I've bantered back and forth to post or not to post but I feel compelled to let the softball community know of a huge disservice PGF has done to all of us. Without getting into every detail, I wanted to let all of you know PGF has chosen not to follow its #1 rule of not allowing players to jump from team to team AFTER a qualification bid was achieved by a set team roster.
My team, the Xtreme, qualified in the Arizona qualifier. Subsequent to the qualifier, we continued to play out our season, competing in tournaments and friendlies to prepare for the National PGF event. The last week of June two players decided not to finish out the season with our team (recruited, poached, etc.).
To my dismay, these same two players were removed from my PGF roster by PGF staff and have been granted the permission to play with yet another team in the national tournament. They leave my team, the team they qualified with, and are permitted to play with another team, even though the Xtreme still plans to attend the PGF event. This is a DIRECT VIOLATION OF PGF RULES!!!! I guess they don't apply to "some" teams?
I was never contacted by PGF, not once, until I called them on the fact that my roster was manipulated. THEY NEVER TOOK THE TIME TO CONTACT ME. They did, however, change my roster based on letters sent by the parents of the two players in question and a coach of the team they were planning to pickup with (Team AZ). To say I am disappointed THEY NEVER TOOK THE TIME TO CONTACT ME is an understatement. Had they did so, they would have discovered the truth. In all my years of coaching I have NEVER kicked a kid off any team I have been involved with. NEVER. Those families chose to leave.
To all you coaches out there, be aware, the PUBLISHED PGF rules do not apply to all. Make sure you express your displeasure (at tonight's coaches meeting) with PGF's decision to change a qualifying roster and their "it's OK to change the rules" for some to the tournament director Bret Denio (bret.denio@premiergirlsfastpitch.com). SHAME ON YOU PGF!!! That's a VERY poor decision.