Wounded Warriors Softball Team – Help Honor Them In Fort Collins

They practice and play just like any other softball team; with one exception. Each member of the Wounded Warrior Softball Team have lost a limb or two, and they lost them serving our country.  They are husbands, brothers, uncles etc who have served our country with the highest honors but at the end of the day many still have that athletic streak.

Veteran David Van Sleet, the teams coach, launched the team just last year to travel across the country playing able-bodied teams to inspire others that their life can be what they make of it.

I knew the guys coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, a lot of them are former athletes and would like to get back into a competitive sport and be on a team again

Van Sleet is quick to say it's not about winning because they have already won.

There are 14 on the team from all over the country and they travel three weekends a month to practice and play games.  They're booked until 2014 and they rely on sponsors and donations for travel dates.

So, it was a good friend of mine, Gordon Jones, who last week started talking to me about the WW Softball Team and playing them.  I thought it sounded like a great idea and after doing some research Gordon and I are all in to try and get them up to Northern Colorado for a few games but we can't do this without local and sponsor help.

Thoughts are to use City Park in Fort Collins and work on comping some rooms, food and airfare and/or raising money through sponsorships to make this happen.  What an honor, to be on the same field as these guys and let our community honor some of the coolest human beings on earth who just so happen to be military hero athletes.

They normally play a double-header on Friday and again on Saturday and we will field probably 2-4 teams (depending on how many games they will schedule) comprised all of local people. Yes, we'll get stomped and be proud of it!  These guys can flat play some ball...don't be fooled.

If you would like to help in making this dream a reality for many of us please contact myself or Gordon Jones:

Gordon Jones: gordonjones@inklingscsp.com

Charley Barnes: charley@k99.com