Donelson Civitan Girls Softball Started in 1977
The Donelson Civitan Girls Softball Park was organized and started in 1977, with the initial season being played at the Donelson YMCA until the current property on Downeymeade Drive was purchased. A core group of individuals guaranteed the loan to begin what would one day grow to be one of the largest parks in the nation for girls only, ages 4-21. The Park is an outreach of the Donelson Civitan Club, and has weathered 40 years, 2 catastrophic floods, and one core mission: to support young ladies as they grow in the development of character and good citizenship through the fundamentals of the game of softball.
As a park that hosts/develops leagues that only young women may participate in, Donelson Civitan is one of a kind. It also has been maintained for four decades by an ALL VOLUNTEER staff...from concession workers to coaches, field maintenance to parking attendants...no one at Civitan is ever paid, for any reason. The park is a qualified non-profit, and currently holds a 501c3 charter, making it completely for tax exempt and charitable by design. No child is ever turned away from Donelson Civitan for an inability to pay. Through generous donations and community involvement from local businesses, each team is sponsored and every girl receives a jersey, a team picture, a trophy and insurance to protect her while at the park or on park sponsored trips.
Donelson Civitan has a rich culture of providing not only a venue that has historic and meaningful legacy, but is proud that its teams are both competitive and nationally ranked (Travel Teams). Travel teams are available to young ladies from the age of 10 years old up to 21 years of age. By try out, selection is made up of the highest scoring players of each age division. Donelson has brought home multiple State Championships, Regional Championships, and has even won a National Championship or two...Civitan is always a name to be respected in the softball world, having teams that are chronically ranked in the top ten in the nation. But what the culture at Donelson Civitan focuses on is sportsmanship, competition, fair play, character development, self-esteem building, confidence and camaraderie. It is not unusual to see a young girl, aged 4-5, start playing softball and grow up to return with her own daughters to play at the park on Downeymeade Drive. Many generations of young women have returned to coach, bring their own daughters, or have just made lifelong friends that were made possible by the experiences they forged as youth at Donelson Civitan.
"Just a Little Girl"
She stands at bat with heart pounding fast, the bases are loaded, the die has been cast. Mom and Dad can't help; She stands all alone, a hit at this moment would send the team home.
The ball nears the plate; she swings and misses, a groan from the crowd with some boos and hisses, a thoughtless voice cries, "Strike out the bum". Tears fill her eyes; the game's no longer fun.
Remember, She's just a girl who stands all alone. So open your heart and give her a break. For it’s moments like this; a woman you can make. Keep this in mind when you hear someone forget, she's just a little girl and not a woman yet!