FOR years Sea Venture Overseas Shipping and Tuff Dogs have been locked in fierce rivalry at the top of the softball leagues.

But early next month the squads will unite as they take on elite American players at Disney's sports centre in Orlando.

Last year the team lost all three of their games but the stats belie some heroic performances against professionals.

Sea Venture player Dean Williams said: "We played some of the top players in the world. We lost by a couple of runs to the team who won the tournament.

"We were playing against guys just out of college trying to get into major league baseball and some minor league baseball players getting over injury."

Williams, who will go this time as player/coach, was impressed by the power hitters who were smashing balls over the fences despite the larger fields, forcing his own fielders to move far further out and stay alert to avoid serious injury.

"They hit it very hard. These were guys who were six foot five of pure muscle."

While the Bermuda side was thrown together the opponents featured pros draw from all over the softball-loving United States used to the luxury of playing regularly together under major sponsorship deals.

This time around the Bermuda squad, which sets off on August 9, has dropped down a division in the double elimination tournament that lets initial losers play in their own tournament.

"We are taking a couple of younger guys this time," said Williams.

The Bermuda team has also been training to deal with the Americans' flatter pitching line.

After the tournament the Bermuda team will split up into rival factions with Sea Venture slightly ahead in league play at Bernard Park which runs until mid-September before the play-off.

Summer Softball League President Greg Carey said: "The number of teams are down this year, which has been a trend for the last couple of years."

There are 27 teams, down from about 35 last year in five divisions of teams, comprising four divisions of co-ed teams of varying skill levels (ranging from A Division to D Division teams) and one division of men's teams.

He encouraged more people to get involved to reverse the decline which be blames on turnover of players and managers, as well as the high number of competing sporting interests.

He has been playing since his university days when he joined a softball league in Canada that other members of his family were already in.

"Softball really became the sport of choice at that point, a family affair you might say. I played on the same team with my father, mother, sister and brother. On a team composed of ten fielding players, we were half a team already.

"I've been in the game ever since, and when I came to Bermuda the prospect of playing all year round appealed to me the most," he said.

He too is excited about Bermuda's prospects in Florida.

"Sea Venture are taking along with them the cream of the crop from their own team, as well as high level players from the other elite team in the league ? Tuff Dog.

"I expect them to be more successful this year with the experience they earned last year."

And he says it is not too late for people to get involved in the domestic action this year as teams are often looking for players to cover people going on vacation.

If you are interested in playing e-mail greg.careyfocusg.com for more information.