New to Gold

[Ks softball fan]

When does ASA post gold qualifier sites for 2013?

[MavFan]

When does ASA post gold qualifier sites for 2013?

Not until after all of the annual meetings take place, usually around January.

[softballdaddi]

What does Gold mean? There are so many "GOLD" teams out their. ASA should outline a Gold team or classification requirement to prevent so many "GOLD" teams. Any thoughts?

[PDad]

What does Gold mean? There are so many "GOLD" teams out their. ASA should outline a Gold team or classification requirement to prevent so many "GOLD" teams. Any thoughts?

ASA Code delegates most team classification authority and responsibilities to local associations and regions (see Article 507). SoCal ASA and other associations in the Pacific Coast Region enacted procedures to limit the number of Gold teams starting in 2009, but they became unnecessary with the advent of PGF.

It sounded like Texas had issues with the number of teams at Gold qualifiers last Summer.

[MavFan]

As far as I know ASA only has one Gold division.

A team putting the word Gold in their name doesn't mean they play in the Gold division.

But more to your point. I agree that there are too many teams attempting to qualify for Gold. ASA hasn't done anything to detour the teams, in fact by their actions are encouraging it by creating the regional Gold national tournaments. I would have rather seen them allow a certain number of teams, be it percentage or actual number, based on finish at Gold qualifiers to automatically qualify for 18A national, rather than create these Regional Gold Nationals. Add to that the number of teams that play at PGF nationals and you now have a watered down 18 and Under team pool. Where you once had 64 teams at a national event, you now have the potential to have 72 at ASA, 66ish at PGF plus an unlimited number at the regional-nationals.

[MavFan]

And what is wrong with the number of teams qualifying and playing at the "Gold" level?
Are all those kids supposed to sit back and just be content to play 18u? They go through the qualifiers, get to experience Nationals in OKC or other locations. I don't see where anyone is hurt by it.

I guess I would ask why have a Gold designation if anyone can play Gold?

I would think it would be the same reason why all 900ish college teams aren't DI, or why all 200ish DI teams don't qualify for the NCAA tournament. But at the NCAA level they have some sort of requirement to be classifed DI versus DII. Nothing is saying DII is not a great option, but you don't see Cal State Dominguez Hills playing in the DI NCAA tournament.

[jonriv]

And what is wrong with the number of teams qualifying and playing at the "Gold" level?
Are all those kids supposed to sit back and just be content to play 18u? They go through the qualifiers, get to experience Nationals in OKC or other locations. I don't see where anyone is hurt by it.

I guess I would ask why have a Gold designation if anyone can play Gold?

I would think it would be the same reason why all 900ish college teams aren't DI, or why all 200ish DI teams don't qualify for the NCAA tournament. But at the NCAA level they have some sort of requirement to be classifed DI versus DII. Nothing is saying DII is not a great option, but you don't see Cal State Dominguez Hills playing in the DI NCAA tournament.

I know of several "Gold" teams that have NEVER played an ASA sanctioned tourney- many of those teams are in reality "showcase" teams- Gold has become a very common name to attach to programs

[MavFan]

And what is wrong with the number of teams qualifying and playing at the "Gold" level?
Are all those kids supposed to sit back and just be content to play 18u? They go through the qualifiers, get to experience Nationals in OKC or other locations. I don't see where anyone is hurt by it.

I guess I would ask why have a Gold designation if anyone can play Gold?

I would think it would be the same reason why all 900ish college teams aren't DI, or why all 200ish DI teams don't qualify for the NCAA tournament. But at the NCAA level they have some sort of requirement to be classifed DI versus DII. Nothing is saying DII is not a great option, but you don't see Cal State Dominguez Hills playing in the DI NCAA tournament.

I know of several "Gold" teams that have NEVER played an ASA sanctioned tourney- many of those teams are in reality "showcase" teams- Gold has become a very common name to attach to programs

That is not the point Jon. ASA created the Gold classification back in the day to distinguish the elite teams from all other 18U teams. The contention was that the elite teams were tired of playing in nationals that had 150 or more teams. As a result, the Gold classification was formed. After a number of years, teams began putting Gold at the end of their name all the way from 18U to 10U, when that began to happen the ASA Gold classification began to lose what distinguished it from 18A. As PDad pointed out, prior to the advent of PGF, California had enacted a qualification standard to be considered a Gold team. As he also mentioned in Texas the Region 7 tournament of just Texas teams had like 60 teams for a three day qualifier, where 3 teams qualified for nationals by contrast only 2 teams signed up for the 18A Houston metro tournament.

But the question that was asked in the OP was when the location of the ASA qualifiers for Gold were going to be announced. I don't think the OP was referring to 12U or a showcase in North Carolina.

If there is nothing to distinguish Gold from 18A, I still ask why have the Gold designation?

[Midwest]

Next month at the St. Louis Showcase ( Oct 26-28 ) I saw that they are having three levels of play at the 18u level. 1) Premier 2) Gold 3) 18u . I haven't seen this before, don't know if this is a new formate exposures are going. Don't see anything saying it is run by ASA.

[jonriv]

And what is wrong with the number of teams qualifying and playing at the "Gold" level?
Are all those kids supposed to sit back and just be content to play 18u? They go through the qualifiers, get to experience Nationals in OKC or other locations. I don't see where anyone is hurt by it.

I guess I would ask why have a Gold designation if anyone can play Gold?

I would think it would be the same reason why all 900ish college teams aren't DI, or why all 200ish DI teams don't qualify for the NCAA tournament. But at the NCAA level they have some sort of requirement to be classifed DI versus DII. Nothing is saying DII is not a great option, but you don't see Cal State Dominguez Hills playing in the DI NCAA tournament.

I know of several "Gold" teams that have NEVER played an ASA sanctioned tourney- many of those teams are in reality "showcase" teams- Gold has become a very common name to attach to programs

That is not the point Jon. ASA created the Gold classification back in the day to distinguish the elite teams from all other 18U teams. The contention was that the elite teams were tired of playing in nationals that had 150 or more teams. As a result, the Gold classification was formed. After a number of years, teams began putting Gold at the end of their name all the way from 18U to 10U, when that began to happen the ASA Gold classification began to lose what distinguished it from 18A. As PDad pointed out, prior to the advent of PGF, California had enacted a qualification standard to be considered a Gold team. As he also mentioned in Texas the Region 7 tournament of just Texas teams had like 60 teams for a three day qualifier, where 3 teams qualified for nationals by contrast only 2 teams signed up for the 18A Houston metro tournament.

But the question that was asked in the OP was when the location of the ASA qualifiers for Gold were going to be announced. I don't think the OP was referring to 12U or a showcase in North Carolina.

If there is nothing to distinguish Gold from 18A, I still ask why have the Gold designation?

All true- but that's what is going on out there. What distiguishes Gold from 18a is the restriction of college players. It is a restriction made at ASA Gold Tournaments, PGF and some TCS. Other than that a team can call itself Gold and not much anyone can do about it