GULF SHORES, Ala. — Literally thousands of athletes, parents, family and friends made their way into Gulf Shores over the weekend for the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) track and field championship, as well as the Southern Regional softball playoffs.

Last week, more than 20 schools across the state were closed due to the swine flu scare, causing a one-week delay in the playoffs. Because of that, Gulf Shores Park and Recreation was called on to do double duty, hosting all six classifications for the Track and Field Championships as well as softball. According to Parks and Recreation director Harold Samples, everything came off without a hitch.

“This was a great effort by all of the parks and recreation department employees, the public works employees, the janitorial department, our police and fire department, it was a joint effort by everybody,” Samples said.

While totals are not yet available from the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, Samples said that at any given time on Friday there were between 3,000 and 4,000 athletes present at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, not counting parents, fans and other students who made the trip.

Steve Savarese, Executive Director of the AHSAA, was equally impressed with the way Gulf Shores and Samples handled the situation.

“Everything has gone way beyond my wildest expectations,” Savarese said. “I cannot thank the city of Gulf Shores enough for their ability and organization. Being able to pull off hosting both of these events on the same week, I don’t think they surprised themselves but they surprised a lot of people. It has simply been a first class event.”

Savarese went so far to say that the track and field championships were flawless. Savarese said that after the one-week delay, he wasn’t sure if the event could even be done, but after a call to Samples, he was convinced it could.

“I called Harold and said ‘What do you think’ and Harold said ‘Coach, we’ll get it done’ and that’s what they did. They got it done.”

Coaches and fans were equally impressed with the facilities at the Sportsplex, as well as the precision with which the playoffs ran.

Head softball coach Janie Wiggins of Kinston High School who won the Class 1A State Championship in 2007 said, “Well, the whole idea of them going to this regional format was to make it like a mini state tournament, and this has been one of the best tournaments I have ever been a part of, and I have been coaching for 10 years.”

While it is unlikely that the AHSAA will hold the track and field state championships for all six classes at the same location in the future, Savarese said it is good to know that it can be done, even with a 48-team softball tournament going on at the same location.  

Gulf Shores proved how to make the impossible possible.