LOGS10 wrote:I think many of you are missing the point. From some of the comments we should just sit back and not have an opinion after paying entry fee for the team, gas to get there, hotel and food and a snack bar that had high prices and for less than desireable selection. So what some of your are saying is now that my DD is at this level we should no longer expect tournaments to be put on with pride and proffesionalism. I stand by my statement about the umpires, there were junior rec ball at best. The only thing they were consistant on was being inconsistant. That is all we ask is be consistant and when you have the same umpire for several games and his strike zone is different each time how is that fair to the girls. The ones we had were arrogant and made it known the game was about them. As an unpire my goal was to not have anything to do with the outcome of the game just call it by the book. Needless to say we will be looking for an alternative for next year.
L
I'm sorry the weekend was so disappointing for you. I'm not affiliated with the host organization, so the opinions that I'm expressing here are from a third party perspective.
If I'm one of those people who you believe are "missing the point", then I apologize. I think I understand your point. It's just that I believe there are other points involved in the big picture of things.
Entry fee, gas, hotel and food are costs which would be incurred no matter which showcase you attend. If the snack bar is bad, bring your own food. If they don't allow coolers inside the premises, then pull the coolers up to the fence and put your chair down right outside the fence.
If the umpiring is inconsistent, the college coaches will see it. They're not there to evaluate players based on results that are largely dictated by calls. They are looking at players for an overall impression of their athleticism, skills, and temperament. They'll notice that the called third strike on your kid was almost two feet off the corner. There's the chance for your kid (and her parents) to show that they have enough restraint not to say something to the ump that would have adverse consequences to your team. If your kid is the pitcher and she's getting squeezed by the blue, here's a chance for her to show how she would deal with that situation. If I’m a college coach watching that pitcher, I would love to see how she handles it. It’s going to happen again in a college game at some point. Productive showcasing can still take place with bad umpiring.
This was an opportunity for you to show your kid how to handle adversity and make the best of it. Don’t you think that might benefit her at some point in the future?
Yes, Stockton has the heat, the high crime rate, sometimes bad umpiring, etc. But there are plenty of No.Cal., Oregon and Washington coaches attending this showcase year after year. It's the first big event of the fall. If at least one kid on your team received some attention from any of those schools who were in attendance, the trip was worthwhile.
