The real Championship......LOL

[TexasYellowBall]

Obviously not, assuming you checked here
http://www.premiergirlsfastpitch.com/tourney10/

Note that 12s were cancelled, 14s also cancelled because only a team from Washington signed up, 16s have 5 teams, 2 of them from California, and 18s have 13 teams, 1 from California that probably went back because they got a berth there last year in 16s.

Maybe they are waiting for late entries?

And the PGF is calling themselves the real national championship.. . . . They can not even fill open qualifiers. To date, how many divisions have had to be cancelled across the counrty?

ASA, NSA, TC,IFA, USFA are not canceling tournaments because of lack of teams.

[fastpitchdad05]

This is not nearly as relevant at 18U.

3 major factors for this as I see it:

1. Teams are staying in their comfort zone. PGF is brand new at the lower levels and change is hard.

2. Lack of proper "marketing" by PGF the further east you travel.

3. Teams that know they don't have a chance to win at PGF are opting for a championship they might win. Understand that this includes teams from SoCal as well (my DD's team for instance).

[fastpitchdad05]

And TexasYellowBall,
I know it's hard, but you're just going to have to accept that it might not be a fully attended national championship, but at the 18U level at least (and more and more at 16U as well), the best teams in the country are at PGF this year.

[TexasYellowBall]

I can agree with your examples for the most part. The premier has done a good and sometimes bad job on marketing to other states. For them to be the national championship tournament that they want to be, they have to be a complete tournament in all age divisions.

The canceling of lower age groups proves they are not ready.

Not all top teams will be at PGF from around the country......Alot of the top ten from Texas have decided not to attend and are going to NYC. With their exit, the field from Texas will be filled with lesser teams.

Other top softball states are doing the same thing.

I agree most of the top california teams with attend, but does this make it a huge friendly ????

Maybe the top dogs in PGF should focus on other states instead of California. They have California in the palm of their hands. Focus on other states and other divisions. Find a independant company to run the qualifiers in non california states. They give it to the Impact and they are not even sending their top team to the PGF.

[fastpitchdad05]

And I agree that there is room for both constructive criticism and improvement.

Hopefully someday soon we will see all the best teams at one venue again.

[fastpitchdad05]

Maybe the top dogs in PGF should focus on other states instead of California. They have California in the palm of their hands. Focus on other states and other divisions. Find a independant company to run the qualifiers in non california states. They give it to the Impact and they are not even sending their top team to the PGF.

This is a great idea/point.

[jonriv]

Maybe the top dogs in PGF should focus on other states instead of California. They have California in the palm of their hands. Focus on other states and other divisions. Find a independant company to run the qualifiers in non california states. They give it to the Impact and they are not even sending their top team to the PGF.

This would make a lot of sense!!!

[Iluvblue]

PGF is in what?? Year 3? teams from California have been asked to go across the country for years for nationals, and what you are seeing IMO,is 12u teams from midwest that have NO SHOT at winning 12u PGF, have simply decided they would prefer to spend far less and go to ASA. it makes sense, but dont blame it on PGF.

IMO, if I am running PGF, I am fine with having tons of12u Ca. teams coming, even if it is invites for the first several years. The tourney will have the number of teams I need, its viable, Premier continues to grow, and in a few years, the top teams from east/midwest will slowly start to come.

16and 18u Premier is already the pace to go, in 3 years.... 3 years, are you kidding me.

In northern Ca ASA is an afterthought at this point and teams that cant make pgf will try to qualify asa. The fact PGF is even spoken with in the same breath as ASA in this short of time speaks volumes IMO.

Whether PGF is is the "Real National Championships" or not is irrelevant to me, and Im sure it is to those running PGF as well. They are getting exactly what they wanted when they started PGF, and dont think ASA doesnt think about pgf in all they do.

[CULater]

PGF is in what?? Year 3? teams from California have been asked to go across the country for years for nationals, and what you are seeing IMO,is 12u teams from midwest that have NO SHOT at winning 12u PGF, have simply decided they would prefer to spend far less and go to ASA. it makes sense, but dont blame it on PGF.

IMO, if I am running PGF, I am fine with having tons of12u Ca. teams coming, even if it is invites for the first several years. The tourney will have the number of teams I need, its viable, Premier continues to grow, and in a few years, the top teams from east/midwest will slowly start to come.

16and 18u Premier is already the pace to go, in 3 years.... 3 years, are you kidding me.

In northern Ca ASA is an afterthought at this point and teams that cant make pgf will try to qualify asa. The fact PGF is even spoken with in the same breath as ASA in this short of time speaks volumes IMO.

Whether PGF is is the "Real National Championships" or not is irrelevant to me, and Im sure it is to those running PGF as well. They are getting exactly what they wanted when they started PGF, and dont think ASA doesnt think about pgf in all they do.

Regardless if you want to believe it or not but PGF 18 HS is losing momentum.

There are 5 teams from Texas that finished in the top half in the 2011 tournament that won't be coming back, another two that qualified and have historically had good teams, not going back. One of the original PGD board member's organization is sending their B team in place of the team that was invited. At least one team from Florida, not coming back, although invited.

Looking at the 10 team SE qualifier only the Lady Gators are trying to qualify from the state of Florida. . If they are successful PGF will have two teams from Florida. One of which was an invite. In that SE qualifier, every other age division was cancelled due to lack of interest.

The Colorado 18/HS qualifier has 13 teams in it, the Minnesota qualifier has 8 teams in it. The Indiana qualifier has 21 teams, but at least 6 of those teams are teams that have signed up for every PGF qualifier in the country. 19 teams in the NE qualifier, 4 teams signed up in the North Texas qualifier, two of which qualified in Houston. Lastly 15 teams signed up in the NW qualifier.

That is 90 total teams (some of which are duplicates) that are trying to qualify outside of California for the remaining 17 berths. Add in the 48 teams that attempted to qualify in Houston (32) and Arizona (16) and you have a maximum of 138 teams trying to earn 23 berths (64 berths minues 21 invitations and 12 returning berths-8 berths in California qualifiers. That is not exactly drawing in the top teams from around the country to attempt to qualify for your tournament.

It is easy to get the top teams when you invite them and don't require them qualify.

[GO REBS]

Does anyone know exactly who is attending pgf nationals from the Houston qualifier. There is a list of teams that have begun the registration process, but it is not up to date. Aces Express Gold declined the bid. Just wondering how many of the other teams that qualified accepted there bids.

GO REBS