For the better part of two decades, the Atlanta Legacy Showcase has been a fixture on the summer travel ball circuit.
One of the nation’s largest summer events, the tournament often referred to as simply “Legacy” draws participants from far and wide; the roster of attending college coaches stretches similarly.
The Origins
Atlanta, Georgia can certainly be hot in mid-July, but the only thing hotter might be the competition at the Legacy tournament. Initially simply a Showcase event, the Atlanta Legacy Invitational was added later to supply the demand for more competition.
Initially begun to bring a firm-footed, reliable travel ball tournament presence to the southeastern United States, the Legacy had humble beginnings and has grown exponentially in the years since.
The 2023 tournament will mark the third year that the event has hosted a 14U, 16U, and 18U invitational event during and as part of the Showcase.
With every good invitational, a good prize for the winners is a logical follow-up, right?
Legacy organizers agree.
Cash prizes are awarded to the champions and runners-up in each division of the Invitational; combined, the prize money awarded is the largest cash payout in the game, according to tournament organizers. Tournament-winning teams in each of the 14U, 16U, and 18U divisions receive a $10,000 cash prize, while teams that finish runners-up in each division receive a $5,000 cash prize. Teams that finish in third place in their respective division are rewarded with a paid entry into the following year’s Legacy Invitational event.
“The Atlanta Legacy Event team met with our vendor partners to put together the largest cash payout in the game,” said tournament co-organizer Will Tomasello. “We view the payout as a competitive sweetener for those teams that have mostly committed kids and are looking for great competition. Indirectly, it could help them pay for what has become a very stressful financial season.”
The Competition
In total, 320 teams will participate in the Legacy tournament across all divisions.
Subscribing to the “if you build it, they will come” philosophy, Legacy event organizers are often forced to turn teams away to hold fast to their chosen tournament size. Even for the teams that aren’t selected in a given year, event organizers ask for and welcome updates on a team’s success throughout the year, often taking notes and filing away information for the next year’s selection process.
Rick Jeffreys is the Legacy’s Director of Softball Events; a respected travel ball coach who turned out talent on the field, that same level of respect has followed Jeffreys into the event-running space.
Provided by tournament organizers, among teams participating in this year’s Legacy tournament are the following:
- 18U Invitational: Birmingham Thunderbolts – Kaplan, Lady Dukes – Lamar, Georgia Impact – Sampson, Bombers Gold – Lewis, Atlanta Vipers – Tamborra, PA Chaos – Spina, Newtown Rock, LLG Premier – Corn, MOJO – Lunsford
- 16U Invitational: Birmingham Thunderbolts – Kemp, Georgia Impact – Taylor, Virginia Unity – Spignatti/Meadow, Fusion National – Unruh, Colorado Stars – Roberts, Rhode Island Thunder – Lotti, Unity – Ross/Johnson, Stars National – Coleman, SoCal Athletics – Thomas/Grimm, VA Glory – Mertz
- 14U Invitational: Birmingham Thunderbolts, Georgia Impact – O’Neal, D1Vision Softball Premier, Oklahoma Ultimate Gold, Fury Premier – Ventura, Team Long Island Select, Unity – Johnson, American Freedom Gold, Top Gun National, Louisiana Voodoo
The Hospitality
As the last “major” event on the travel ball calendar, the Legacy tournament is famous for their hospitality tents that give college coaches a shaded, well-stocked place to grab a quick bite or have a full meal, pick up something to drink, or just get out of the sun for a while.
Tournament co-organizer Becky Massave – who also happens to be Tomasello’s sister and the third of three business partners leading Legacy Events – is an event planner by trade. She entered the travel ball space and the Legacy team after the event had already begun, and she earns the credit for boosting the hospitality and event-coordination side of things, a key piece of the Legacy tournament’s growth through the years.
Something new is on tap for this year – bad pun only slightly intended. The Legacy has added a bourbon tasting event on Thursday night that will welcome travel ball coaches and college coaches alike. A longtime title sponsor of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Legacy organizers say this new event gives travel ball coaches an opportunity to meet with their peer group – and with some college coaches, besides.
“We are proud to be the only event company that goes beyond its own boundaries to financially support the NFCA in its mission to help nurture, grow, and guide the game of softball alongside the NCAA,” Tomasello added.
The Event
The 2023 Atlanta Legacy Showcase will take place July 13-16, 2023 at nearly a dozen parks and complexes in and around the Atlanta area.
