At least a few things have changed about the Lady Trojans Classic softball tournament since it first began in 1991.
For starters, 73-year-old Soddy-Daisy coach Clifford Kirk is 21 years older than when he first staged the event. For another, the tourney now rakes in $7,500 or more for the program from this single weekend, making money on everything from bar-b-licious $5 pork plates to T-shirts.
But the tournament’s always maintained at least one constant.
“We’ve always played it on Easter weekend,” Kirk said Saturday afternoon, just after his Lady Trojans survived Ooltewah 2-0 in an “extra inning” contest that moved them into the semifinals.
“That way everybody knows when it is. The dates may float. The weather may be a little bit too warm or too cold. The crowds may be bigger some years more than others. But it’s always been on Easter weekend. It just seems to work pretty well that way.”