More invites to 18u?

[AlwaysImprove]

Actually three teams did not play last year that were invited this year and will be attending.

Team North Florida - 2011 ASA Gold Champions
TNL - 2011 ASA 16U Champions
Southern Force - 2011 ASA 16U 3rd Place

Some smart invites. Those teams represent their areas well.

[AlwaysImprove]

You have 2 teams that played 16 last year and now they are invited to a upper division....going against your policy aren't we....

Returning berths are only valid for that age division. The Designated Head Coach may not bring the berth to an upper division and may not assign the berth to another coach within their organization.

I suspect it goes falls in the policy to have the most competitive nationals. Don't you?

[softballmafia]

My only gripe is the teams invited/qualified are not the same from previous year because of turn over and alot of the teams listed are very weak and have been beaten bad by alot of better teams. Not to mention any team names but watched a televised local team playing in a Florida Disney exposure get spanked to the point that it was sad. Not the same team from previos year but yet they are in PGF.....

[jmo]

My only gripe is the teams invited/qualified are not the same from previous year because of turn over and alot of the teams listed are very weak and have been beaten bad by alot of better teams. Not to mention any team names but watched a televised local team playing in a Florida Disney exposure get spanked to the point that it was sad. Not the same team from previos year but yet they are in PGF.....

Boy that game in Florida was sad. That team sucks. They surely don't deserve to be invited/qualified. Especially since that loss was only their 4th of the season (30 games) playing against some of the best competition in the country.

[Trophy Hunter]

Understand wanting the best teams, but wouldn't they qualify anyway if they had to play in qualifiers? Definitely? Maybe? Maybe not? If they don't qualify, then what says they are the best?

I understand the top 8 or 12 from the previous tournament, but if you use that as a criteria, why not simply invite the top half from the previous year? If they didn't finish in the top half last year, and couldn't qualify at a qualifier, chances are they aren't one of the best anyway. Right?

That may exclude some of the good old boys and long time Surf City supporters, but that isn't a criteria for being the best, or is it?

[AlwaysImprove]

Understand wanting the best teams, but wouldn't they qualify anyway if they had to play in qualifiers? Definitely? Maybe? Maybe not? If they don't qualify, then what says they are the best?

I understand the top 8 or 12 from the previous tournament, but if you use that as a criteria, why not simply invite the top half from the previous year? If they didn't finish in the top half last year, and couldn't qualify at a qualifier, chances are they aren't one of the best anyway. Right?

That may exclude some of the good old boys and long time Surf City supporters, but that isn't a criteria for being the best, or is it?

You would include Team North Florida and Southern Force. Both are great organizations from their respective geographies and PGF needs more teams from those areas. This actually ends up screwing some of the 'long time Surf City supporters'.

As far as TNL, I do not think anyone considers them a part of the Good Ole Boys network. I have always been surprised at how crappy of fields they get both at Surf City and SoCal Finest, considering how good they play.

[AlwaysImprove]

I would hope as the rest of the nation becomes familiar with PGF as the top nationals, they can reduce invites and participation at qualifiers in those areas will go up.

[Trophy Hunter]

Understand wanting the best teams, but wouldn't they qualify anyway if they had to play in qualifiers? Definitely? Maybe? Maybe not? If they don't qualify, then what says they are the best?

I understand the top 8 or 12 from the previous tournament, but if you use that as a criteria, why not simply invite the top half from the previous year? If they didn't finish in the top half last year, and couldn't qualify at a qualifier, chances are they aren't one of the best anyway. Right?

That may exclude some of the good old boys and long time Surf City supporters, but that isn't a criteria for being the best, or is it?

You would include Team North Florida and Southern Force. Both are great organizations from their respective geographies and PGF needs more teams from those areas. This actually ends up screwing some of the 'long time Surf City supporters'.

As far as TNL, I do not think anyone considers them a part of the Good Ole Boys network. I have always been surprised at how crappy of fields they get both at Surf City and SoCal Finest, considering how good they play.

Not knocking the choices, they belong, like if you're going to do it wrong (all the invites) you may as well do it right (get the better teams)

TNL was the last top holdout in SoCal, so they were a good get for PGF.

The non-invited GOBs aren't getting screwed, they just have to do it the old fashioned way. Nothing wrong with earning a berth on the dirt.

[cyberman]

JMO

You seen to be a strong voice of PGF.

Did I see on the website that SGV Velocity was invited. They finished 49th in 2011? Am I correct?

I have a question, since you have other teams given national berths which did not meet your past posted criteria of having to finish in the top 12 and also berths have been awarded to teams who in 2011 went two and out in the tournament, I have a question.

What are you telling teams who ask why have they not been given a berth especially when they finished higher in 2011? Now these teams have to incurr time and expenses to qualify?

[CULater]

There is no way to justify some of the invitations. They just are what they are. Most of the Gold or PGF HS level coaches have been around a while and realize the politics that are involved. I would say the only thing they will ask is, what can they do to get on the invitation list next year.