Information about Premier Fastpitch Girls Softball

[Gary Haning]

I have to admit that I don’t read the softball boards too much, the Father of one of my players told me there was quite a bit of talk and speculation about the Premier Girl’s Fastpitch Tournament for 2010 and beyond and I wanted to give a brief explanation. Sorry but I will not be able to answer a lot of questions, information about the tournament(s) will be available at http://premiergirlsfastpitch.com over the next few weeks.

Some of the what is mentioned here is not totally worked out as I have to wait for the return from Gold Nationals of the other coaches involved in planning whose teams did not stink up the Gold Nationals such as mine did.

First, this ABSOLUTELY IS NOT a Gary Haning vs ASA issue, I am one person, I have one team and after two consecutive bad Nationals that team barely qualifies for an invitation to what we are planning. A number of long-time Gold coaches have discussed this for years and now we are going to try and implement what we feel is a better way of doing things.

Remember that this is an overview and may change in some way. Only players who fit the Jan. 1 age cutoff and have a current year HS identification or can show that they are home schooled and their would-be grad class is from the current year or later will be eligible. THIS WILL NOT CHANGE, except that we may decide to include JC players

There will be two 18U Divisions, both will play in Huntington Beach at the main complex the second division could have some games at the new Fountain Valley complex, the exact number of each is to be decided but 48 and 32 is a rough guess. Some teams will be invited to each division, there will also be qualifiers throughout the country. The teams listed below have accepted invitations to the upper level tournament. No invitations have been yet offered for the lower level event.

Sorcerer Gold
Gold Coast Hurricanes
Worth Firecrackers
So Cal Choppers
Corona Angels Marty
So Cal Athletics
Valley Breeze
Georgia Elite
East Cobb Bullets
AZ Hot Shots Gatti
Wichita Mustangs
Beverly Bandits
So Illinois Force
Texas Impact Gold
Virginia Shamrocks
Texas Glory
OC Batbusters

We have invited some other well-known, successful teams but we are not ready to list those teams until we are certain of their interest. We also are inviting teams from all of the prominent softball playing countries in the world. We do not care of it is an all-star team or a top club team. We are putting together qualifiers around our country to add teams beyond the invitees

We plan to have a 16U division that will pitch at 43’, we may have a 14U division.

We will have the use of the new Fountain Valley fields as well as Col Bill Barber in Irvine.

The dates are in August but we have decided to to wait until after we have a meeting amongst ourselves as to whether it is the first or second week, sorry that I posted the earlier dates but I was in a hurry to get something done.

We hope to play all championships on the same day at the Bill Barber Stadium, we have some very promising talks going about these games being televised, at least on a delayed basis. NO FALSE PROMISES, NOTHING IS CERTAIN AS TO TV.

There will no gate passes nor entrance fees for spectators. College coaches will be fed and informed and not asked to pay for a booklet.

That is it for now, look at our website for updates.

WEST

Don Minard
Bruce Richardson
Gary Haning

Once they are all set we will list the committees for elsewhere

[NumeroUno]

Thank you Gary for taking your time and posting this I hope it all works out and I'm sure it will.
Good Luck

[Joe]

I have one team and after two consecutive bad Nationals that team barely qualifies for an invitation to what we are planning.

I like it...

...barely qualifies...BUT YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT WE'LL BE THERE.

[HEADCASE]

Progressive thinking. I like it. Having very little softball history knowledge, can someone tell me who Gary Haning is and what Org he represents?

[3Bsnag]

He runs the OCBB, aka Orange County Batbusters. Not to be confused with the SoCal Batbusters.

Mr. Haning has one of the most historically competitive Gold teams (3 or 4 Gold champion titles?? and several top 10 finishes) and also runs the Surf City Showcase Tourneys.

[blackjack21]

He also runs the Octoberfest and Pre-Thanksgiving Showcases

He runs the OCBB, aka Orange County Batbusters. Not to be confused with the SoCal Batbusters.

Mr. Haning has one of the most historically competitive Gold teams (3 or 4 Gold champion titles?? and several top 10 finishes) and also runs the Surf City Showcase Tourneys.

[Gary Haning]

As was mentioned I do coach the OC Batbusters 18U team and with Dan Hay, we run the Surf City Showcases and Tournaments. Dan will also be my partner in running the Premier events.

I have coached the Batbusters since 1983, my players have won 8 National Championships, 5 Gold, 2 18A, and 1 18U before there was the split in the division, they have also finished second 8 times and third or fourth a few times.

Thanks for your interest,
Gary Haning

[TReck]

Gary,
Thanks for coming in here and publicly clearing this up and giving us some insight into the possibilities for 2010.

Ty

[NORCALGOLD]

Gary,
Thanks for posting the info on Premier.I understand this is not a BatBuster tournament that it will be ran by a Board of Coaches that have had successful Gold programs over the past years.This is a great concept I wish the best to this venture.
ASA has set the bar so low for so long I am sure Premier will be very successful.
ASA without the top teams is just another tournament it is the teams that compete that make it either a premier event or just an average badly ran tournament.
After just returning from Gold nationals some 8 days in OKC I look forward to a shorter tourney in a vacation spot like Hunnington Beach.
...... My 2 cent's worth on marketing this new tournament, with years of marketing experience in sports related fields I have found that having a award like a national championship ring or braclet has brought incredible results in continued interest in a event or tournament.

[MTR]

Your post confuses me.

ASA has set the bar so low for so long I am sure Premier will be very successful.

Then why the constant complaining about the "advanced" skill of the college player having such a negative affect?

ASA without the top teams is just another tournament it is the teams that compete that make it either a premier event or just an average badly ran tournament.

And a team restricted to high schoolers is nothing more than a showcase.

My 2 cent's with years of marketing experience in sports related fields I have found that having a award like a championship ring or braclet has brought incredible resulst in continued interest in a event or tournament.

You mean like a national championship?

Just don't get it, I guess.