Summer can officially start for players in the Vicksburg Girls Softball Association. The season ended Friday night at Bazinski Field.

There were three championship games simultaneously being played and teams awarded medals to players once their games finished.

“This is where it starts,” said Jason Smith, Ergon’s head coach.

The main teaching point for VGSA is teaching the girls how to play the game and making sure they have fun playing.

“If they don’t learn at VGSA, nobody is going to teach them,” Smith said.

Smith said the majority of the girls who play for the Vicksburg Warren School District and Vicksburg Catholic School have played for VGSA.

The 12 and under championship game saw Ergon matched against Carpet One. Carpet One took an early lead and seemed to be in control of the first inning.

The second inning was where the game started to become competitive. Ergon was down in the second inning but fought hard and dug deep to take the lead and win the championship. Smith said the girls stuck it out and tried to figure out what the pitcher of Carpet One was doing and said it was a good come back.

“You had the bases loaded and I didn’t want to make the second out at home. That’s why I wouldn’t let my player steal, I just told her to stay at third,” Smith said.

Ergon’s top-hitter spiked the ball bringing players in for a triple score.

“That’s what we were looking for,” Smith said.

Smith spoke to girls on both teams and told them, it doesn’t matter if you struck out it isn’t about winning or losing. It’s about learning to play the game.

Smith said if the only thing the girls get from coaches is winning, then Smith and other coaches aren’t doing their job. At this age it’s about life lessons and teaching discipline.

Joe Little coached an undefeated six and under team in The Vicksburg Post.

Little was really proud of his team and could not have asked for a better group of girls to coach. They listened well and were very easy to coach. He said it was pretty tough to get girls this age to get to an undefeated record because of the amount of energy they have, but he kept them focused on what they needed to do.

“I wanted them to learn the Lord’s Prayer. Some of them didn’t know it at the beginning of the season and at the end of the season they all know it,” Little said.

Little said The Vicksburg Post played very good defense but didn’t get to bat on the ball as good as we needed to.

The girls have matured from the beginning of the season until now. Little said some of them could not field a ball or catch one.

“We had some some that couldn’t hit become a reliable hitter and know she’s going to get a piece of it every time,” said Jason Tillman assistant coach for the Vicksburg Post 6 and under team.

Little’s main goal this season was for the girls to learn. Additionally he wanted his girls to have fun first then learn how to play the game.

Little never had to fuss or raise his voice at the girls and saw no need to.