Awards night at Centertown
A quarter century of softball, thousands of young ballplayers and countless memories were celebrated Thursday night as Centertown Recreational Park capped its 25th season with an evening honoring the volunteers, coaches and players who have helped make the league a cornerstone of the community.
The annual season-ending celebration featured championship recognition, special awards and a fireworks show (presented by Mooretown Fireworks and Pyro Events with the City of Centertown sponsoring the display). More than just a celebration of another successful summer, the evening served as a tribute to the generations of families who have poured their time into the park since its beginning.
League chairman Donnie Caldwell, who has been involved with the program since its inception, has often described Centertown as a family. Thursday's ceremony reflected exactly that.
Several of the league's highest honors are named after individuals whose impact on Centertown continues to be felt years after their passing, ensuring their legacies remain intertwined with every new generation of ballplayers.
Jared Sain received the John Tanner Memorial Coaches Award, presented annually to an upper-division head coach. The award honors Tanner, a former Centertown player and coach remembered for his passion for youth softball before his life was cut short in an automobile accident in 1998 at just 25 years old.
Justin and Maria Lanier were honored with the Amy Stanley Memorial Coaches Award, recognizing excellence among coaches in the younger divisions. Stanley spent nearly two decades as both a player and coach at Centertown before passing away following a battle with cancer in 2021.
Jeremy Barks was selected as the Donnie Caldwell Coach of the Year, an award recognizing the coach who best represents the values of the Centertown Youth League throughout the season.
Barry and Kathy Taylor, whose names have been attached to the league's Volunteer of the Year Award since 2022 in recognition of more than two decades of service to Centertown Recreational Park, presented this year's honor to Hunter Jones.
The Taylors have long been fixtures around the ballpark, dedicating countless hours to the league and helping shape the family atmosphere that has become synonymous with Centertown softball. Having them present the award to Jones served as a symbolic passing of the torch, recognizing another volunteer committed to giving back to the next generation of players.
Breanna Grissom received the Arthur and Irene Lorance Award, also presented by Barry and Kathy Taylor, that recognizes individuals who dedicate countless hours to supporting the park and its families.
Arthur Lorance served as Centertown mayor from 1987 until 2008 and helped lead the city's purchase of the land that became Centertown Recreational Park. Alongside his wife, Irene, the couple became synonymous with supporting youth athletics and the community throughout their lives. The award bearing their names continues to recognize those who carry on that same spirit of service.
The league also recognized two players who embodied the spirit of one of Centertown's own.
Lealon Arnold was named the Kendal Wooten Memorial Senior Boy Player of the Year, while Kealey Simpson earned the Kendal Wooten Memorial Senior Girl Player of the Year award.
Named in memory of Wooten, who played 11 years of youth softball and nine more years of adult softball before his life was tragically cut short at age 27, the honor recognizes senior players who have spent at least four years in the Centertown Youth League while displaying sportsmanship, dedication and commitment to the game he loved.
Thursday was another night to show that Centertown Recreational Park - built by volunteers willing to coach another team, parents willing to work another concession shift and community members who believed the ballpark should always be a place where children could learn the game and families could gather - continues to remain as strong as ever in the community, even a quarter century later.
