** Indiana Raiders 12u Black ** (100% FOCUSED in our Goal!!)

[McConnell]

Indiana Raiders 12U Black Looking to Expand Roster.

The 2012 Indiana Raiders 12U Black team is coming off a very successful Fall season. We went undefeated in both the Blueberry Fest and the Monster Mash in Indianapolis, in route to becoming champions of both tournaments. We also played in the Illinois Outlaws Round Robin, and against many older 14U teams. Our Fall record was 22-1, with our only loss coming against a top level 14U program from Illinois.

Our desire for the 2012 spring and summer season is to play a strong ASA schedule with select NSA ‘A’ tournaments. Our primary goal is to qualify and attend USA/ASA Nationals in Moline, IL. USA/ASA Nationals is our #1 goal, and we are 100% focused on accomplishing it!

We are also dedicated to providing a solid winter of workouts, consisting of defensive fundamentals, offensive instruction, as well as speed and agility training. You WILL be a better player and athlete in March than you are now.

To accommodate these goals, we have decided to expand our roster slightly. We are not looking to just add numbers. We are looking for the right athlete(s). Any athlete(s) we decide to add will be dedicated, willing to work hard, and want to take their game to the next level.

If this sounds like the right fit for you, and you are ready for the challenge of playing ASA ‘A’ softball, please contact us for a private, confidential evaluation.

Shaun McConnell
(219) 689-6966

[bucket sitter]

Whoa Shawn, ASA 'A'?!? That's what I call steppin it up.

It don't get any better then ASA Nationals, right? Kudos to this group.

If you have a great 12u player and your in a situation your not 500% thrilled with, you should have a serious conversation with her and make the call, right? Especially if your dd is a great player with another team in NWI. There is no other 12U group in Northern Indiana who is doing this. Make the call.

Just sayin.

[choppertwohopper]

You have yet to play a top Illinois 12U team before you crown your team. Get off the soap box and learn how to play with some humility and grace! Come to Illinois in the summer and you will no longer be pounding your chest. Anyways, CP 99 are much better team than the one you run.

[Raider_Dad]

Chopertwohopper what has the CP99 have to do with the Raiders trying to pick up a girl to move up to the next level? They are a good team but haven't seen them going out and playing up or competing against the Illinios best teams. Unless that was the best teams at the B-Bash? Our girls have done very well so far this year. Our goal is to have them play the best to get better. Nobody is saying we are going to win ASA Nationals. We are looking for a girl or two to make us a better team. If that puts Shaun standing up on a soap box beating his chest, then so be it. He is just saying what we have done so far and hoping to get a dedicated girl to come join us. My guess you must have a girl playing on CP99 and feel hurt by the attention the Raiders are getting. To many people are getting all worked up on what everybody is saying. In the end isn't it about your girl being a better softball player at the end of the year? To get better you must play the best teams. This is what the Raiders are trying to do so I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings.

[sbg]

Raider dad, looking back at choppertwohoppers old posts it doesn't seem as if this guy has a daughter on the crownpoint 99 team. He seems he has been around posting about alot of teams. Maybe he's watching tournaments and saw something he liked in the crownpoint 99's. You don't have to have a daughter on a particular team to make a positive comment.

JUST SAYING!

[Raider_Dad]

sbg, If chopertwo isn't on theCP99 I apologize. I was just trying to say what the Raiders are trying to do has nothing to do with CP99. We have played them several times over the years. The are a good team and they do what best for them. I just don't see why he as to attack the Raiders coach for doing what he thinks is best for his team. There is nothing more then I would like to see then a bunch of NWI teams being the talk and having good competition. I hope that every parent who takes their daughters on a travel team are doing it for the right reasons. The goal is to make all the girls better in the long run. I just don't see the reason to put down one team to try and bring up another. It is a long season and time will tell which teams are real or pretenders. The is no reason we can't say the Raiders and CP99 are both good teams, which in my opinion, they are. Who is to say which is better? Hopefully the two teams will play and the people that are so up in arms can have their answer, but until then I think we can agree that both teams have good players and are doing what they feel is best for their teams. They are 12U girls not College.

[insoftballnut]

You have yet to play a top Illinois 12U team before you crown your team. Get off the soap box and learn how to play with some humility and grace! Come to Illinois in the summer and you will no longer be pounding your chest. Anyways, CP 99 are much better team than the one you run.

what a class act you must be chopper,where in that paragraph does it mention the bulldogs 99,but you say that there a much better ran team then the raiders, ,how many times have the bulldogs played the 99raiders and whats the count.'you tell us ',any coach should pound his chest like tarzan when there winning ,me and my dd's seen many touraments and many the raider99 team has been at.same coach-that you say is pounding his chest has won-aN INDIANA STATE GAME CHAMPIONSHIP,A WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP,both in the same year-2010,and many others that same year.now seems there a lil older and are so far kicking a'''s in some top tourneys like 1st at blueberry fest,1st at monstermash and 1st at many ill scrimmage games -and playing up in most of thoughs.dang i would and many other coaches would be pounding there chest also,and seems to me that you chopper are just 'jealous'

[fastpitch fool]

Let me try to get this thread back on point. I've had the privilege of working with Shaun, his 12U Black Raiders team, and several of his hitters for most of the fall. I do not have a daughter on the team, but have been through the NSA B to ASA 'A' change before.

The purpose of Shaun starting this thread is to inform the 12U softball community that there is an ASA 'A' option for players from NWI, Northern Indiana, or even Chicagoland. I think the fees of this particular team would be very attractive to an Illinois family who might not be able to afford the costlier 12U programs, or maybe they have multiple children playing and could use some financial relief. Regardless of your situation, if you would like your daughter to play a primarily ASA 'A' schedule, and have an outstanding winter of development, there is a very reasonable option in NWI without having to commmute to Illinois or Indy.

That's all he's saying. Period. He's not saying he is going to move to ASA and steam roll anyone. He is planning to play a tough ASA schedule that will challenge him, his team, and his coaching staff every inning of every game. He is presently putting together a great winter of challenging practices as well.

So that's it. If you and your 12U daughter want to play against the best possible competition, and play with a pretty darn good team who has a roster full of really nice girls, then you have Shaun's number. If you don't want to play this type of schedule, that's cool too. Have a great season anyway.

Eric Johnson

[basesloaded22]

Chopper (dopper) that what I'm gonna call u because that what u must be smoking to make stupid remarks like that. Shaun been running a good program for a few years and here your bashing him for it. Raiders played Illinois outlaws , new lenox lighting, a few 14u Ill. Went to indy played monster mash and did good. I'm sure that's why he went to indy rather than the b bash because the raiders would of never won the b bash ( dopper)

[looking in]

moline is still pretty far for these 12U to travel isn't it??