14U TOP 10 TEAM RANKING (Arizona) UPDATED–Feb 3, 2010

[huskerdan377]

Do you have the schedule yet? If so will you post it?

[DT96coach]

Do you have the schedule yet? If so will you post it?

Sure thing! See you Saturday ......

Desert Thunder 96 Friendlies
Saturday, February 13 @ Udall Park

Participating Teams
1. Desert Thunder 96
2. Avalanche
3. AZ Cats 96
4. Tucson Ladysharks
5. AZ Hotshots 96
6. AZ Stealth
7. Tucson AZtecs
8. CG Heat - Padilla
9. Desert Thunder Blue

GAME TIMES FIELD #1 FIELD #2
9:00 1 vs. 4 2 vs. 3
10:30 1 vs. 6 3 vs. 5
12:00 1 vs. 5 6 vs. 7
1:30 5 vs. 6 4 vs. 7
3:00 5 vs. 9 4 vs. 8
4:30 2 vs. 8 3 vs. 9
6:00 1 vs. 8 2 vs. 9

[96Coach]

So I've been reading this post and I noticed that most of the rankings were determined prior to school ball. The last big AZ tournament which had SF96 beating ST96 is a little skewed. Teams picked up players to get that "Last Trophey" prior to school ball. Can the victory by SF96 really make a difference in the rankings since they had players from an older team play. This weekends tournament is another example. We can't get a true Top 10 because the majority of the teams all have players from other teams that can't play school ball so they went somewhere for the spring. Case in point Hotshots Spring teams, yes I said teams. They are definitly trophey hunting and the coach has a nice recruiting situation for his 16u and 18u teams. How much weight can this weekends tournament really help or hinder the rankings when the teams are half and half? Half original team Half pick up players. Interested to hear some points on my comments.

[Fever95Dad]

So I've been reading this post and I noticed that most of the rankings were determined prior to school ball. The last big AZ tournament which had SF96 beating ST96 is a little skewed. Teams picked up players to get that "Last Trophey" prior to school ball. Can the victory by SF96 really make a difference in the rankings since they had players from an older team play. This weekends tournament is another example. We can't get a true Top 10 because the majority of the teams all have players from other teams that can't play school ball so they went somewhere for the spring. Case in point Hotshots Spring teams, yes I said teams. They are definitly trophey hunting and the coach has a nice recruiting situation for his 16u and 18u teams. How much weight can this weekends tournament really help or hinder the rankings when the teams are half and half? Half original team Half pick up players. Interested to hear some points on my comments.

I agree my DD is in HS right now, her team has gone Dark but players from her team along with other 95 players from Dark teams that our in 8th grade are picking up with teams as pickup players as they should. Therefore the current Spring season is not a true reflection of what you will see when the HS players come back and those 95 8th graders are back to playing with their teams.

[LetItGo]

96Coach,
Wow, are you new???
Or let me guess, you're from a team who did not fare well in the prior tournament that you are referring to, right?
Or maybe your players wouldn't even be considered for ONE of the Spring teams!

Where in all your wisdom do you feel these '95 eight graders should play? Should they join YOUR team and help you out so you can win a tournament for once? Or maybe, so you don't get your thong in a bunch, they should wait it out for their teams to come back together?

Either way, if you were a TRUE 96 Coach, you would know the players and the teams you ramble about and not make comments that insult the integrity of this game and the strides AZ softball has made to be competitive.

Put on your big boy boxers and play ball!

[Fever95Dad]

(Hotshot) Householder Spring Team(s) are NOT trophy hunting teams but teams for 95 8th graders to play while there team is DARK!!!! (it's a good place for these kids to play because the team(s) only around for the spring season)

[LetItGo]

...................additionally, if you are a COACH, you would have your scorebook right? You could see the roster of who played for any given team if they played against you, correct?
For instance, Stealth could check their scorebook and see the names of all the players who played against them in the 1st elimination game on Sunday morning.
My daughter and I watched almost that entire game and did not see anyone we didn't recognize from the Fever team on the field.
Sounds like you want to believe you were beat by someone other than the real Fever team.
We have played Fever many times, and it's gone both ways. Any team can beat any team, on any day!

Your blatant disdain for the Hotshots and Fever will have you say anything to discredit good organizations and hard working girls.

Put your energy in to coaching your girls to be solid respectful ballplayers and in the end the score won't even matter!


....ps There is no E in Trophy!

[96Coach]

96Coach,
Wow, are you new???
Or let me guess, you're from a team who did not fare well in the prior tournament that you are referring to, right?
Or maybe your players wouldn't even be considered for ONE of the Spring teams!

Where in all your wisdom do you feel these '95 eight graders should play? Should they join YOUR team and help you out so you can win a tournament for once? Or maybe, so you don't get your thong in a bunch, they should wait it out for their teams to come back together?

Either way, if you were a TRUE 96 Coach, you would know the players and the teams you ramble about and not make comments that insult the integrity of this game and the strides AZ softball has made to be competitive.

Put on your big boy boxers and play ball!

First off just because I'm new to the post doesn't mean I'm new to the community. I've been coaching for 4 years. I've seen 90% of the girls that are on club teams that are 96's and 95's. I have a really good Idea of who the top teams are. I have a really good idea of who the top players are. Our team like any has there ups and downs. We've won plenty of tournaments, some "B" tournaments some "A" tournaments. I'm not complaining about our team or the lack of spring ballers going somewhere else. They deserve to go somewhere and play, it's their right. I think that the rankings are a little skewed once teams break up for the spring. I don't think the rankings can be carried on through school ball. Is it a case where all the teams lose every game to the 3rd tier teams and now the 3rd tier teams are now considered 1rst tier teams.

I think that the SF96 would have won the tournament with out the other teams players, not sure why teams feel they need to pull players from other states, or other teams to feel they need to compete with the rest of the 14u teams. It's not all the teams but it happens alot, me I feel it helps my team when they have to play their best players against us just so they can win. It is a confidence booster, and in the end our girls will be better for it.

Now on that team how does the girl get any better or any experience in tough situations if they are being replaced by a girl that doesn't even live in AZ.(Not referencing the SF96 team another team) If a team is the best team it should be the team that is on the teams roster from the begining. Not the one that needs to bring players down or from out of state in order to compete.

These rankings are subjective, yes we are considered a 3rd tier team at this point, that's ok with me, overlook us and it will bite them in the but.

And I'm not discrediting any team, If they feel they need to bring players in order to win then so be it. Yes anyteam can beat any team in any given day. I have a scorebook and that's why i'm saying that some teams change.

[az.fever22]

These rankings are subjective, yes we are considered a 3rd tier team at this point, that's ok with me, overlook us and it will bite them in the but.

If a team wants a pickup player local or out of state as long as they within the rules it's ok. If you team (3rd tier at best) does not want to that's ok also. As far as Hotshots Spring team you are off by a couple of miles. Coach not a trophy chaser, just a good coach. Go check out one of his practices and maybe you will learn something.

Also butt is with 2 t's.

[96Coach]

Sorry i'm not a good speller when I type fast. I by no means think he isn't a bad coach. I think he is a great coach, I just thought it was a great recruiting tool. I also beleive that my daughter can play for any of the 14u teams. she has been recruited by many of them.