They’re professional softball-game-watchers. They’ve come from as far away as Texas with open-sided tents, battery-operated fans, coolers of cold water, portable chairs, Band-Aids and Tylenol and, of course, the players.

Sharon Meyer brought her 13-year-old twins, Katie and Kelsie Meyer, who both play for the team from Pasadena, Texas. She’s been traveling to softball games since her 20-year-old twin daughters started playing 15 years ago.

“I’ve played, I’ve coached and now I watch,” Meyer said as she sat in the bleachers under a burgundy Texas A&M tent top. “This is our life in the summer.”

Meyer drove 13 hours to the American Softball Association Girls 12-and-under “B” Fastpitch Southern National Championship being played at Shuford Fields in LaGrange this week.

“Playing here has been our goal since we started the season in mid-May,” she said.

It took a lot of work to get here and not only on the softball field. Players and parents both raised more than $10,000 for the trip by selling pizza coupon cards, raffle tickets and barbecue.

There are 10 teams from across the Southeast - including three teams from Texas - playing in the tournament that opened Thursday night and ends Saturday. That’s 150 players and coaches, along with parents and other family members that came along to cheer them on.

Using a formula developed by University of Georgia for youth sports events, the economic impact on LaGrange is expected to top $250,000, said Tod Tentler, Troup County Parks and Recreation director. Local hotels are housing the teams and visitors, while local restaurants also are seeing an increase in patrons.

Many of the families also will add on a day or two to the tournament to enjoy Georgia, including the Wild Animal Park in Pine Mountain, the water park in LaGrange as well as Atlanta attractions.

“We saved our vacation time for this,” said Kenny Wilson, father of player Briana Wilson from Denham Springs, La.

He and his wife, Rebecca, went to the world series with their 8-year-old son two weeks ago and now are in LaGrange to watch their daughter.

“This is our first year following softball,” he said. “With both the kids playing, we’re pulled in different directions.”

But the sacrifice of time is certainly worth it, Rebecca Wilson said.

“They’re not sitting on the couch watching TV and they don’t have time to get into any trouble,” she said.

Sherri Brown can be reached at sbrown@ lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311.