When Kelvin Gattis was 7-years-old, he traveled the country with his dad’s slowpitch softball team.
In doing so, his passion for the game began, and he made a goal to play longer than his dad, who’s playing career ended at the age of 45. Gattis played until he was 47 before suffering from transverse myelitis, a neurological condition that caused him to be paralyzed from the neck down.
Eight years later, after constant physical therapy and even a relapse in 2021, Gattis still has the same passion for slowpitch softball exclusively as a coach and travels alongside his wife to coach the Lady MTS Smoke. In their first appearance at the Busch Softball Classic, the Smoke won their first game 14-4 in the Women’s Conference of the United States Specialty Sports Association on Friday night at the Sherwood Sports Complex.
“It’s a family,” Gattis said of his team. “In softball, you’ll hear that everywhere, but you’ll never have the true family until it’s not just at the park. These ladies get together whether it’s at the ballpark or not.”
When they’re not on the diamond, Gattis said the team will get together for events such as cookouts. When Gattis’ wife decided she wanted to run a team, the couple set out to build more than just a strong softball team.
“When I set the goal of having a family atmosphere with a team,” Gattis said, “we finally found it with this group, and it makes it easy to travel.”
The Smoke are based mostly out of Tennessee and have been upgrading rankings ever since the team was created five years ago. They were recently bumped up from a D level team to a more competitive C level team, causing them to travel more due to the lack of events for C level teams being held in Tennessee.
Most of the players joined the Smoke with a desire to play higher level softball, and they showed they belong in high divisions Friday with a seven-run sixth inning to cap off a run-rule 14-4 win and advance in the Busch Classic.
But Gattis said he had more in mind than just being a level C team.
“I honestly feel like they have the opportunity to move up to play with some of these A and B (level) teams,” Gattis said. “They never quit. They never lay down on me. I would like to see them on (a higher level).”
While Gattis still struggles to get the most out of his body due to his transverse myelitis, he said he enjoys being able to coach some of he and his wife’s closest friends in the sport he fell in love with as a youngster.
“We’re at the park every weekend with 15 of (my wife’s) best friends and 15 of my best friends,” Gattis said. “It just makes it easy when you have 30-35 people that are on the same mission, and you do it together traveling the country.”
The Busch Classic continues Saturday and Sunday at the Sherwood Sports Complex and at Dupree Park in Jacksonville.
