The Blue and You 501c3 non-profit organization in Levelland is hosting a Midnight Madness Ragball Tournament at the Oxy Sports Complex.
Levelland Police Department Patrol Sergeant Rocia Gameros has been tasked with setting the tournament up with members of the police department and has even been getting feedback from the organization and softball enthusiasts around the area on how to make the tournament more fun and successful for everyone in the community.
“It has been eventful, it’s my first time putting one together so I’ve been getting help from some of my friends that I’ve played with,” said Gameros. “Littlefield EMS used to put together a lot of tournaments, so they have helped me out with what I have needed to get done.”
With the help of the department and the Blue and You committee, the process has become easier for Gameros.
“There are a lot of different things that we had to get such as umpires and concessions stands,” explained Gameros. “We’ve been trying to get sponsors for the tournament and so far it has been a fun process.”
With having an extensive past in softball leagues and tournaments, Gameros feels that she got lucky with the opportunity to help put together a tournament for the community.
“The chief found out about me playing softball in school and he wanted to do a different type of fundraiser where we bring more people in to play with us,” said Gameros. “He asked me to set it up since I knew more about it and I agreed, so that’s how I got blessed with it.”
Gameros thinks that the event will have a good turnout due to the fact that there hasn’t been a tournament in the area for so long. She expects people from around the surrounding area such as Littlefield, Brownfield, Lubbock, Plainview, etc will participate and make it a good experience for the people that aren’t used to such a event here in town.
“I think we should get more than 10 teams. We’re aiming for 10 at least, but I’m hearing everyone is excited about it,” said Gameros.
Gameros has an idea of how many games each team will get and how that will work out for the few days that the tournament will be held.
The plan for the tournament is to begin June 23, with the first game kicking off at 6 p.m.
“We want to kick off the first game with us, the police department and then play against another team,” said Gameros. “Whoever we’re going to pick, we want to challenge someone such as the fire department or EMS to bring everybody in to watch the first game.”
Once the first game is underway, the tournament will go on through the first night wrapping up around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.
The tournament will resume that Saturday afternoon around 2 p.m. and go through the evening.
Sunday will be the final day of the tournament to crown a champion.
“We want to guarantee four games for each team, which would probably happen on Friday and depending on how many teams sign up then we can use all four fields at the complex,” explained Gameros. “We want to guarantee those four games and then play double elimination on Saturday.”
When asked how she felt about the tournament being held here in Levelland and at the complex, Gameros was enthusiastic.
“I think it’s pretty exciting,” said Gameros. “I feel like the facility there is well rounded and I think we’ll have more than enough room at the complex especially for concession stands and people to go and have fun.”
The rules for this tournament state that teams must be made up of at least 10 players with a max of 12 on a team. Every team must have at least five female teammates unless there is a team of 12, then there will need to be at least six female teammates.
Each game will be one hour long without any exceptions. For registration, players must be 18years-old to sign up, however, 16 and 17-year-olds may participate, but there must be an adult on the team who can be responsible for the players.
The cost to enter is $150 per team of 10 to 12 players. There will be no alcohol allowed or served on the premises. For more information about the tournament individuals can go online to their website at blueandyoulpd.wixsite.com.
Chief level sponsors are set at $1,000 and will receive mention in all radio, newspaper & social media advertisements. Your business or organization will have a sign placed along the sponsor walkway along the entrance to the sports complex and will be mentioned over the loudspeakers during the game as a sponsor of the event. You will also be encouraged to put a team together to play in the tournament at no additional cost!
Captain level sponsors are set at $750. Sponsors will receive signage at the concession stand, mention in a portion of radio, newspaper, and social media advertisements, and the business or organization will be mentioned over the loudspeakers during the game as a sponsor of the event.
Additionally, the sponsor will be encouraged to put a team together to play in the tournament at no additional cost.
Sergeant level sponsorships are set $500. Sponsors will receive a sign placed along the sponsor walkway along the entrance to the sports complex. The business or organization will receive a mention in a portion of radio, newspaper and social media advertisements and will be mentioned over the loudspeakers during the event as a sponsor of the event.
Detective level sponsorships are set at $250. Sponsors will receive a mention in a portion of radio, newspaper and social media advertisements. The business will be mentioned over the loudspeakers during the game as a sponsor of the event.
Potential sponsors and donors can scan the QR code through the link or pay for their sponsorship through the Blue and You Venmo page. Include the business or organization’s name and a way for contact.
A member of the board will reach out within 24 hours to receive the remaining details necessary to process the sponsorship package.
Teams interested in signing up for the tournament can also utilize the QR code to pay for their entry fee. Include contact information for a board member to reach out for details to continue processing the entry.
For more information, email andreacorley@yahoo.com or rgameros@levellandtexas.org.