January 31, 2025 • 22 mins
Meet Coach Kyle Lem, head softball coach at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and champion behind the return of the Alvy Early Memorial Classic Softball tournament. He and Visit Bentonville CEO, Kalene Griffith, joined us to talk about softball, women's sports, and the amazing amenities here in Bentonville. From the economic impact of sports on a destination and why Visit Bentonville continues to host successful softball tournaments through unreasonable hospitality.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Beth Bobbitt (00:10):
Welcome to A New American Town presented by Visit
Bentonville.
I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt,and today we're excited to speak
with Coach Lim and Kayleen CEO, of Visit Bentonville.
This is a special episode forsoftball fans, women's sports
advocates and locals.
Coach Kyle Lim has led theUniversity of Arkansas
(00:31):
Monticello softball programsince 2019.
You've served as the interimhead coach and worked as
assistant coach and hittingcoach Prior to UAM.
You coached high schoolsoftball and you've earned
multiple championships.
You coach high school softballand you've earned multiple
championships Coach of the Yearhonors.
You're a busy guy.
I know you're planning for thistournament, so thank you so
much for carving out some timeand being on the podcast.
Coach Kyle Lem (00:54):
Thanks, for inviting us.
Beth Bobbitt (00:55):
Of course.
So let's start with a littlebit about your background.
What led you to coaching?
Coach Kyle Lem (01:03):
Well, you know I was a typical small sport,
small town school guy, graduatedwith about 45 in my class, so
you played all the sports,graduated from Woodlawn,
Arkansas, so had opportunity,really through an injury, to
play college baseball.
You know I had football dreamsbut you know, when you're about
five, eight and about a buck 60,that's probably not the best in
(01:24):
the world.
I actually got hurt my junioryear of high school and had an
opportunity to play high school.
I was a pretty good high schoolbaseball player but kind of get
in the weight room and stufflike that.
So it drove me to walk on andplay at Henderson, which I got
blessed and got to go down thereand get my degree and then I
(01:48):
stayed because the way I gotsick my freshman year and to
play my year of eligibility Ihad to start my master's program
.
Well, then I started looking atthe core curriculum.
I stayed a summer, one summer,two, a fall and a spring and I
had a master's degree and justby chance, my roommate at the
time was the ga for the softballteam, um, which was coach
(02:08):
richard brewster, um athenderson at that time, and he
played actually slow pitchsoftball with us and it was like
, hey, come on and uh, volunteer, be my student assistant in the
fall.
Um, my wife now we were uhdating in college.
She was one of the first fastpitch players in arkansas that
came through that played nothingbut fast pitch.
And then, you know, I gotexposed to the college side of
it.
Never really, you know as muchas I love baseball, never really
(02:32):
decided to go back type thing.
Kind of found my niche as acoach in softball and then got
out, got a high school job andsomehow, by fortune or fate,
landed in this job.
Beth Bobbitt (02:43):
I love it.
It was meant to be and I'm sureit's so different being on the
other side.
You know a player to a coach,but talk a little bit about you
know the differences in baseball, softball and then being a
player and being a coach, youknow pretty much the same things
that come through it.
Coach Kyle Lem (03:02):
You know softball happens a lot faster,
smaller fields, shorter games.
You know I coach football inhigh school as well too, and I
coach female athletes in thesoftball side of it.
It's just kind of I found whatI found passionate about as far
as that goes.
Um, not that I don't lovebaseball and everything else is
just something about getting upin the morning, coming to work
with our athletes and everythingelse in the fast pitch side of
(03:23):
it.
So, um, that's what I like themost.
Beth Bobbitt (03:27):
Yeah, wow.
Coach Kyle Lem (03:28):
And then you know the difference is on the
other side of it.
I don't think anyone reallyunderstands until you get to
cross that line.
Um, of course I didn't realizeit either, cause you know, when
you're a high school kid orcollege kid, you know the things
that your coaches make you do.
You kind of go through it andyou kind of you don't appreciate
it until you get removed fromit for a couple years.
And then you know, when you gotthat short connection, it's
(03:49):
like man, I can't believe that Iwas like that.
And then you get 10, 15, 20years into it.
It's like man.
I really appreciate what theyreally did for me back then as
far as that goes.
But I don't think anyone's everreally to sit across on this
side of the fence until you sitin.
What I always say no one, noone's really ready for the big
chair until you sit in it, typething.
I think I learn stuff every day.
I think I remember some thingsthat I forgot from years past
(04:12):
from day to day, and then ofcourse you're always trying to
learn and get better.
Beth Bobbitt (04:15):
So it's a it's a definitely evolving thing sure,
and you know the adversity beinginjured you you have.
You have some real perspectivesand real life experiences that
I'm sure make you a better coach.
So sounds like it's a goodmatch, and so we really want to
talk to you today about thismajor NCAA event, the Alvey
(04:37):
Early Memorial Classic.
It's the annual softballtournament that brings hundreds
of people here to the region.
This year that your team, theblossom softball team, is
hosting.
So it's happening the weekendof february 7th through the 9th
in bittenville.
Tell us a little bit about theman alvy early.
(04:57):
Who was he?
What's the history of thetournament?
Coach Kyle Lem (05:03):
give us some background well, the man himself
, you know, just kind of one ofthose weird things.
I wasn't expecting to coachcollege softball when I got here
.
You know, to be perfectlyhonest with you, I wanted a
better high school job, um, andI had some really good ones, but
I felt like that.
I wanted to be in a biggerplace and just didn't have the
experience on the resume andstuff.
(05:24):
And I had met coach earlythrough and, honestly, I was
moving down to monticello at onepoint in time to be the
assistant softball coach at thehigh school and then I got to
work a camp with coach early inthe summer and then, um, fate
took us another direction.
So I just stayed in touch withhim and had that connection and,
uh, back in the fall of 2014,it was actually August he called
(05:46):
me on the phone and said, hey,man, I've got an assistant coach
spot that they promised me nextyear and I've got a GA right
now that I just let go of, andI've got a GA that's probably
going to go home at Christmasand I'd like you to come there
and take that job.
And we were kind of goingthrough some life stuff with me
and my family and things likethat it was like, hey, if you're
going to do it, just do it.
My whole plan was to work threeto four years coach early, gain
(06:09):
that experience that I neededand hopefully find a high school
job that I could get and sit in.
Once I got down here on thecollegiate level and really
started recruiting and yourday-to-day operations and stuff
like that, I kind of enjoyedwhat I did.
And then working for coachearly, it's just, it's an
experience you had to experience.
I mean, the man was a legend,um, as far as in division two
(06:31):
softball he's a.
He's a legend, he's a winner inevery, every definition of the
word as far as a collegiatecoach, um.
But I think I learned a lotmore, not necessarily about
softball from coach early, butjust about life in general how
to operate, how to manage, howto manage people, how to use
your connections and stuff likethat.
I think I learned more aboutlife than I did about softball
with Coach Early, which is notnecessarily I didn't learn, but
(06:53):
I think his education on thatside of it was beyond invaluable
, um.
And you know we miss him, youknow it's it's one of those
things that it's tough to sit inthe chair sometimes and we
still got reminders on the walland everywhere else.
Beth Bobbitt (07:06):
You know you know, those are all his old t-shirts
and things like that.
Coach Kyle Lem (07:11):
You know we keep him, so we try to stay in touch
with tradition as much as wecan.
Um, we don't want to forget thethings that he built down here,
because he built a legacyprogram down here, but we're
just trying to get back to thatpoint.
But, honestly, words don'tdescribe him.
To be honest, you just had toknow him to love him.
Beth Bobbitt (07:29):
Well, I think you've done a great job
describing him and honoring thetradition and honoring him as a
person.
Do you know someone who'd loveto play in Bentonville?
Share this episode with themand let us know how it sparked a
conversation.
We are here for you every stepof the way as you plan your
visit to Bentonville.
Are you into outdoor sports?
Listen to our latest episodewith Nat Ross to hear about the
(07:51):
first ever Send it South Bikeand Music Festival.
I'd love to bring Kayleen intothis conversation For new
listeners.
Kayleen Griffith is the CEO,president of Visit Bentonville
for about 20 plus years, veryknown and loved in the community
, but also you know very much inthe tourism and hospitality
industry, and so we want to heara little bit about this
(08:14):
tournament, what it means youknow for Bentonville and the
impact, but I'd love to hearyour connection with you know
with Coach first, and withsoftball itself.
Why is this important to you?
Kalene Griffith (08:26):
Well, being a former college athlete and
playing softball in college,softball is a passion of mine
from since I was a little girlplaying, and then, of course,
more recently having a daughterthat played.
From the time that she waseight, really till about five, I
started a little small fryprogram for little softballs,
(08:48):
because she wanted to play andthere was nothing for her, so we
were able to do that.
So what it did, though, is thatshe has a passion for it.
She played multiple sports, butshe became passionate about it,
and she played for Coach Earlythe son in high school, played
for Coach Early the son in highschool.
(09:08):
So there was that connectionwith Kent Early that really
opened up the door to Alvy CoachAlvy Early, which then opened
up the door to Coach Lim.
But I was fortunate to be inthe room with Kent and Alvy and
talking about what could we doto bring the softball up here,
and Kent called and said hey,we're thinking about doing
something for this softballtournament and to bring in
(09:30):
something in February, and Isaid, oh, february is a great
month because, you know, it'snot a busy month for us.
It's a great time for us tobuild a tourism product in our
community, and so it had thispassion of finding a time when
we needed it, but then alsohaving a passion for softball
and knowing like, okay, what arewe going to do to make this
tournament happen?
(09:50):
And Coach Early Kent, the son,and I talked a lot about what
were the logistics were, andthen, of course, we connected
with Coach Alvey and it becamethis opportunity for Coach Alvey
to bring in teams from all overthe I think it was like nine or
10 states initially and then,and then we went to talking to
Coach Kent early on how we'regoing to do this and what our
(10:13):
expectations are, and it endedup being one of my favorite
events because it was really oneof those big events that we
could, you know, grab hold ofand have a lot of fun with.
And you know, I always tellpeople I got paid to go and work
an event that really wasn'twork, because I have such a love
for it.
Being able to work with CoachAlvey was inspirational.
(10:36):
It is hard Sometimes, I think,when I talk about him.
He is a special guy.
He made my daughter feel veryloved in so many ways.
Just, they share a birthday, sowe would always bring a
birthday cake for him on.
It was always during thatFebruary 14th date.
He's a Valentine's baby and sowe always brought a birthday
cake for him and he just was.
(10:56):
That was special to him and thenit was special to us to be able
to do that.
But he just had that way ofmaking you feel like you're,
you're part of his family.
I feel like I don't know CoachSlim can probably talk a little
bit about that but he was justone of those guys that I always
felt like I could have asoftball conversation with him,
I could have an adultconversation with him, and he
(11:18):
always had insight.
But it was always so calm, cooland collect.
Even when I was like can youbelieve this?
He was always super calm,calming and just really was
became a friend multiple yearsafter we had this tournament.
It is, it's more than just atournament.
Beth Bobbitt (11:34):
It was just a relationship we got to build
which, alongside that is, youknow, allowed us to build the
relationship with coach lem alsoso I love that there's that
foundation and connection thereand truly you're doing a great
job honoring him, but also, youknow, it's amazing to see what
this has become.
So this is is it the 14th or15th?
Kalene Griffith (11:56):
year, Coach Lem I.
I keep saying it's 14th, but itmight be the 15th.
Coach Kyle Lem (11:59):
Well, it was the spring of 2011 when we first
started bringing teams up there.
So right at the 14th.
Kalene Griffith (12:09):
Yeah, okay, so it was 14th I couldn't remember.
I kept going back Is it the 14th?
Was it the 10th or the 11th, or2010 or 2011?
Beth Bobbitt (12:17):
Yeah, and talk about the scale of this.
I mean, you mentioned, thenumber of states involved.
How many athletes, what kind ofathletes are we seeing coming
to this tournament?
Coach Kyle Lem (12:32):
You know we've had as many.
We've had as many as 32 teamsbefore we settled on a number 20
.
Um, I think for the city ofbentonville it helps us out a
bunch with scheduling and stufflike that just to make it a
better playing experience forthe most of the teams and stuff.
Because, cause February inBentonville, you know what
you're getting into.
There's going to be weatherconcerns and stuff like that.
We got a finger cross.
It's going to be great thisyear we're due one.
(12:54):
But I mean you're going to getsome of the best in the country.
You know what I mean.
I mean, for example, I mean thedivision two national and the
Division II National Championsof UT Tyler's coming.
You know they just got votedpreseason number one you got.
Just looking at my sheet righthere, you've got just in our
(13:14):
conference alone, you know yougot Southern Arkansas is coming.
Southern Arkansas has been toeight straight regional
tournaments since 2016.
Harding has been in a regionlast year and the year before
Harding's finished in the toppart of our conference.
You know Arkansas Tech's beencontinually good in our
conference as far as that goes.
And then you look at the MIAAconference You've got Washburn.
(13:35):
You've got Missouri Southern.
You've got teams like that withthe recent success going to
regionals and things like that.
And then you've got some greatteams from the GOVC coming.
You know what I mean?
Illinois Springfield played inthe regional the year before, so
I mean you're getting some goodquality Division II softball.
I mean you're looking at reallygood athletes that are coming
(13:56):
through there.
Beth Bobbitt (13:56):
Yeah, so we can count on the excellence of the
players.
What else, from just anexperience perspective, what
have you seen?
What's the support like inBentonville for softball?
Well, there's a reason why wekeep coming back.
Coach Kyle Lem (14:13):
You know what I?
Beth Bobbitt (14:13):
mean.
Coach Kyle Lem (14:15):
Kayleen knows this man.
We've had a good relationshipfor a long time and you know
from a weather perspective, youknow we fight some things as far
as that goes, but you know thebig part about Visit Bentonville
and having the tournament atBentonville from an
accessibility standpoint it'sawesome.
The fan experience is awesome.
As far as having opportunitiesto do other things as well too,
(14:38):
it's easily managed.
Beth Bobbitt (14:39):
What kind of things do they get to do while
they're here?
Do they have time to experience?
Coach Kyle Lem (14:48):
Well with our schedules and stuff like that.
For us, for example, you know,being in southeast arkansas
there's not a lot of uh, justfrom a restaurant experience
from a, all those kind of things.
We don't get a ton of that downhere, and some other places
don't either.
But the way we set the scheduleup and stuff like that and
every team does their things alittle bit different obviously,
(15:09):
but for us it's awesome becausethere's more opportunities for
the kids to go out.
It's the second weekend ofFebruary.
The parents are generally inthe bleachers.
A lot of a lot of parents come.
A lot of grandparents come andwatch their babies play, which
is awesome.
Um, you know we're one of thoseteams that will let our kids go
you know what I mean as soon asthey're done, so they get to
spend some time with theirfamily as far as that goes.
(15:29):
So I think it's a greatexperience.
And, like I said, being it'sthe second week of the season, a
lot of teams are still feelingout their stuff.
The kids are super excitedthey're.
You know we don't get a lot ofopportunities to play
tournaments and stuff like thatfor about the first three weeks
of the season, so you're kind ofmeasuring up where you're at as
a team and stuff like that.
So the kids are still superexcited.
They don't get they're not inquote unquote the ground of the
(15:52):
mid season and stuff like that.
So from a playing perspective,from an atmosphere perspective,
as far as that goes, obviouslyvisit Bentonville and coach Kent
over at Bentonville.
We have improved upon it everyyear that we've been up there.
We've tried to make thingseasily accessible for the teams.
We've tried to make it a betterexperience all the way around.
Like I said, there's a reasonwhy I have to reach out every
(16:15):
year to Ms Kayleen and be likelook, we've got to make it work,
because it's awesome For theteams that come.
It's very centrally located.
As far as for the teams that docome into it, from a budgetary
standpoint, we're all lookingfor better opportunities to make
the budget stretch as far as wecan.
It's good for travel, it'sgreat for hotels, it's good for
(16:36):
entertainment.
As far as that goes, I mean,there's a lot of benefits going
to it.
Beth Bobbitt (16:40):
Well, speaking of, let's talk, Kayleen, a little
bit about the tourism impact.
What have you seen over theyears?
Kalene Griffith (16:51):
Yeah, I think one of the things that we love
is that they usually come in forthree to four nights.
Some of them will come in thatare coming in a little bit
further.
I think we have seven statesthis year that are coming in and
that varies from seven to ninestates depending on the teams
that come in.
For the tournament that's alittle over 500 players.
Coach Kyle Lem (17:07):
That's only the players.
Kalene Griffith (17:08):
That's not counting any of the parents.
So we know the economic impactis probably right around the 200
or, yeah, 259,000 or and it canvary there depending on the
tournament, the time of the year, that type of thing but we know
that about $259,000 are beingput back into our community from
(17:30):
this event and that includeshotels, dining out, going to
Walmart and buying something,even some of the entertainment,
such as if the.
You know that the parents areprobably hitting crystal bridges
if they can, if the playerscannot.
So the families are looking atwhat's going on in the community
and they're impacting all ofour local businesses and that's
(17:51):
been a huge asset for us andwe're seeing that in, you know,
from some of those families thathave decided to come back and
visit.
I know I've ran into a coupleparents that saw me and had met
me at the and said, hey, thiswas great, we loved it, we loved
here.
When we came back in February,we wanted to come when it was a
little bit nicer and got toexperience a little bit warmer
(18:11):
weather.
Beth Bobbitt (18:12):
Yes, understandable.
Yes, well so, great for theplayers, great for the community
.
It's also, just you know thatvisibility for women's sports in
a moment where you know I thinkthat's really important, and so
I just incredibly a positiveexperience for everyone.
Coach Lim, let's wrap with aquestion for you about a
(18:35):
Bentonville memory or experience.
We'd love to hear, just youknow, something that was really
meaningful in terms of a placeyou went or a moment with the
players, something that happenedin Bentonville that you can
share.
Coach Kyle Lem (18:50):
Well, you know it's kind of sentimental when it
came to it.
You know Albie passed away onus in the summer of 18.
And you know it was my firsttime out as interim head coach,
as a Bentonville tournament thenext year and everything else,
so and it was just kind of oneof those things that you know
(19:11):
you can't describe it.
You know you couldn't fill theshoes.
You know I'll put his hat inthe third base coach's box for
the first out and let him havehis moment.
You know what I mean.
So that will always bememorable to me, just the
opportunity to be at this levelwith Coach Earley and everything
else, and all my first memoriesof being there honestly, were
those tournaments being early inthe year.
So Bentonville always holds aspecial place in my heart.
(19:33):
As far as, when it comes down tothat, like I said, working with
the great people at Bentonville, like I said, kayleen and Kent
and the various people thatvisit Bentonville that have
helped us throughout the years,as far as make this tournament
the success that it always is,far as make this tournament the
success that it always is, um,you know it all just ties
together as far as that goes.
Like I said um, there's areason why we keep coming back,
there's a reason why teams willstart hitting me up very, very
(19:54):
early in may.
Um, we're not even done withseason yet and they want to know
what the bracket looks like,who the team signed up, and it's
always a.
It's always a, it's always amad dash there in may to get it
signed up.
But like this year, for example, I mean I put the feelers out
for the Bentonville tournament,probably on a Monday in May and
I had the tournament filled byWednesday.
You know what I mean withbackups, you know what I mean.
(20:16):
So it's kind of one of thosethings that the tradition is
there.
They know that the visit toBentonville is going to make it
about as good as it possibly can.
Like I said, memorial Park hasupgraded their facilities.
They work with us great.
Obviously, playing at the highschool is a beautiful facility.
Beth Bobbitt (20:32):
So those are just the memories that.
Coach Kyle Lem (20:33):
I have Everything connects and, like I
said, bentonville as far as froma tourism standpoint and being
the hub of you know, there's acouple different tournaments
going on that weekend, but beingone of those big central hubs
for college softball during thatweekend in February is very
special to us.
Beth Bobbitt (20:48):
Yeah, well, this is a very special event to
Bentonville as well the AlveyEarly Memorial Classic, February
7th through the 9th.
Spectators are welcome, correct?
And there is a fee that wouldgo toward Bentonville High
School softball programs.
So a wonderful thing.
I understand there's socialmedia live streaming softball
programs.
So a wonderful thing.
I understand there's socialmedia live streaming.
(21:10):
That will happen, so if you'renot able to be here, you can
watch online.
Coach Lynn, thanks so much forbeing here.
This was just a really funopportunity.
You got all excited about thetournament now.
Coach Kyle Lem (21:23):
We're looking forward to it.
Like I said, it's always agreat experience, always good to
work with good people.
Um, you know, that's that's thebiggest draw of coming back to
bentonville.
To be honest with you softball,softball.
But like kayleen said, you know, one of the cool things was
being able to meet kayleen andand keela through keela's
recruitment and getting hookedup with coach kent and just the
(21:45):
whole surrounding, everybodysurrounding Bentonville makes it
special.
Beth Bobbitt (21:50):
Well, you make it special, Coach Lem, that's right
.
Coach Kyle Lem (21:54):
Hey, I'm just driving the bus, no big deal.
Beth Bobbitt (21:57):
Oh, there's more to that.
Well, thank you both.
Thanks, Kayleen, for stoppingin.
Thank you.
Coach Kyle Lem (22:02):
Absolutely, thank you.
Beth Bobbitt (22:04):
As always, visit Bentonville is here to help you
navigate things to do, where toeat and stay and what's going on
in our new American town.
Give us a follow on socialmedia, sign up for the
newsletter and check out ourwebsite at visitbittenvillecom.
Thanks for listening.
Welcome to A New American Town presented by Visit
Bentonville.
I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt,and today we're excited to speak
with Coach Lim and Kayleen CEO, of Visit Bentonville.
This is a special episode forsoftball fans, women's sports
advocates and locals.
Coach Kyle Lim has led theUniversity of Arkansas
(00:31):
Monticello softball programsince 2019.
You've served as the interimhead coach and worked as
assistant coach and hittingcoach Prior to UAM.
You coached high schoolsoftball and you've earned
multiple championships.
You coach high school softballand you've earned multiple
championships Coach of the Yearhonors.
You're a busy guy.
I know you're planning for thistournament, so thank you so
much for carving out some timeand being on the podcast.
Coach Kyle Lem (00:54):
Thanks, for inviting us.
Beth Bobbitt (00:55):
Of course.
So let's start with a littlebit about your background.
What led you to coaching?
Coach Kyle Lem (01:03):
Well, you know I was a typical small sport,
small town school guy, graduatedwith about 45 in my class, so
you played all the sports,graduated from Woodlawn,
Arkansas, so had opportunity,really through an injury, to
play college baseball.
You know I had football dreamsbut you know, when you're about
five, eight and about a buck 60,that's probably not the best in
(01:24):
the world.
I actually got hurt my junioryear of high school and had an
opportunity to play high school.
I was a pretty good high schoolbaseball player but kind of get
in the weight room and stufflike that.
So it drove me to walk on andplay at Henderson, which I got
blessed and got to go down thereand get my degree and then I
(01:48):
stayed because the way I gotsick my freshman year and to
play my year of eligibility Ihad to start my master's program
.
Well, then I started looking atthe core curriculum.
I stayed a summer, one summer,two, a fall and a spring and I
had a master's degree and justby chance, my roommate at the
time was the ga for the softballteam, um, which was coach
(02:08):
richard brewster, um athenderson at that time, and he
played actually slow pitchsoftball with us and it was like
, hey, come on and uh, volunteer, be my student assistant in the
fall.
Um, my wife now we were uhdating in college.
She was one of the first fastpitch players in arkansas that
came through that played nothingbut fast pitch.
And then, you know, I gotexposed to the college side of
it.
Never really, you know as muchas I love baseball, never really
(02:32):
decided to go back type thing.
Kind of found my niche as acoach in softball and then got
out, got a high school job andsomehow, by fortune or fate,
landed in this job.
Beth Bobbitt (02:43):
I love it.
It was meant to be and I'm sureit's so different being on the
other side.
You know a player to a coach,but talk a little bit about you
know the differences in baseball, softball and then being a
player and being a coach, youknow pretty much the same things
that come through it.
Coach Kyle Lem (03:02):
You know softball happens a lot faster,
smaller fields, shorter games.
You know I coach football inhigh school as well too, and I
coach female athletes in thesoftball side of it.
It's just kind of I found whatI found passionate about as far
as that goes.
Um, not that I don't lovebaseball and everything else is
just something about getting upin the morning, coming to work
with our athletes and everythingelse in the fast pitch side of
(03:23):
it.
So, um, that's what I like themost.
Beth Bobbitt (03:27):
Yeah, wow.
Coach Kyle Lem (03:28):
And then you know the difference is on the
other side of it.
I don't think anyone reallyunderstands until you get to
cross that line.
Um, of course I didn't realizeit either, cause you know, when
you're a high school kid orcollege kid, you know the things
that your coaches make you do.
You kind of go through it andyou kind of you don't appreciate
it until you get removed fromit for a couple years.
And then you know, when you gotthat short connection, it's
(03:49):
like man, I can't believe that Iwas like that.
And then you get 10, 15, 20years into it.
It's like man.
I really appreciate what theyreally did for me back then as
far as that goes.
But I don't think anyone's everreally to sit across on this
side of the fence until you sitin.
What I always say no one, noone's really ready for the big
chair until you sit in it, typething.
I think I learn stuff every day.
I think I remember some thingsthat I forgot from years past
(04:12):
from day to day, and then ofcourse you're always trying to
learn and get better.
Beth Bobbitt (04:15):
So it's a it's a definitely evolving thing sure,
and you know the adversity beinginjured you you have.
You have some real perspectivesand real life experiences that
I'm sure make you a better coach.
So sounds like it's a goodmatch, and so we really want to
talk to you today about thismajor NCAA event, the Alvey
(04:37):
Early Memorial Classic.
It's the annual softballtournament that brings hundreds
of people here to the region.
This year that your team, theblossom softball team, is
hosting.
So it's happening the weekendof february 7th through the 9th
in bittenville.
Tell us a little bit about theman alvy early.
(04:57):
Who was he?
What's the history of thetournament?
Coach Kyle Lem (05:03):
give us some background well, the man himself
, you know, just kind of one ofthose weird things.
I wasn't expecting to coachcollege softball when I got here
.
You know, to be perfectlyhonest with you, I wanted a
better high school job, um, andI had some really good ones, but
I felt like that.
I wanted to be in a biggerplace and just didn't have the
experience on the resume andstuff.
(05:24):
And I had met coach earlythrough and, honestly, I was
moving down to monticello at onepoint in time to be the
assistant softball coach at thehigh school and then I got to
work a camp with coach early inthe summer and then, um, fate
took us another direction.
So I just stayed in touch withhim and had that connection and,
uh, back in the fall of 2014,it was actually August he called
(05:46):
me on the phone and said, hey,man, I've got an assistant coach
spot that they promised me nextyear and I've got a GA right
now that I just let go of, andI've got a GA that's probably
going to go home at Christmasand I'd like you to come there
and take that job.
And we were kind of goingthrough some life stuff with me
and my family and things likethat it was like, hey, if you're
going to do it, just do it.
My whole plan was to work threeto four years coach early, gain
(06:09):
that experience that I neededand hopefully find a high school
job that I could get and sit in.
Once I got down here on thecollegiate level and really
started recruiting and yourday-to-day operations and stuff
like that, I kind of enjoyedwhat I did.
And then working for coachearly, it's just, it's an
experience you had to experience.
I mean, the man was a legend,um, as far as in division two
(06:31):
softball he's a.
He's a legend, he's a winner inevery, every definition of the
word as far as a collegiatecoach, um.
But I think I learned a lotmore, not necessarily about
softball from coach early, butjust about life in general how
to operate, how to manage, howto manage people, how to use
your connections and stuff likethat.
I think I learned more aboutlife than I did about softball
with Coach Early, which is notnecessarily I didn't learn, but
(06:53):
I think his education on thatside of it was beyond invaluable
, um.
And you know we miss him, youknow it's it's one of those
things that it's tough to sit inthe chair sometimes and we
still got reminders on the walland everywhere else.
Beth Bobbitt (07:06):
You know you know, those are all his old t-shirts
and things like that.
Coach Kyle Lem (07:11):
You know we keep him, so we try to stay in touch
with tradition as much as wecan.
Um, we don't want to forget thethings that he built down here,
because he built a legacyprogram down here, but we're
just trying to get back to thatpoint.
But, honestly, words don'tdescribe him.
To be honest, you just had toknow him to love him.
Beth Bobbitt (07:29):
Well, I think you've done a great job
describing him and honoring thetradition and honoring him as a
person.
Do you know someone who'd loveto play in Bentonville?
Share this episode with themand let us know how it sparked a
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(07:51):
first ever Send it South Bikeand Music Festival.
I'd love to bring Kayleen intothis conversation For new
listeners.
Kayleen Griffith is the CEO,president of Visit Bentonville
for about 20 plus years, veryknown and loved in the community
, but also you know very much inthe tourism and hospitality
industry, and so we want to heara little bit about this
(08:14):
tournament, what it means youknow for Bentonville and the
impact, but I'd love to hearyour connection with you know
with Coach first, and withsoftball itself.
Why is this important to you?
Kalene Griffith (08:26):
Well, being a former college athlete and
playing softball in college,softball is a passion of mine
from since I was a little girlplaying, and then, of course,
more recently having a daughterthat played.
From the time that she waseight, really till about five, I
started a little small fryprogram for little softballs,
(08:48):
because she wanted to play andthere was nothing for her, so we
were able to do that.
So what it did, though, is thatshe has a passion for it.
She played multiple sports, butshe became passionate about it,
and she played for Coach Earlythe son in high school, played
for Coach Early the son in highschool.
(09:08):
So there was that connectionwith Kent Early that really
opened up the door to Alvy CoachAlvy Early, which then opened
up the door to Coach Lim.
But I was fortunate to be inthe room with Kent and Alvy and
talking about what could we doto bring the softball up here,
and Kent called and said hey,we're thinking about doing
something for this softballtournament and to bring in
(09:30):
something in February, and Isaid, oh, february is a great
month because, you know, it'snot a busy month for us.
It's a great time for us tobuild a tourism product in our
community, and so it had thispassion of finding a time when
we needed it, but then alsohaving a passion for softball
and knowing like, okay, what arewe going to do to make this
tournament happen?
(09:50):
And Coach Early Kent, the son,and I talked a lot about what
were the logistics were, andthen, of course, we connected
with Coach Alvey and it becamethis opportunity for Coach Alvey
to bring in teams from all overthe I think it was like nine or
10 states initially and then,and then we went to talking to
Coach Kent early on how we'regoing to do this and what our
(10:13):
expectations are, and it endedup being one of my favorite
events because it was really oneof those big events that we
could, you know, grab hold ofand have a lot of fun with.
And you know, I always tellpeople I got paid to go and work
an event that really wasn'twork, because I have such a love
for it.
Being able to work with CoachAlvey was inspirational.
(10:36):
It is hard Sometimes, I think,when I talk about him.
He is a special guy.
He made my daughter feel veryloved in so many ways.
Just, they share a birthday, sowe would always bring a
birthday cake for him on.
It was always during thatFebruary 14th date.
He's a Valentine's baby and sowe always brought a birthday
cake for him and he just was.
(10:56):
That was special to him and thenit was special to us to be able
to do that.
But he just had that way ofmaking you feel like you're,
you're part of his family.
I feel like I don't know CoachSlim can probably talk a little
bit about that but he was justone of those guys that I always
felt like I could have asoftball conversation with him,
I could have an adultconversation with him, and he
(11:18):
always had insight.
But it was always so calm, cooland collect.
Even when I was like can youbelieve this?
He was always super calm,calming and just really was
became a friend multiple yearsafter we had this tournament.
It is, it's more than just atournament.
Beth Bobbitt (11:34):
It was just a relationship we got to build
which, alongside that is, youknow, allowed us to build the
relationship with coach lem alsoso I love that there's that
foundation and connection thereand truly you're doing a great
job honoring him, but also, youknow, it's amazing to see what
this has become.
So this is is it the 14th or15th?
Kalene Griffith (11:56):
year, Coach Lem I.
I keep saying it's 14th, but itmight be the 15th.
Coach Kyle Lem (11:59):
Well, it was the spring of 2011 when we first
started bringing teams up there.
So right at the 14th.
Kalene Griffith (12:09):
Yeah, okay, so it was 14th I couldn't remember.
I kept going back Is it the 14th?
Was it the 10th or the 11th, or2010 or 2011?
Beth Bobbitt (12:17):
Yeah, and talk about the scale of this.
I mean, you mentioned, thenumber of states involved.
How many athletes, what kind ofathletes are we seeing coming
to this tournament?
Coach Kyle Lem (12:32):
You know we've had as many.
We've had as many as 32 teamsbefore we settled on a number 20
.
Um, I think for the city ofbentonville it helps us out a
bunch with scheduling and stufflike that just to make it a
better playing experience forthe most of the teams and stuff.
Because, cause February inBentonville, you know what
you're getting into.
There's going to be weatherconcerns and stuff like that.
We got a finger cross.
It's going to be great thisyear we're due one.
(12:54):
But I mean you're going to getsome of the best in the country.
You know what I mean.
I mean, for example, I mean thedivision two national and the
Division II National Championsof UT Tyler's coming.
You know they just got votedpreseason number one you got.
Just looking at my sheet righthere, you've got just in our
(13:14):
conference alone, you know yougot Southern Arkansas is coming.
Southern Arkansas has been toeight straight regional
tournaments since 2016.
Harding has been in a regionlast year and the year before
Harding's finished in the toppart of our conference.
You know Arkansas Tech's beencontinually good in our
conference as far as that goes.
And then you look at the MIAAconference You've got Washburn.
(13:35):
You've got Missouri Southern.
You've got teams like that withthe recent success going to
regionals and things like that.
And then you've got some greatteams from the GOVC coming.
You know what I mean?
Illinois Springfield played inthe regional the year before, so
I mean you're getting some goodquality Division II softball.
I mean you're looking at reallygood athletes that are coming
(13:56):
through there.
Beth Bobbitt (13:56):
Yeah, so we can count on the excellence of the
players.
What else, from just anexperience perspective, what
have you seen?
What's the support like inBentonville for softball?
Well, there's a reason why wekeep coming back.
Coach Kyle Lem (14:13):
You know what I?
Beth Bobbitt (14:13):
mean.
Coach Kyle Lem (14:15):
Kayleen knows this man.
We've had a good relationshipfor a long time and you know
from a weather perspective, youknow we fight some things as far
as that goes, but you know thebig part about Visit Bentonville
and having the tournament atBentonville from an
accessibility standpoint it'sawesome.
The fan experience is awesome.
As far as having opportunitiesto do other things as well too,
(14:38):
it's easily managed.
Beth Bobbitt (14:39):
What kind of things do they get to do while
they're here?
Do they have time to experience?
Coach Kyle Lem (14:48):
Well with our schedules and stuff like that.
For us, for example, you know,being in southeast arkansas
there's not a lot of uh, justfrom a restaurant experience
from a, all those kind of things.
We don't get a ton of that downhere, and some other places
don't either.
But the way we set the scheduleup and stuff like that and
every team does their things alittle bit different obviously,
(15:09):
but for us it's awesome becausethere's more opportunities for
the kids to go out.
It's the second weekend ofFebruary.
The parents are generally inthe bleachers.
A lot of a lot of parents come.
A lot of grandparents come andwatch their babies play, which
is awesome.
Um, you know we're one of thoseteams that will let our kids go
you know what I mean as soon asthey're done, so they get to
spend some time with theirfamily as far as that goes.
(15:29):
So I think it's a greatexperience.
And, like I said, being it'sthe second week of the season, a
lot of teams are still feelingout their stuff.
The kids are super excitedthey're.
You know we don't get a lot ofopportunities to play
tournaments and stuff like thatfor about the first three weeks
of the season, so you're kind ofmeasuring up where you're at as
a team and stuff like that.
So the kids are still superexcited.
They don't get they're not inquote unquote the ground of the
(15:52):
mid season and stuff like that.
So from a playing perspective,from an atmosphere perspective,
as far as that goes, obviouslyvisit Bentonville and coach Kent
over at Bentonville.
We have improved upon it everyyear that we've been up there.
We've tried to make thingseasily accessible for the teams.
We've tried to make it a betterexperience all the way around.
Like I said, there's a reasonwhy I have to reach out every
(16:15):
year to Ms Kayleen and be likelook, we've got to make it work,
because it's awesome For theteams that come.
It's very centrally located.
As far as for the teams that docome into it, from a budgetary
standpoint, we're all lookingfor better opportunities to make
the budget stretch as far as wecan.
It's good for travel, it'sgreat for hotels, it's good for
(16:36):
entertainment.
As far as that goes, I mean,there's a lot of benefits going
to it.
Beth Bobbitt (16:40):
Well, speaking of, let's talk, Kayleen, a little
bit about the tourism impact.
What have you seen over theyears?
Kalene Griffith (16:51):
Yeah, I think one of the things that we love
is that they usually come in forthree to four nights.
Some of them will come in thatare coming in a little bit
further.
I think we have seven statesthis year that are coming in and
that varies from seven to ninestates depending on the teams
that come in.
For the tournament that's alittle over 500 players.
Coach Kyle Lem (17:07):
That's only the players.
Kalene Griffith (17:08):
That's not counting any of the parents.
So we know the economic impactis probably right around the 200
or, yeah, 259,000 or and it canvary there depending on the
tournament, the time of the year, that type of thing but we know
that about $259,000 are beingput back into our community from
(17:30):
this event and that includeshotels, dining out, going to
Walmart and buying something,even some of the entertainment,
such as if the.
You know that the parents areprobably hitting crystal bridges
if they can, if the playerscannot.
So the families are looking atwhat's going on in the community
and they're impacting all ofour local businesses and that's
(17:51):
been a huge asset for us andwe're seeing that in, you know,
from some of those families thathave decided to come back and
visit.
I know I've ran into a coupleparents that saw me and had met
me at the and said, hey, thiswas great, we loved it, we loved
here.
When we came back in February,we wanted to come when it was a
little bit nicer and got toexperience a little bit warmer
(18:11):
weather.
Beth Bobbitt (18:12):
Yes, understandable.
Yes, well so, great for theplayers, great for the community
.
It's also, just you know thatvisibility for women's sports in
a moment where you know I thinkthat's really important, and so
I just incredibly a positiveexperience for everyone.
Coach Lim, let's wrap with aquestion for you about a
(18:35):
Bentonville memory or experience.
We'd love to hear, just youknow, something that was really
meaningful in terms of a placeyou went or a moment with the
players, something that happenedin Bentonville that you can
share.
Coach Kyle Lem (18:50):
Well, you know it's kind of sentimental when it
came to it.
You know Albie passed away onus in the summer of 18.
And you know it was my firsttime out as interim head coach,
as a Bentonville tournament thenext year and everything else,
so and it was just kind of oneof those things that you know
(19:11):
you can't describe it.
You know you couldn't fill theshoes.
You know I'll put his hat inthe third base coach's box for
the first out and let him havehis moment.
You know what I mean.
So that will always bememorable to me, just the
opportunity to be at this levelwith Coach Earley and everything
else, and all my first memoriesof being there honestly, were
those tournaments being early inthe year.
So Bentonville always holds aspecial place in my heart.
(19:33):
As far as, when it comes down tothat, like I said, working with
the great people at Bentonville, like I said, kayleen and Kent
and the various people thatvisit Bentonville that have
helped us throughout the years,as far as make this tournament
the success that it always is,far as make this tournament the
success that it always is, um,you know it all just ties
together as far as that goes.
Like I said um, there's areason why we keep coming back,
there's a reason why teams willstart hitting me up very, very
(19:54):
early in may.
Um, we're not even done withseason yet and they want to know
what the bracket looks like,who the team signed up, and it's
always a.
It's always a, it's always amad dash there in may to get it
signed up.
But like this year, for example, I mean I put the feelers out
for the Bentonville tournament,probably on a Monday in May and
I had the tournament filled byWednesday.
You know what I mean withbackups, you know what I mean.
(20:16):
So it's kind of one of thosethings that the tradition is
there.
They know that the visit toBentonville is going to make it
about as good as it possibly can.
Like I said, memorial Park hasupgraded their facilities.
They work with us great.
Obviously, playing at the highschool is a beautiful facility.
Beth Bobbitt (20:32):
So those are just the memories that.
Coach Kyle Lem (20:33):
I have Everything connects and, like I
said, bentonville as far as froma tourism standpoint and being
the hub of you know, there's acouple different tournaments
going on that weekend, but beingone of those big central hubs
for college softball during thatweekend in February is very
special to us.
Beth Bobbitt (20:48):
Yeah, well, this is a very special event to
Bentonville as well the AlveyEarly Memorial Classic, February
7th through the 9th.
Spectators are welcome, correct?
And there is a fee that wouldgo toward Bentonville High
School softball programs.
So a wonderful thing.
I understand there's socialmedia live streaming softball
programs.
So a wonderful thing.
I understand there's socialmedia live streaming.
(21:10):
That will happen, so if you'renot able to be here, you can
watch online.
Coach Lynn, thanks so much forbeing here.
This was just a really funopportunity.
You got all excited about thetournament now.
Coach Kyle Lem (21:23):
We're looking forward to it.
Like I said, it's always agreat experience, always good to
work with good people.
Um, you know, that's that's thebiggest draw of coming back to
bentonville.
To be honest with you softball,softball.
But like kayleen said, you know, one of the cool things was
being able to meet kayleen andand keela through keela's
recruitment and getting hookedup with coach kent and just the
(21:45):
whole surrounding, everybodysurrounding Bentonville makes it
special.
Beth Bobbitt (21:50):
Well, you make it special, Coach Lem, that's right
.
Coach Kyle Lem (21:54):
Hey, I'm just driving the bus, no big deal.
Beth Bobbitt (21:57):
Oh, there's more to that.
Well, thank you both.
Thanks, Kayleen, for stoppingin.
Thank you.
Coach Kyle Lem (22:02):
Absolutely, thank you.
Beth Bobbitt (22:04):
As always, visit Bentonville is here to help you
navigate things to do, where toeat and stay and what's going on
in our new American town.
Give us a follow on socialmedia, sign up for the
newsletter and check out ourwebsite at visitbittenvillecom.
Thanks for listening.
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