The real Championship......LOL

[Trophy Hunter]

The best thing about PGF is that it provides another opportunity for players to be seen by coaches, the better because it's in tournament format.

The second best thing, if you're from SoCal, is that it's dirt cheap.

Those two things alone account for it's popularity with CA teams, invited or not, hence so many teams playing in the SoCal qualifier. But with only 4 berths available in HS division, (there are 5 times as many invited teams as there are berths available to SoCal teams ) many teams won't be going to any nationals, leaving a lot of disappointed players and angry dads.

The net effect being that next year many SoCal teams will be looking at alternatives, because players just want to compete. The players also know that some of the invited teams wouldn't stand much of a chance of qualifying this weekend, and that whole cronyism aspect of the tournament isn't going over very well in the general softball community.

[DDG]

The best thing about PGF is that it provides another opportunity for players to be seen by coaches, the better because it's in tournament format.

The second best thing, if you're from SoCal, is that it's dirt cheap.

Those two things alone account for it's popularity with CA teams, invited or not, hence so many teams playing in the SoCal qualifier. But with only 4 berths available in HS division, (there are 5 times as many invited teams as there are berths available to SoCal teams ) many teams won't be going to any nationals, leaving a lot of disappointed players and angry dads.

The net effect being that next year many SoCal teams will be looking at alternatives, because players just want to compete. The players also know that some of the invited teams wouldn't stand much of a chance of qualifying this weekend, and that whole cronyism aspect of the tournament isn't going over very well in the general softball community.

Agreed.

A lot of the invites are great teams and can compete wherever they go. However, there are still too many teams on the Buddy List that are mediocre at best.

[SoftballSoccerDad]

If the best softball in TX is as good as it is in the SE and CA, then it makes sense they'd try to get at least 4 teams per division from there.

The GOOD 12u teams don't want to have to travel too far for a nationals if they don't want, so they get five options with ASA. If PGF can hang in there, then maybe when the economy gets better, they will have more opportunity to recruit 12u teams. They've got over 30 teams this year, mostly from CA and AZ, but up in the 14s and higher, you start seeing more teams from areas east of SoCal.

For the BEST 12u competition and for the best overall in 14u and up, the tide is trending towards PGF over ASA and Triple Crown.

[CULater]

I don't have a lot of inside knowledge, but I do know that at least 3 teams that aren't going and it isn't only the proximty of OKC that lead to them going elsewhere. I think the invitations had a bigger, negative effect than PGF thought they would. When you invite teams that finished in the lower half of the tournament, the perception is that you are just looking out for your friends.

[Battle]

The TX teams are choosing ASA because they can load up the car and shoot up to OKC and drive back home whenever they are eliminated.

...and to think that hundreds of people have been choosing ASA and driving to Nationals for all the wrong reasons. Who knew?

[Battle]

The TX teams are choosing ASA because they can load up the car and shoot up to OKC and drive back home whenever they are eliminated.

...and to think that hundreds of people have been choosing ASA and driving to Nationals for all the wrong reasons. Who knew?

Like most of your posts I am left saying... What's your point?
Are you supporting the notion that mode of transportation should be a deciding factor in which nationals you attend or are you just being an ASA homer again

No not at all. I'm am saying, like most people I know from Texas, I drive because I want to. Where ever it is. If I don't want to drive then I fly. That's it. Not for any other ridiculous reason as you described.

[TexasYellowBall]

The TX teams are choosing ASA because they can load up the car and shoot up to OKC and drive back home whenever they are eliminated.

...and to think that hundreds of people have been choosing ASA and driving to Nationals for all the wrong reasons. Who knew?

Dallas to OKC = 208 miles ( 3 hours)
Houston to OKC = 445 miles ( 7 1/2 hours)
Austin to OKC = 388 miles ( 6 1/2 hours)
San Antonio to OKC = 466 miles ( 7 3/4 hours)
Corpus Christi to OKC = 600 miles ( 10 hours )

Shooting up to OKC is not as easy as it sounds. The Great State of Texas is large.

[Battle]

The TX teams are choosing ASA because they can load up the car and shoot up to OKC and drive back home whenever they are eliminated.

...hence the creation of PGF in the eyes of most of us. The same thing could be said for PGF with SoCal folks.

[Battle]

The TX teams are choosing ASA because they can load up the car and shoot up to OKC and drive back home whenever they are eliminated.

...and to think that hundreds of people have been choosing ASA and driving to Nationals for all the wrong reasons. Who knew?

Like most of your posts I am left saying... What's your point?
Are you supporting the notion that mode of transportation should be a deciding factor in which nationals you attend or are you just being an ASA homer again

No not at all. I'm am saying, like most people I know from Texas, I drive because I want to. Where ever it is. If I don't want to drive then I fly. That's it. Not for any other ridiculous reason as you described.

Then you may be an exception because many teams I have had contact with through the years don't want to go to a Nationals that they have to fly to since it locks them into a schedule that they may not be able to keep. If you don't think you will be playing on Sunday then it is easier to drive home on Friday then sit around a small town with nothing to do for two days.

There's always something to do. Do what you are there for. Play softball or watch how it turns out. It's the best National in the country...

[Battle]

The TX teams are choosing ASA because they can load up the car and shoot up to OKC and drive back home whenever they are eliminated.

...hence the creation of PGF in the eyes of most of us. The same thing could be said for PGF with SoCal folks.

But SoCal teams did make the trips. year after year, wherever ASA sent us. Location and transportation were never factors.

...and TX teams did the same. What's you're point?