In the course of the 25 years that Mike Turner has been selling sports equipment, he has always heard the same thing from families with daughters who play softball – they were all headed to softball tournaments out of state.

So, Turner thought, why not start up a tournament in Bangor?

His vision, the Turner Sports Softball Invitational, starts Friday and continues through Sunday with 16 teams from all over Maine. The games will be played at Union Street Field.

“The girls here in Bangor need a tournament,” said Turner, who owns Turner Sporting Goods in Bangor. “That’s why I’ve done this.”

Teams from Bangor, the Corinth area, Old Town, Blue Hill, Bucksport, Ellsworth, Portland, Naples and Augusta are expected to take part. The teams will use American Softball Association rules.

Although there will be plenty of softball, the aim of the tournament is to have fun, Turner said. Every team will leave with some kind of prize, whether it’s head-to-toe catching gear or water bottles or gloves. There’s going to be a secret celebrity guest to throw out the first pitch and a skills competition.

There will be plenty of other incentives as well. The evening games will be played under the lights, which is a first for some of the younger girls. They are going to use NCAA softballs and Turner said bat company Louisville Slugger has sent some Spring 2000 prototypes, which the girls will get to test during the games.

The teams will also be coached by some well-known names, including Stormi Wentworth, who coached George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill to an Eastern Maine title, Hermon High coach Nancy Deschaine, Central of Corinth coach Bill Baker and Little League softball fixtures Clint Higgins of Old Town and Wayne Richards of Bucksport.

The tournament will feature players at all skill levels, from Little League to girls who have played in high school regional and state championship games. For that reason, Turner won’t be naming an MVP or an all-tournament team.

“I didn’t want anyone to be defeated and not want to do this again,” he said.

Former University of Maine softball star Lynn Coutts will conduct a clinic for two hours Saturday afternoon. After the clinic, Turner will run a softball skills contest, with contests for long and accurate throws, baserunning speed and longest hits off a tee.

“It’s just going to be a stupid, fun skills competition,” he said. “We’re just gonna kick back, put our cleats up, have fun and play softball.”

Play starts Friday with three games starting at 5:30 p.m. and the final games of the evening starting at 9 p.m. The games start again Saturday at 9 a.m. and the last games of the day start at 9 p.m. with a break in the middle for the clinic with Coutts and Turner’s skills competition. Sunday’s games start at 8 a.m. and the final game is set to start at 4:45 p.m.