18A Incident - ASA Sucks

[NuNu's Dad]

This morning our Pumas 18A, while driving to the 18A Winners Bracket final, were struck head-on by a drunk driver. Four girls were rushed to the hospital and one of the coaches had his arm/hand injured. All of the girls look like they will be okay, and the driver is being held for felony drunk driving (multiple injuries).

ASA's response was a forfeit win for the Tampa Mustangs. Congrats on your asterisk. The Pumas begged for the chance to play, and ASA let them... in the losers bracket. What a bunch of Bull***t!!!


Fortunately after all is said and done the girls are okay other than lots of stitches, bruises and cuts. They did take the field and play a close game (with Elyria SunDogs, a team who had an amazing run through the losers bracket), but lost a close game to end up third. Sometimes life just isn't very fair.

Great job girls. I wish I could say the same about the A$A!

[Wally25]

Does this really surprise you about ASA? Unless you want to spend sponsorship dollars or have another way that will make the ASA brass som BIG $$$$ they don't care. Some have described them as sub-human. However, there is some good news - all the girls are OK - keep it in perspective - the lives of the young ladies are much more important.

[NuNu's Dad]

However, there is some good news - all the girls are OK - keep it in perspective - the lives of the young ladies are much more important.

I agree with that. If they were 5 or 10 feet further into the intersection, the van would have been broadsided and the injuries much more serious.

My point was that the ASA just rubbed salt into their wounds. The girls were banged up, and probably wouldn't have won under the circustances, but the ASA's handling of it was reprehensible.

[Tampa2]

Heard from pumas parents and all the girls are ok they have all been realeased from hospital the drunk driver was going 60 plus in a 40 zone ran the red light. The highway patrol did that test they do. According to parents the drunk driver said he had been drinking since 9PM night before and he thought it was 330am. As far as asa I'm disgusted they only gave the girls 30 min to go from hospital back to the field or it was a forfeit had 2 min to warm up and the game started girls had blood all over uniforms still

[GIMNEPIWO]

This morning our Pumas 18A, while driving to the 18A Winners Bracket final, were struck head-on by a drunk driver. Four girls were rushed to the hospital and one of the coaches had his arm/hand injured. All of the girls look like they will be okay, and the driver is being held for felony drunk driving (multiple injuries).

ASA's response was a forfeit win for the Tampa Mustangs. Congrats on your asterisk. The Pumas begged for the chance to play, and ASA let them... in the losers bracket. What a bunch of Bull***t!!!


Fortunately after all is said and done the girls are okay other than lots of stitches, bruises and cuts. They did take the field and play a close game (with Elyria SunDogs, a team who had an amazing run through the losers bracket), but lost a close game to end up third. Sometimes life just isn't very fair.

Great job girls. I wish I could say the same about the A$A!

Glad that the injuries were not more serious ... but, I am wondering what, if you were in charge of the tourny what you would have done differently to keep things on schedule ... & what are you proposing ASA should have done ? ... I'm also wondering why you are worried about what ASA did or didn't do instead of hugging the gals and coaches and counting their blessings ...

[socalrocks]

What could ASA do? They could delay the game a little bit. It happens all of the time when there is a rain delay! Just look at Atlanta, Georgia and the 14 under nationals.

[DonnieS]

.

Sometimes life just isn't very fair.

And sometimes you might say, life Sucks big time. But it doesnt, those girls are still alive - this story could be so much worse.

Its easy for us looking at it from a long way off to say that you should count your blessings - but when you bust your butts for so long to get there and something like this happens, it just wasnt meant to be - this year.

[sportzjunky]

Thats a horrible move by ASA not finding a way to give those kids some time.. These are unforseen extrenuating circumstances,,,,, like on thier way to the fields got blind-sided by a drunk and injuries need to be checked out..... COME ON USE YOUR FREAKIN PEA INSIDE YOUR SKULL TD! Still blood on the uni's? Im sure thier opponent didnt want to win THAT way either. Talk about an asteric. WOW. CHICKEN-SH!T move by ASA 18UA Nat Director.

[Blind Squirrel]

Think the treatment would have been different if the TD's kid was in that car and/or on that team? Dumb question.

I doubt any person affected by a 30 minute or so delay would have been the least bit upset once they heard the reason. Anyone who would have been pissed needs to take some time off from softball and have the ice around their heart jack hammered away.

John

[PDad]

I agree with that. If they were 5 or 10 feet further into the intersection, the van would have been broadsided and the injuries much more serious.

You're very fortunate nobody was killed. In a very similar accident about 4 months ago, a drunk driver broadsided a car and killed 3 young people including Nick Adenhart, a rookie MLB pitcher that had just made his season debut with the Angels. It is a miracle the fourth occupant is walking now after suffering an internal decapitation.

It seems the TD could have made some allowances for your team since it sounds like there were only 2 other teams left in the tournament. However, it would be far more productive for you to focus on ways to prevent this from happening to someone else:
- Go after the drunk driver and the establishment(s) that served him.
- Make sure the players learn the right lesson from their firsthand experience with drunk driving. They're at that age where they need to be careful to not drink and drive or ride with someone that's been drinking.