It’s Cash, Carry On for Rebs’

Shane Sawitz never expected to be in this predicament. He’s not complaining. Just campaigning.

Sawitz, coach of Rebs’ So Cal, has little more than two weeks to raise about $15,000 to cover expenses for his club softball team’s trip to an ASA national championship tournament in McAllen, Texas, on Aug. 8-13.

“It can be done with hard work and the help of the community,” Sawitz said. “We’re hoping the community will step up and help support us.”

Ironically, money was never supposed to be an issue.

Sawitz, 31, started this high school division club team several months ago with the intent of providing a free competitive forum for economically disadvantaged local players. Most travel softball teams have a mandatory fee for players which can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars a season.

“We decided we would go for the kids who couldn’t play travel ball because of the money,” Sawitz said.

Nine of the 14 players are from Sylmar High. The other five are from San Fernando, Montclair Prep and Westchester highs.

Sawitz’s father, Reb, has been the team’s sole sponsor this summer, donating more than $2,000 for tournaments, uniforms and equipment. Shane Sawitz kept the budget to a minimum, entering his team in only five tournaments from Santa Barbara to Escondido.

To save on uniform costs, Reb Sawitz bought each of the girls’ two pair of men’s gym shorts and three T-shirts from K-Mart.

“The girls have learned over the last couple months that it doesn’t matter what you look like, it matters what you do between the lines,” Sawitz said.

Still, Sawitz’s players complained their shorts are uncomfortable. So Graceila Barragan, mother of player Gabby of San Fernando, will sew two pair of shorts per player for the national tournament.

Sawitz is grateful.

“Win, lose or whatever, you gotta feel comfortable with what you’re doing,” Sawitz said.

Comprised of girls 15-18, the Rebs’ So Cal is competitive in its own division, but were 2-8 against ASA 18-and-under teams.

Qualifying for the national tournament was not really in the plans.

In fact, the Rebs’ So Cal nearly disbanded four weeks ago when a popular player was declared ineligible to play in the ASA’s new high school division.

But the team decided to stay together and last weekend went 5-0 to win the state championship qualifier in Escondido.

They’re headed to Texas, whether they raise money or not.

Each of the players’ parents have purchased nonrefundable airline tickets for $328.

Sawitz said the team is raising funds with a car wash, two fund-raiser Wednesdays at Skateland in Northridge and selling candy.

“We’ve got to bust our butts to go, we don’t have a choice now,” Sawitz said.

To donate to the Rebs’ So Cal team, contact Laura Acosta at (818) 367-9346.

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Rebs’ So Cal is certainly not the only team strapped for cash.

The California Waves, an 18-and-under team, arrived in Texas Friday for the American Fastpitch Assn. North American championship about $6,000 short of its $15,000 fund-raising goal.

The Ventura-based Waves raised about $8,000 for its 10-day trip, which will include several games before the national tournament in Beaumont, July 24-30.

But Coach Marv Watson wasn’t about to pass on the tournament.

He has a credit card.

“This is the first time I’ve ever done that,” said Watson, who has coached a club team for five years.

“My wife is not very happy with me right now.”