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The Top Gun Invitational is one of the premier summer tournaments in travel softball… you can check it out in our Event Directory by clicking HERE… You can also find other great events in the Event at the top of the Extra Inning Softball home page!
It kicks off today in the Kansas City, Missouri area today and Extra Inning Softball (and a lot of top teams and players too) will be there!
And for some fun viewing, check out the Selection Show that includes Extra Inning’s Brentt Eads!
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The Top Gun Invitational (TGI) has become one of the top summer club tournaments for travel teams coming from every corner of the country, but for event founder and director Robb Behymer, he holds it close to his heart for another reason.
“This tournament is very special to me because of the legacy it holds in honoring my Dad,” he explains.
The event started to honor the legacy of Bill Behymer, a youth softball coach for over 40 years who made a huge impact in the lives of athletes he coached.
The first Top Gun Invitational was held in 2013 in Kansas City with the Maverick Division, featuring mostly elite teams in the Missouri and Kansas areas, and since then it has grown dynamically including the addition of another division, the Viper Division.
This year, the TGI transitioned to Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) and “the competitive level of the tournament has increased accordingly,” according to Robb.
Top Gun’s premier summer event has several features that have helped it grow in popularity over the last nine years… here are some of them:
* Competition: this year’s TGI will feature no less than 22 teams ranked in the Top 50 of the 18U and 16U age divisions including elite teams from multiple states such as Hotshots Premier – Nelson, Arizona Storm – Mathis, Beverly Bandits – Conroy, Nebraska Gold – Singleton, KS Select, Lady Dukes – Lamar, Indiana Magic – Boteler, PA Strikers, Tulsa Elite, Mississippi Bombers and Top Gun National.
* Caliber of Players: The best want to play the best and the TGI is stacked with Extra Elite 100 players everywhere: Of the 2021 class, 57 will be competing; of the ‘22’s there will be 47; ‘23’s there will be 35; 2024’s will feature 55 and ‘25’s will have 61.
* Location: The Top Gun Invitational tournament is hosted all around Kansas City at five well-maintained sports complexes: the Mid-America West Sports Complex; Blue Valley Sports Complex; Heritage Park; Legacy Park and Markey Park.
* Format & Cost: Top Gun Invite offers a seven-game guarantee (6 Pool into Single Elimination) for $995. Each game is 90 minutes.
* Scholarships: Another great feature of TGI is the significant scholarships offered. Each year, the event awards four $1,000 scholarships to athletes and has totaled $26,000 in scholarships since the tournament began. It also partners with the charity Folds of Honor, an organization that awards financial scholarships to families with fallen military members. This also rings close to Robb’s heart as he served in the 101st Airborne division
* Camp: Each year, TGI holds a camp for 2021-2026 grads the day before the Top Gun Invitational starts pool play (it was yesterday, Wednesday, June 16). Kristi Bredbenner (Wichita State) is the Camp Director and brought in a strong field of college coaches to instruct the attending athletes—coaches from universities and colleges such as Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, Mississippi State Cal, Kansas, Tulsa, South Dakota State, Central Missouri, Pittsburg State and many more.
Here’s a recap of the camp from yesterday:
* Things to Do: Along with the great softball, Robb makes the Kansas City Tourism Board proud when he talks about all the great things to do away from the fields. “Kansas City and its surrounding suburbs are very interesting and diverse when it comes to attractions,” he begins. “The barbeque is to die for! We have KC Joe’s, which was rated the #1 Bar-B-Q in the nation, Q39 Barbeque, Gates Barbeque, and many more. Kansas City also has many fine dining restaurants and attractions. As for actitivie, visiting Shawnee Mission Park, Flying high in iFLY Indoor Skydiving, visiting Shopping at the Legends Outlets, watching the races at Kansas Speedways or simply enjoying a game with World Champion Kansas City Royals, there is plenty to do!”
How good is the field of teams at the 2021 Top Gun Invitational… check out this list of top-ranked teams competing this weekend:
The following Extra Innings EXTRA ELITE 80 (Top 50) teams will be competing next week at the Top Gun Invitational 2021 @PGFnetwork @ExtraInningSB pic.twitter.com/30TUeSZqMz
— Top Gun Events (@TopGunEvents) June 12, 2021