CLIFTON, Texas (KXXV) — For the first time ever at Parsons Sports Ranch, hundreds of high school softball players showcase their talent in front of colleges like Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas, Auburn and more.
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Speaking with these coaches, they talk about the facility these kids can use.
"This is a true field of dreams. Like if you build it, they'll come. If you have the right tournaments here and the connections to bring them in, which I think they do, then you're going to get all kinds of college coaches from the SEC and the Big 12, Big 10," Texas A&M softball assistant coach Russ Heffley said.
"Coming out here and seeing it firsthand, it's a whole different level, great experience, softball and what Stuart's done here is just phenomenal for the community and for, for our athletes in this area and statewide for that matter," Baylor softball head coach Glenn Moore said.
With a facility like this providing a chance to be recruited for neighborhood student athletes, it's an opportunity they don't want to miss.
"We talked a lot about gratitude and I'm like, this is a place where, you know, hopefully, this is what it's going to look like a lot moving forward, but there's not that many places out here like this at the moment," Auburn softball assistant coach DJ Sanders said.
"I mean, we built this so our kids could, you know, play. We didn't have to go two different directions. How people can interact with each other instead of just sit in some stands and burn it up, they can be in this, you know, air-conditioned basically suite and I think people get to know each other a little bit better. We get to know them and I think it's kind of a special place," Founder of Parsons Sports Ranch, Stuart Parsons, said.
It's been a packed weekend for the complex and with kids coming from all over, the sport will see growth in the Lone Star State.
"Growing up here and you know, obviously we didn't have nothing like this, but you know I feel like what we can do for baseball and softball is this weekend...the sky's the limit," Parsons said.
"You can't put a value on it. It's Central Texas. It'll draw from, you know, the metro area, Dallas Fort Worth, but a facility like this will draw nationwide once the word gets out," Moore said.
The sports complex plans to host a similar event in the near future.
