Spazsdad wrote:for real wrote:As a 10u parent and first full year of travel ball I can finally see what all the fuss is about first hand. The 10u are having to play Nationals in no man's land Johnson City Tennessee for 10 days while ASA nickel and dimes us to death every day ($10 cover charge $5 youth to get in fields) while we suffer in 90 something degree weather 80% humidity. Oh and to make it worse there is absolutely nothing to do out there. I don't mind spending the money but if I am it better be somewhere we will enjoy. Your telling me this is the best location ASA could find or the best place for them to make the most money! Let's keep it For Real!!
I can see now how some of you who have been doing this for many years be frustrated at this monopoly ASA has got away with and I hope PGF comes through with 12u next year. I think we should alternate between So Cal and Florida every year to make it fair for both coasts and nobody will complain because both places have the great weather and attractions.
1. It doesn't go for 10 days.
2. Like NU said you are going to play softball. You want a vacation go to Disney
3. Take the opportunity to explore a part of the country you may never see. It's beautiful country there.
4. The weather wasn't bad there. A few thunderstorms, girls love the thunder and lightening.
5. Check out some of the BBQ places like The Firehouse, good eats.
I wish we were going to TN this year, so do my players.
Teams predominantly break into two categories. They are either contenders and what to play 'A' ball or not contenders, call em 'B' teams, that just like to have a fun end of the year tournament they can try and compete to win.
For the 'A' teams, you go where the 'A' teams are going. Most 'A' teams are made of families that get along ok, but may not be looking to go on vacation together.
It would be nice that is reasonably accessible for travel, has reasonable weather (not midland), you are not held to a single game a day or two games a day drip drip drip backloaded schedule, they did not double charge you for hotel rooms and have 25% city tax on hotels. It was pretty clear for a lot of years as soon as someone was able to attract a few of the better teams to a tournament and not force these other aspects, teams were wanting to jump ship on ASA. Should be no surprise that it happened.
Yeah, Johnson City is not that bad of a place, the weather is not really that bad. When you have a tournament that is 8 days, held in a place where most people will have to drive 4 hours from an airport. You are looking at 10 days, for a tournament that could take 4 days. Add in that they are asking for 50% markup and 25% taxes, it adds up real fast. For $90 a night hotel room you will be paying $160 a night. A tournament held like PGF is going to cost 90*5=450, double that for gas and food, and you get $900. For ASA you are going to pay $165*10*2 = $3300. That is 3300-900=$2200 in additional unnecessary expense per family. Figure average teams is 12 kids, that is $26,400 additional per team. That is a big number.
Yeah, if you are one of those big teams from CA, that typically go to a top 20/top 10 finish $24,000 may not seem like a lot. Take into account that half of the teams there are going to 0-2 and q. Plus it is a romantic thought that if you 0-2 you just rush down to the nearest airport and grab a flight out. It has never worked, planes were always full and you end up stuck in the airport.
If you are on one of those big teams, you get berth previous year or in May, then you actually get flights to Bristol, TN instead of Charlotte, NC. You also have a chance to get a room at one of the three decent hotels in town. Get a decent van to drive the team. Try being one of those teams that has to schedule 12 families to Johnson City, TN leaving in 13 days. Try doing it from Seattle. You are looking at red eye flights, sleeping in airports. It is impossible. No decent sized vehicles to rent. Now try doing it to LA, it will take about 15 mins.
It does not have to be LA. It can be St. Louis, or Atlanta or Ft. Lauderdale or Chicago or Indianapolis or Cincinnati or Minneapolis or Milwaukee or Denver or any of 100's of towns that have decent air port. Anywhere you are within a 30 mins of an airport. Even Soux city South Dakota was ok.
For the more fun oriented teams a tournament location that is more of a destination makes sense. If you are not picking a team to be the best possible competitive place for your kid, then you are probably picking a team with families that are compatible with your family. If you are on less competitive team a tournament at Disneyland makes 100% sense.
Again, no one should be surprised that everyone was so anxious to bale on ASA. Teams had been giving ASA the feedback they needed for years. ASA response was stuff it coach, and no matter who you are telling your customers to stuff it never flies.