Warriors softball team to hold fundraiser to help with tourney fees

Summer months are approaching quickly, bringing vacation, activities, and summer sports with them. The Washington County Warriors U14 softball team is gearing up to enjoy their summer ball season and are working together fundraising for success.
 Each year of summer ball, the team works together to fundraise for a good season. The team’s central fundraiser to spearhead their season is a community-wide raffle, with their year’s first prize an 18 cubic foot upright freezer generously donated and second prize $500 cash. A summer season can be endlessly expensive, said parent Mike Tyree, and fundraising is a key component to providing each team member proper uniforms and equipment as well as providing entry to the many tournaments throughout the season.
 “It just helps us get into tournaments this summer,” said Coach Annaka Wogan. “And we have a bunch of tournaments lined up.”
 Wogan, Weiser High School’s junior varsity softball coach and this year’s U-14 coach, said tournaments help team members.
 One of the biggest tournaments lined up for the team this summer is the Gal’s Moonlight Madness, and more tournaments from McCall to the Treasure Valley are planned. Gear often moves up with each team, adding more need for fundraising to purchase new gear as it is needed.
 A focused goal of the U-14 group is to purchase quality gear for team members this summer league, as well as purchasing extra uniforms to provide spares for team members during tournaments.
 “You wear your uniform all weekend long,” said Wogan. “We try to at least have two sets of uniforms, because they get sweaty in the summer.”
 The raffle is the main fundraiser of the season, other expenses may be covered by parents or may feature their own smaller fundraiser of a car wash or bake sale. Wogan said that team members have expressed interest in hosting a car wash this summer anyway, with the event proving a hearty fundraiser as well as fun. The team is all around looking forward to a year of enjoying themselves, with the past year stifled by the necessary precautions of the pandemic.
 “The girls usually are pretty good,” said Wogan. “The girls definitely have fun during the summer, and definitely deserve to have fun especially after last year, so everybody is really looking forward to it.”
 Her fifth-year coaching JV and first summer coaching U-14, she said the young women she coaches in the summer league are younger than her high school team, allowing her to teach them how to prepare for high school softball. She said it is rewarding to get the girls ready for high school ball, which can prove to be much more competitive than the summer league.
 When Wogan was approached by parents asking to coach the U-14 team, she excitedly agreed and looked forward to giving the young women a different perspective on coaching, as she would be one of the first female coaches for many of them.
 “It’s a little different, they get a look at what it’s like to have a girl coach instead of a man coach,” said Wogan. “I’m excited about it.”
 The raffle drawing is scheduled for Saturday, April 3 with winners being contacted as their names are drawn and then announced via social media. Tickets are available for purchase until Friday and can be purchased through any U-14 team member. Number of tickets purchased is unlimited and purchasers may buy any amount of tickets for $20 each.