By Danielle Morin
The Oklahoma City Hall of Fame Stadium hosted its annual USA Softball All American Games on Aug. 11-14.
The four-day event allowed players to compete in a series of games, working their way through the ranks to that coveted first-place slot. While many girls from across the country competed in the event, Johnson City’s Chloe Connor, a 13-year-old student from Indian Trail, says she was “very excited and grateful” to represent the Tri-Cities Area.
The opportunity came after her father, Ricky Connor, who described the tournament as “a great experience for all the girls involved,” found an announcement on the organization’s Facebook page. Chloe then attended two tryouts at Whitwell High School in Whitwell, Tennessee, where she was one of 15 chosen out of over 100 participants.
Connor received a phone call following her second tryout, informing her that she had made the team titled “Region Three Stars,” representing the South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee region. She recalled the excitement over that phone call, particularly because she was the only player selected to represent the Tri-Cities, an honor she described as a “humbling moment.”
Connor then travelled to Oklahoma City for the four-day event she says she has been “working my whole life toward.” The experience not only allowed her to play in the very stadium that hosts the annual Women’s College Softball World Series, but also gave her the unique opportunity in meeting three 2020 USA Olympic Silver medalists, including Monica Abbott.
Connor and The Region Three Stars competed in a total of six games, finishing in eighth place out of 24 teams, and landing them the “Elite 8” designation.
Connor, who has been playing softball for seven years, said it is her “effort and attitude,” that has allowed her to continue to improve in the sport, noting the importance of, “not letting one play define me.” Although she will not be eligible to compete in this particular event next year, she says she will always cherish the opportunity she was given and has big plans to continue pursuing and refining her softball skills into her high school and college years.
