2011/12 is getting started soon....who are THE 12/11u teams?

[10GatorCoach]

“Seaking of NSA A State does anyone know why Gators99 (whit) isn’t going? It should be a very competitive tourney. Probably one of the better tourneys in Indiana so it would be nice if the team most agree is the best team in Indiana would play.

Gators 99 Whitiker will be at Ohio Stingrys Invite the weekend of NSA A State. We (Gators 2001) are also going to Stingrays. This a large very competitive tournament and with both of us going to ASA/USA this year there is no need to play NSA A State.

[Amish_TB]

I see nothing wrong with the bulldogs playing this weekend at ASA state. On this forum people are continually giving teams a hard time for not playing ASA so it is a little confusing why anyone would try to discourage a team who wants to play in ASA State. Actually it would be great if Harris would play ASA State this weekend as well. The more good teams signed up for a tourney, the more competitive the tourney, which makes our Indiana girls better players.

Hello Dailyjoy!

I agree with virtually everything you said. For our team, we could really careless if we play NSA/ASA/USFA or LMFAO. My goal for our team is to help them become better players, learn some lessons about life and want them to continue playing as they get older. I have been around this sport long enough to know a little bit as to what it takes to get a player better. Some may agree, some may not, but I have been recruited myself and seen the best and worst. I have made many mistakes. At the end of the day, I think if a team has a plan, communicates that plan to its primary customer (The parents - NOT the players) and they buy into that plan then you have a win/win situation.

Earlier in this thread there was discussion of Gators 99, Raiders Black, Edge 99 etc... playing in some 14u tournaments and then someone blasting one of them about winning or whatever but was against poor competition. We started playing some 14u games a couple of months ago and played in our first 14u tournament. The goal was not to win, but actually get beat. Find out where you are weak. Get exposed for your flaws because every team has them. Those who can hide them better are normally the best teams. I believe my job as a coach is to not just win games but to develop. This also means at times to play competition equal to and also less than your current level to help develop some confidence. This is why I find it so stupid to debate who plays what tournament or what level. The goal should be to get your team to improve, love the sport and want to continue to play. The kids don't care if it is ASA/NSA/USFA or LMFAO. Some screwball parents and even coaches might. I also believe on any given day my team can beat anyone in the state. I also believe on any given day my team can be beaten by the Sisters of the Blind Rec Team. They are just 11/12/13 yr old girls at the end of the day.

If our state has decided (Through the Free Market) that NSA is the best place to play each other at 12U, then great. If people want to play teams from far away states on a national level, then great. At the end of the day I don't care what team some kid plays for or what sanctioning body she primarily plays within, if the goal of some crazy parent is to get their DD to play college ball and she only runs a 20 yrd dash in 3.95 seconds or can only throw 45mph overhand or is a pitcher and only throws 50mph etc... Then it all does not matter. No matter how many games she plays those type of things will not improve - I don't care if she plays on the best ASA team in the country - with poor physical skills - unless she can hit like Albert Pujols - she doesn't have a prayer of playing at the next level. So many people clamor on about "Exposure Tournaments", yet are clueless as to what really gets a kid on the radar screen. If a kid can run a sub 3.0, or throw overhand 65mph or better or has a sub 1.8 pop time as a catcher or throws 62mph as a pitcher. Those are things that gets a kid started on the radar screen. Sanctioning body, who plays who blah blah is all just noise. What is the real reason they are playing?

Just MHO.

Bill

[Bulldogs00]

DailyJoy, I couldn't agree more with you on your last comment. Its disappointing when an ASA tournament gets canceled. We had this happen to us as well this year. Also, I love how friendly the NSA web site is. I wish ASA would create something similar. When I called ASA once to ask results of a tournament, I was told that I need to contact my daughter's coach. I would love to see more Indiana teams play ASA tournaments. However, I don't think this will happen until they update their web site so the public can see what teams are registered for tournaments and get to see the results as well.

The Observer, Thank you for the nice comment! My daughter works really hard 4 days a week to keep getting better.

Cpbulldogfan, Thanks for the nice comments! I would have to say my daughter has good speed, but what helps her the most is hitting her spots.

To Everyone: I'm looking forward to this weekend! Sounds like between Team Energy, CP 99's, Raiders Black and Laporte Lazers Black this ASA State tournament is going to be one tough competition! I'm sure I'm missing some teams too. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!


Bulldog Parent,
Renee

[dailyjoy]

Bake

I would agree a team name with the birth age of the girls at the end is thought to be a team comprised of girls all born in that year but I also think age, though important, is only one of the variables to consider and doesn't really give a focused picture of a team.

One thing I have noticed watching t-ball through college age softball is during the younger years the best players are the ones who have parents who work with the girls or the ones who started playing travel at an early age. At 8, 10, and 12u it doesn’t matter if you are talking A, B, ASA, NSA or league ball. The gap between the girl whose parent is able to help her and the one whose parent is not is huge.

Add travel ball coaching and private lessons into the mixed and it becomes even more blurry as to the skill age of a player compared to their physical age. A 11u girl, who has played on the same travel team, with the same coach, since 8u will be a better player than a 12u girl who is playing her first year of travel, with a new coach, and doesn’t have a dad/mom who can work with her.

As the girls grow older the gap between girls who had parents teaching them from an early age and those with natural athletic ability grows smaller.

By high school age the advantage of early travel ball or very active parents is almost diminished and it is much harder to tell which girls have been playing travel since 8u compared to those who started at 14u but have an abundance of natural ability.

So my point in this long rambling is the skill level age of a girl is not always the same as their physical age. The best players at the younger ages aren’t necessarily the ones with the most natural talent either. Those who were nurtured in softball are better at the younger ages but the older the girls become the more important is natural ability.


Thoughts??????

[dailyjoy]

Gators 99 Whitiker will be at Ohio Stingrys Invite the weekend of NSA A State. We (Gators 2001) are also going to Stingrays. This a large very competitive tournament and with both of us going to ASA/USA this year there is no need to play NSA A State.

Bummer but I just read, on here of course not on ASA, the Gators 99(Whit) will be in crown point this weekend. How exciting.

[insoftballnut]

ASA not for everyone,eventually even in ASA the weaker players either fade away or sit out most of the time,, because of either lack of effort or they just cant compete at that level.

While Indiana has a small % of ASA travel ball teams,, there are states like ill, mich that are closer to Indiana and have many more teams at the ASA level. The competition is out there if anyone wants it.

As you go further south,west,or east you will find very many more ASA teams. I would guess that most ASA teams have there weaker players as to comparison to the better players, as time goes by you will hear of elte well rounded teams in the ASA division, some in 14's.

An example from around here would be bulldogs 98 in the 14u ASA division.
Teams like compuware, klash,..Down south,,teams like the atlanta vipers, thunderbolts..teams out west like, firecrackers, o c batbusters, and i'm just mentioning but a very few,,ill team like the beverly bandits,, this top notch list goes well beyond these few.

So if you have ever heard of some of these teams, well you get the idea that ASA ls not for everyone. But you always have to start your way from the '' bottom or beginning '' and work your way up.

Congradulations to all that play the game and try and better themselves , either in ASA, NSA,USSSA, AFA, PGF & T BALL and whoever i didn't mention.


PLAY LIKE A WINNER
&
LOSE LIKE A CHAMP

[river rat]

thanks for the compliments for our Warrior team Bill, I will tell our players about them, which will mean a lot knowing it came from the winning teams coach. it's refreshing hearing your posts about what it's all really about

[madwhit]

Gators 99 Whitiker will be at Ohio Stingrys Invite the weekend of NSA A State. We (Gators 2001) are also going to Stingrays. This a large very competitive tournament and with both of us going to ASA/USA this year there is no need to play NSA A State.

Bummer but I just read, on here of course not on ASA, the Gators 99(Whit) will be in crown point this weekend. How exciting.

I just read that too! At no time did we sign up to play up there again after the Hobart tourney. I am not sure where this is coming from. we will be in Plainfield playing in the ASA/USA 14u state tourney since we have already won our berth for nationals now we are playing to tune up for Moline.

Cynthia

[dailyjoy]

So ASA doesn't require participation in the state tourney in order to play in nationals like NSA does?

[insoftballnut]

So
So ASA doesn't require participation in the state tourney in order to play in nationals like NSA does?

Joy,,It is not easy to get to USA/ASA NATIONALS..NSA is small potatoes,

You dont make the usa/asa nationals, you can go to like a northen nationals wich is not like the BIG tourny in moline.

You must be new at this because your not to swift on how it goes ''asa verses nsa''

Joy, for example,,your team gets nothing, zilth,,nadda,, not even a participation medal when you finish last in moline, ln most ASA reigons they give {1} berth only to a 1st place state winner to go to nationals and it has to be an USA/ASA qualifier.


JOY. nothing wrong with conversation at all..but you gotta stop guessing on everything.



LIKE I SAID BEFOR,, ASA NOT FOR EVERYONE