Impact of 18u and 16u/14u split

[crashsdaddy]

How will the splitting of 14u/16u and 18u affect the attendance of college coaches at 18u? My guess is there will be some coaches there to babysit their verbal commitments but most top programs will have filled out their slots for the older girls and mainly focus on the 14u/16u games and passing on the 18u games. Also, will ASA 16u draw more coaches now that it doesn't overlap with PGF 16u? Thus leaving PGF 18u to the mid-majors as the primary attending coaches.

Agree/disagree?

[UmpSteve]

As I read the new NCAA recruiting rules adopted just this month, there is no longer any limit to how many coaches can recruit on any recruiting day.

My bet is that the majors will someone at as many possible locations at the same time as feasible.

[Intel]

the new NCAA rules do not affect the NCAA D1 Softball Recruiting rule of only 50 days per year. So if you have 4 coaches out recruiting for 3 days, you will use up 12 days.

So yes it will have an impact on which tournaments the college recruiting coaches attend.

The Triple crown tournament in Reno, Nevada is also impacting as some coaches will be using recruiting days their so they can see both 18U and 16U on the same days.

[rdelawder12]

Not that recruiting at PGF didn't take place for the 18U Division, but for most of the programs in the top 50, they were there watching the incoming class. I didn't see alot of coaches and we were there and finished in the top 10, so had plenty of time to see coaches, but truly only seen those that were watching the incoming freshman and final day seen next no nobody.
In regards to moving 16u PGF, JMO, this allows all California teams to play both ASA and PGF for recruiting purposes and to prove a point to ASA that the best teams in the country are in CA. (hope it doesn't backfire)
I dont expect it to affect the 18u as it didn't last year, acutally may be bettter as alot of D2 and D3 schools have to find athletes as those athletes haven't found them, as nobody sets out to play D3, but something is better than nothing! As the goal is an education while playing the sport the girls love!
I will start this argument as I feel this is a turning year for PGF! Let the girls play and dont influence the officials to determine the outcome of the game when the finals draw near, just let the game be played as it's suppose to be, if CA teams need help from the officials to win, then they shouldn't be in the top 10. JMO (this should bring some good conversation, lol, to justify 13 illegal pitches in one game against a team not from CA!!)

[rdelawder12]

I will start this argument as I feel this is a turning year for PGF! Let the girls play and dont influence the officials to determine the outcome of the game when the finals draw near, just let the game be played as it's suppose to be, if CA teams need help from the officials to win, then theyshouldn't be in the top 10. JMO (this should bring some good conversation, lol, to justify 13 illegal pitches in one game against a team not from CA!!)

Oh no you did'nt

Maybe she was just illegal and finally someone had the balls to call it

If you were there, you would of disagreed with the calls! It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in softball and it started the same way in the next game, but it finally came to an end after a coach to coach discussion and no way for the non cali team to come back, so the cali coach told the officials to stop and they did, now that was some funny stuff!!!
So Cal Athletics earned theirs and does every year!!!!

[PDad]

Funny but in all my years I have never heard the recipient of n IP call say it was justified.

I think they usually go along with an isolated call, but the usual response to multiple calls is "Let the girls play!"

It's amazing how those same people will complain if they feel the other team's pitcher is getting away with IPs not being called.

[bart16761]

Ok so back to the topic I think it is a good one. I get concerned when parents are trying to get set up for drive by recruiting. It seems so unlikely that it can happen for the majority of the kids. I know it does and I see coaches taking long looks at games looking for the one. I would really encourage everyone to do the work and get the coaches out there to see them by asking them to come rather than hoping the get a ball hit to them or hit a long ball as a coach is walking by. We preach this to our kids, they dont all listen and still parents will complain about being on a certain field or why are we here if there are not any coaches, I am sure you have all heard it. A few things I have observed so I will call them facts in my book.

The girls/families that do the work up front in finding what school would be a good fit for them and then prospect the coach get coaches out no matter the age group.
Coahces watching games reproduce like Rabbits if there are a couple watching then it seems a few more want to see what all the fuss is about.
If you are really interested in a school then have your coach call, that is if they feel that it would be a good fit.
There are alot of things that a player/family can do to help increase the chances of getting seen.

Camps are huge!! If you can go then go, showcases are where the coaches can come to see you play after they have met you at camp. Of course none of this applies to your daughter if her name is Ricketts but how many of those are there??

I guess what I am trying to say is be a part of the process and do the work to make something happen or maybe better said, do the work up front to be in a good place and be seen by the right coach, hoping it will happen is like trying to win the lottery


SJMHO

[just4fun]

Excellent post Bart. It is up to the student athlete, not any coach, to get recruited. After going through this process, the best advice I can give is that the player needs to call the coaches of the schools she is interested in attending. Her travel ball coach needs to have a list of schools she is interested in so he/she can help with exposure if they know a particular coach is attending. If she is interested in a major D1, she needs to start early with phone calls and emailing links to videos and attending camps. Most of the major D1s (Big 12 and SEC) around here where starting to develop their list of 2017s last summer, committing their "top" 2016 recruits, and finalizing their 2015 recruits. The mid majors were committing their "top" 2015 recruits and finalizing their 2014s. This gives some of you younger parents a feel for the timing.

[UmpSteve]

I will start this argument as I feel this is a turning year for PGF! Let the girls play and dont influence the officials to determine the outcome of the game when the finals draw near, just let the game be played as it's suppose to be, if CA teams need help from the officials to win, then theyshouldn't be in the top 10. JMO (this should bring some good conversation, lol, to justify 13 illegal pitches in one game against a team not from CA!!)

Oh no you did'nt

Maybe she was just illegal and finally someone had the balls to call it

If you were there, you would of disagreed with the calls! It was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in softball and it started the same way in the next game, but it finally came to an end after a coach to coach discussion and no way for the non cali team to come back, so the cali coach told the officials to stop and they did, now that was some funny stuff!!!
So Cal Athletics earned theirs and does every year!!!!

Easy answer for you.

Bullshit. If called illegal 13 times, she was more likely illegal 4 or 5 times that often, only the most outrageous were called. If that umpire stopped, his arm was probably too tired to continue.

Illegal is illegal. He did her a favor, letting her know she had to adjust to play college ball successfully. Ignoring it only sets her up for future failure (explanation for how she got that far).

[rdelawder12]

:Easy answer for you.

Bullshit. If called illegal 13 times, she was more likely illegal 4 or 5 times that often, only the most outrageous were called. If that umpire stopped, his arm was probably too tired to continue.

Illegal is illegal. He did her a favor, letting her know she had to adjust to play college ball successfully. Ignoring it only sets her up for future failure (explanation for how she got that far).

I spoke to the pitcher this weekend and asked if she had to change her motion, she said "NO", watched her pitch against Oklahoma, Indiana, and Kentucky; not one illegal pitch was called and boy did the motion look the same. So all the illegal pitches in that game must of really changed her and prepared her to appear 7 months later in her collegiate debut.