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Corporate America

by roadrunner12 » Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:10 pm

Can someone please explain to me why a team such as the Firecrackers along with other organizations are fielding teams in other cities. For example at one time when you played the Firecrackers you new you were playing a top notched team/organization. Not to put down the other Firecracker teams but the caliber of play with some of the newly added Firecracker teams just does not match up to the Firecracker caliber of the past. Is it a corporate thing or is the organization trying to expand their wings to cover more georgraphical areas? In central California the Dirt dogs are sponsored by Mizuno. In Bakersfield I watched a Bownet sponsored team I expected to be top notch. Disappointed does not explain how I really felt. Can someone please educate me.

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by exD1dad » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:24 pm

I heard Tony Rico's quote was "I want Firecrackers to be like KFC franchises,...everywhere"

Some will say he's taking X amount of dollars per player, getting kickbacks from all the sponsors/providers etc who all FC teams must buy from & that it's all about the money I don't know any of those facts (unless it's something he owns &/or puts his name & has all the FC girls purchase, monthly like like RTA ). In that way it is Incorporating the brand only without the control of the product.

Others will say the FC brand teaches sound practice & technique, life lessons & how to "Play with Honor" & provides girls opportunities they might never had had and that he makes college dreams of playing softball come true, etc.....If he didn't do it someone else would, you mentioned Bownet, then there's Batbusters & Mizuno etc...

I don't see the NCAA or NAIA or DII or III adding schools so it just makes softball a cottage industry of which simple economics of supply & demand for the product offered to the consumer. It's a business for sure.
"It's not giving up if you discover you've been chasing the wrong destiny" -Morley LA street artist who posted this on Melrose Avenue in Jan '14
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by ontheblack » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:44 pm

exD1dad wrote:I heard Tony Rico's quote was "I want Firecrackers to be like KFC franchises,...everywhere"

Some will say he's taking X amount of dollars per player, getting kickbacks from all the sponsors/providers etc who all FC teams must buy from & that it's all about the money I don't know any of those facts (unless it's something he owns &/or puts his name & has all the FC girls purchase, monthly like like RTA ). In that way it is Incorporating the brand only without the control of the product.

Others will say the FC brand teaches sound practice & technique, life lessons & how to "Play with Honor" & provides girls opportunities they might never had had and that he makes college dreams of playing softball come true, etc....


Some say that. Fewer believe it. It's gotta be tough for coaches with no honor to teach others how to play and live with honor. It takes more than owning an American flag Tony. It is only about the money for many of these guys now.
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by CoachKari » Tue Apr 15, 2014 11:46 pm

A new Firecrackers coach told me that his team pays FC x amount of dollars, per player, per month. It seems like most organizations with multiple teams have some sort of fee that is paid to the organization in exchange for wearing the jersey. Those who do not agree with this go independent.
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by exD1dad » Wed Apr 16, 2014 8:10 am

OTB you are correct & I forgot to mention coaches.

On a comparison to volleyball travel coaches softball is still extremely inexpensive. I know a couple of parents & the coin they drop that they know goes directly into the coaches pockets (as most have no other job) is ridiculous.
"It's not giving up if you discover you've been chasing the wrong destiny" -Morley LA street artist who posted this on Melrose Avenue in Jan '14
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by CoachKari » Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:22 am

You are right spazsdad. What surprises me is that many parents do not look at or do not care what experience and certification a TB coach has. The character and integrity of the TB coach is extremely important and will teach the players far more about life than any softball skill will.
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by sr_design » Fri Apr 18, 2014 1:03 pm

Just as in politics, for most softball orgs - follow the money. Corporations are dominating the landscape and politics. I just hope Tony is a Democrat... any other affiliation and he'll probably get audited by the tax man.

Is there a "Firecracker Way to Coach" prerequisite to take on their name and exactly how would or does that work? Is it hands on or is a handbook or video provided? ASA does minimal certification of coaches and has gotten a lot of grief for it in the past, including on this board. And there is actually some value to the more advanced videos that they quiz you on. The thing about coaching is the best ones know that it is truly a "learn on the job" vocation.
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