Teams practice before Friday games during the Elite 50 Alabama National Invitational Showcase, which features 60 teams, at the Athens Sportsplex. Teams from all over the South and beyond came to participate in the tournament, which goes through Sunday.

It took the better part of a week, but the rain finally stopped Friday in Limestone County. The clouds parted, the sun shone brightly and the 60-team Elite 50 softball tournament finally got underway at the Athens Sportsplex.

The tournament was set to run from Wednesday through Thursday, but the first two days were rained out. According to Cemetery, Parks and Recreation Director Bert Bradford, the teams finally took to the field around lunchtime Friday.

“It’s been a struggle,” Bradford said about the weather. “If the weather would have cooperated, this would have been a five-day tournament. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a big win for the city.”

Bradford said this kind of tournament is exactly what he was trying to attract when he asked the City Council in January to fund a renovation to the south pods of fields at the Sportsplex.

“This is a 60-team tournament,” he said. They are coming from Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Arkansas, Nebraska, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. You can only speculate at the economic impact, especially the tax revenue. They are filling up our hotels, our restaurants and buying gas.”

Bradford told The News Courier Friday that he did not yet know the exact amount Parks and Rec would make in revenue from the tournament when it came to field rental fees and concessions, but he said he would not be surprised if this one event paid for the entire renovation.

“This is how we pay back what the Council allowed us to spend,” he said. “We have 12 softball fields, and the ones we renovated are our best four. Even through all the rain, they drained well, dried out and are a safe playing surface. These are elite level teams — they expect a very good facility, and we are meeting their needs. This kind of tournament attracts a lot of scouts, so this is where they want to be.”

Bradford said not many locations can offer 12 fields together in one complex, which was key in bringing this week’s tournament to Athens. He said his department will work to try and bring this event back when the Sportsplex schedule is put together in September.

Bradford also said he has met several people from out of state who traveled for the tournament visiting the Athens Recreation Center and commenting on how they are surprised to see a city the size of Athens have such a nice rec center and sportsplex.

“When we work with each tournament director, we try to offer a value to them,” he said. “It has been a great benefit that the Council has approved the new rec center and field renovations. People are impressed when they see this nice facility, nice ballfields, the tennis courts and the swimming pool. If everybody is happy and they’d like to come back, we can get them again.”