Forced to go to Montgomery

[dittoz]

Blend - I absolutely agree with you, except our local association is also effectively "demanding" (although not as strongly as the AL part) that we also play in the Metro tournament. I believe the act of participating qualifies us for WR, but only the winner qualifies for AL. hence, the belief here that this whole thing is out of hand.

Now perhaps someone can tell us that qualfiying for WR is easier in some other method or perhaps different, I only know what I hear, but there is some significant pressure to appear in Metros, in spite of the result being that we'll send a deserved team home along the way.

The whole thing is really pretty sad if we have the right answers on the process. None of the coaches want to have occur what inevitably will, but as best I can tell, their hands are also tied.

[sportzjunky]

dittoz -
send your ASA rep the team budget with alot of red in it. and also one of these....

[NumeroUno]

You don't want to go there anyway ASA Nationals are not so fun. Here is a picture of downtown Mongomery

Walking the dog.jpg

[Randi Jo]

It's true...Article 516 H.01 - any team that has qualified for an USA/ASA Junior Olympic Girls Fast Pitch National Championship is not eligible to partipcate in an ASA National Championship Finals Tournament (Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern).

Article 505 - Team Suspension for forfeiting a game in championship play

Here's an option, play an win in the Sac Metro.
Then, forfeit your berth by playing in the National Qualifier in Tracy, CA in July

So, the question would be since they technically "lost their berth" then could they go to Western Nationals?

[anonlooker]

Sportzjunky! Wait a minute!! TCS is a national experience??? Please!!

Last year, of 37 teams playing 12U, I think 29 were from CA. The rest from AZ, and NV and TX had one each. What's national about that?

TCS is not much more than a SoCal tournament, only further from home and more expensive.

[SoCalFP]

You are correct. If you earn a berth to the National Championship Finals, you can not forfiet it and go to Western Nationals. That is what the GSSA representative was telling this team.

[sportzjunky]

Sportzjunky! Wait a minute!! TCS is a national experience??? Please!!

Last year, of 37 teams playing 12U, I think 29 were from CA. The rest from AZ, and NV and TX had one each. What's national about that?

TCS is not much more than a SoCal tournament, only further from home and more expensive.

we are talking about a new team here anonlooker..... and they arent funded.... its about as close as you can get considering their situation. Name another A class national west of say.... AFA OK??? just a suggestion in thier situation. and I will agree, there are easily 2-3 TCS tournaments in So cal from fall to spring that are as tough or tougher then TCS Nationals in spring... these folks are from No Cal..

[dittoz]

Okay, so one earns a berth. There are what... 150 teams that go to Nat's?
In USSSA, NSA, TCS... we've earned berths to their Nationals as well and they make no fuss if we don't go.

It's especially frustrating because our team's parent org had previously spoken with the GSSA rep's office in our area and voiced concerns to the gal who does all the admin work for all the teams and tourneys and she had gone to this rep and come back with an answer indicating we could in fact go to AZ since costs and such were making AL impossible. Then, he comes back in with a huge attitude at the draw meeting for the qualifier and says OH H*** NO after he had already indicating a yes. The toughest part is that this big old "NO" came after we signed contracts for lodging in AZ and have sent in checks, etc.

I can understand rules, but somewhere, somehow... this just isn't right!

[Randi Jo]

Dittoz - ask the question to your GSSA rep...if we qualify at Sac Metro but then forefeit that berth by playng in the National Qualifier in Tracy, then are we eligible to participate in Western Nationals?

Basically, that forfeited berth should then be an at-large berth for the Pacific Regionals

[Intel]

Last year in the CenCal Metro, we had six teams decline beth to the 16U Nationals so they could play in the Western Nationals in Northern California. We had one team decline the national beth in the 14U division also. A declined berth just goes to the next placed team.