Daily Dad News

California High School Softball Team Nixes Tourney For Father-Daughter Dance

March 6, 2012

Source: Glendora Patch

A group of softball players at a Los Angeles County high school, fresh off a massive win and advancing in a tournament, decided to forfeit their position in the bracket in favor of keeping with a 50-year tradition of their school’s father-daughter dance.

St. Lucy’s Priory High School’s softball team entered the first round of the Brea Olinda Championship softball tournament last Saturday, easily defeating the opposing team. With the next game taking place a week later, the team was faced with a choice: either play the game or forfeit their win to attend the St. Lucy’s Father-Daughter Senior Dance.

As told by Los Angeles Times sports writer Lance Pugmire in the paper’s high school sports blog, his stepdaughter, a co-captain of the team heading to Pace University on an athletic scholarship, wanted to stay in the tournament and play. However, the team’s coach decided that a last precious moment with daughters and their fathers was far more important.

“You guys are all going to the dance!” Coach Ryan Nuveman said. “Go dance with your fathers.”

Although the team tried to substitute the seniors with junior varsity players to no avail, Pugmire and St. Lucy teachers felt the decision made was for the best.

“Some of the girls never get that wedding dance with their dads," St. Lucy’s former student and current teacher Erica Hamel shared. "I have many friends whose dads died before they were married. So their last picture with their dads was on the Father-Daughter dance floor. It’s a very special thing.”

Return To Daily Dad News >>