2010 Alexis Briski Memorial Softball Tournament This Weekend

By Randy Frey

The sounds of young girls playing softball will fill the air this weekend as 44 teams come together for the third annual Alexis Briski Memorial Softball Tournament.

Sponsored by the Los Gatos-Saratoga Girls Softball Association's Magic program, the event helps fund scholarships that are awarded annually to graduating seniors at Los Gatos and Saratoga High Schools.

Alexis Briski was a promising softball pitcher whose arm unexpectedly broke about three years ago. Tests revealed bone cancer, and Alexis, after courageously fighting the disease for more than a year, lost her battle with osteosarcoma in May 2009.

The local league decided to hold a tournament in her honor, and what started out three years ago as a gathering of about 16 teams has grown into one of the biggest youth fall ball tournaments in Northern California.

With the added teams this year, the tournament will be played at six different sites, with some games being played at the Campbell Girls Softball fields at Forest Hills Elementary School, and the Quicksilver's fields at Hayes Elementary School in San Jose. All the LGSGSA teams will play their Saturday games at either Blossom Hill School in Los Gatos, Foothill Elementary School in Saratoga, Los Gatos High School or Saratoga High School.

Teams from as far north as Marin and as far south as Carmel will be playing in the local tournament. There are 16 teams in the 12-and-under division, and 14 in the 10-and-under division. Los Gatos High School will host the 16U division, which will feature two teams from the LGSGSA Magic program.

"Our family could not think of a better way to remember Alexis than this truly living memorial," said Alexis' father Kael Briski, who will be coaching one of the LGSGSA 10U teams this weekend ."She would have loved the idea of her friends, teammates, and fellow competitors from all over the area coming together to play tournament in her honor."

Proceeds from last year's event helped fund three scholarships awarded by the LGSGSA program. Recipients were Allison Heymann of Los Gatos High School and Nicole Gragnola and Cathryn Paolini of Saratoga High School.

Briski's 10U team will play games at 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. at Saratoga High School, and at 3 p.m. at Foothill School in Saratoga. The other LGSGSA 10U team will play all of its three games at Foothill School, at 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

"To have 44 teams registered to play in this tournament is amazing," said Briski. "As far as we know, it is the largest fall tournament in the area, and it is not advertised. What this tells us is that people know what the tournament is about, and their hearts are in it."

LGSGSA's 12U team will play its three games Saturday at Blossom Hill School at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The LGSGSA 11U team will also play three games at Blossom Hill at 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

In the 14U division, the Magic and Campbell Crush have combined to form one team for the fall. The Magic Crush will play three games at Forest Hills School in Campbell Saturday at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Saturday's 16U games will be split between Los Gatos and Saratoga High Schools. The LGSGSA 14A team will move up to the 16U division for this event and play at 11 a.m. at Los Gatos High School before moving to Saratoga for games at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The Magic 16s will play three games at Los Gatos at 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

On Sunday, the 16U championship game will be played at 3 p.m. at Los Gatos High School. All other championship games will be played at Blossom Hill School Sunday afternoon.

There will be a barbecue and snack shack at Blossom Hill Park along with Jamba Juice available on site in some locations. A special tournament T-shirt will be available as well as at the event.

Members of the Stanford and Santa Clara University softball teams will also be on hand at Blossom Hill school to sign autographs.

There is something special about this tournament," said Briski. "The girls from all the teams know it, and when you arrive, you’ll understand."

Pictured is the 10U coached by Briski, which last weekend won the October Madness NIT 10U Championship in Manteca. Players are, bottom row, Emily Wickham, Kaia McCaul, Eryn Lee, Samantha Hansen, Emma Yurochko, Jasmine Strydom, and Kate Bonini. Middle row are Kassie Pate, Serafina Johnson, Kirstin Kruka, Rachel Bakke, Annika Briski, Emily Plane, and Kate Bossi. Top row are coach Jim Johnson, coach Jon McCaul, manager Kael Briski, and assistant Ken Lee.