NSA Hall of Fame: Cherry Park (2003)
CATEGORY: Park
YEAR INDUCTED: 2003
In 1986, the National Softball Association and Cherry Park began a partnership that continues to flourish today. As of today, Cherry Park has held over 175 NSA sanctioned tournaments. Men, Women, Church, Industrial, Youth Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch and Baseball have all played at Cherry Park showing how versital this fine facility is.
In 1989, Cherry Park hosted its’ first NSA Youth Girls World Series in slow-pitch. That inaugural event had just 40 teams, but by 1996, the tournament had grown to 288 teams. During this period, Cherry Park became an innovator in tournament hosting by developing partnerships with such entities as Paramount’s Carowinds, the Rock Hill/York County CVB, and the Charlotte CVB. These partnerships have proved valuable in attracting top-notch tournaments to the area. Fast-pitch softball gained popularity in the youth program and in 1999 Cherry Park hosted some 688 teams in the Youth Girls Class A Fast Pitch World Series.
It doesn’t stop with youth at Cherry Park. Forty-eight (48) different NSA World Series in nine different classifications have been hosted by Cherry Park. This would not have been possible if not for the relationship between the National Softball Association and Cherry Park – two important entities in the softball world that met in their fledgling years and have grown together.
Following is a list of the NSA World Series tournaments hosted by Cherry Park:
World Series:
Youth Girls – 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003
Men’s Church – 1989,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1999,2003
Women’s Church – 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003
Men’s A & B – 1993, 1999, 2002
Men’s C – 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998,
Super C – 1999, 2003
Men’s D – 1990, 1991
Super D – 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002
Women’s – 1998, 2003
Baseball – 2002, 2003
In addition to the World Series Tournaments, Cherry Park has hosted 6 National Regional Tournaments, 23 State Tournaments, and 11 National Invitational Tournaments. On November 6, 2003 Cherry Park located in Rock Hill SC, was the 2nd Park to be inducted into the National Softball Association Hall of Fame.