements due to the threat of lightning. Our team, Missouri made it to the second game but not the quarterfinals. So we adopted South Carolina after talking with some of the players at the first Missouri game. They made it all the way to the Championship despite being a #10 seed. But in the end, #1 seed, Tennessee won the tournament.
There were plenty of moments of sunshine but decent temperatures made the week very pleasant.
It was a great week of softball and it left me to reflect on the power of college sports. For those fortunate enough to have the talent and the family support to get to this level, they are able to join something special. Every player interviewed spoke about the team bonds and the sense of family they felt. They all attributed their success to putting team above self and playing for each other. I think that is powerful.
We concluded our week with a burger at Hugo’s in downtown Fayetteville. It was a pretty busy place with graduation also going on Saturday.
I really enjoyed this experience because I enjoy watching sports. The tickets for a week long softball tournament are super affordable.
We ran into some other Mizzou fans at the campground who do this every year. And then they go to the World Series of College Softball, which is always in Oklahoma and is the NCAA softball version of March Madness. I can see why. It is a lot of fun. Women’s sports keep growing and I hope someday, these kids have a professional team they can aspire to like the WNBA.