Mauldin Maulers Host Tournament This Weekend

It’s safe to say that there is not another softball team in the Upstate like the Mauldin Maulers. In more ways than one. First, the Maulers, who will be hosting a tournament this weekend on the Miracle League Field at Sunset Park in Mauldin, are comprised of athletes who compete in wheelchairs. Secondly, they play on a field that was created specifically for athletes just like them.

Usually, teams form and then look for a home. In the case of the Maulers it was the other way around. It could be said that were it not for the Miracle League field the Maulers might not exist.

Danny Brooks has been with the Maulers from the start and said that he and other wheelchair athletes used to wonder “what if” they had a field on which to play.

“We never thought it would happen,” Brooks said.

To a man, the Maulers credit former Mauldin Recreation Director Jerry Frye for making it a reality. Not only is the field a reality, in the decade-plus since it’s been built it’s become something of a landmark in Mauldin.

But getting it built required some creativity.

“We applied for CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money,” Frye said. “And that was how we paid for it.”

The project was a passion for Frye and his commitment was what is credited for shepherding it through the tough spots. Town officials saw how much it mattered and helped him see it through.

“A lot of those (wheelchair athletes) have had a rough go of it,” Frye said. “I just wanted to do something for them.”

It’s clear that Frye’s efforts are appreciated.

“This is an outlet for us,” Brooks said. “A lot of people in our situation don’t have an outlet.”

But just because it provides an emotional lift doesn’t mean the players don’t want to win. That’s what this weekend is about. Teams from all over the southeast will compete in a tournament hosted by the Maulers. It’s to help teams prepare for the national tournament, which is the ultimate destination.

“We want to go to nationals,” said Byron Armentrout, who has been the catalyst in organizing this weekend’s event and getting the Maulers ready for tournament play.

The Maulers, whose players come from towns throughout the Upstate, had a bit of a lull in the mid-2000s , but participation has picked back up again. Armentrout played with a team from Charlotte in the national tournament last year and came back invigorated.

“I saw the teams there and I thought, ‘I want to bring my team to nationals,’” he said. “And this is my team.”

Armentrout said new players are always welcome. He and the Maulers have seen how newcomers benefit from taking part.

“Sometimes younger players are a little angry,” Armentrout said. “They feel like the world owes them something because they’re in a wheelchair.”

But that sentiment eventually subsides.

“(Playing) is more than sports,” Brooks said. “It’s a reason for people to get along with their lives. It’s a way to rehabilitate themselves through sports.”

Since almost all of the athletes play other sports, it doesn’t take long for the competitive instincts kick in.

“We want to compete,” Armentrout said.

The competition starts tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. and the games, played under American Softball Association rules, will last all day until a winner is crowned in the double elimination tournament.