PGF...........is it taking over??

[CULater]

Put your kid on a team that routinely competes PGF and it will be pretty likely that they will finish the year with a strong team at PGF nationals.

Competes PGF? What is that? Other than a hand full of qualifiers and one end of season tournament, what are you referring too? Some teams have never competed in anything PGF except for the end or year tournament because they've always been invited and that doesn't look to change anytime soon.

Lets face it, if it weren't for the invites, no one would have shown up. If PGF is such a raging success, why continue to invite >40% of the field? Quit propping this system up with past reputations. If the great teams are so great why can't they can prove it by earning their way in? For that matter, if the coaches are so great, why can't they can prove it by earning their way in? After all, it's not the teams but the coaches who get those passes.

PGF's own website states the obvious, they are afraid they can't make a tournament without free passes to "the club".

Regarding PGF being a big attraction for coaches, well lets see - 1) its in California, 2) all the top California teams will be there (remember the free pass!), 3) most of the top California players will be there, and 4) most colleges recruit from California. If I were a college coach I think I'd be there too.

Where PGF is failing is in creating an environment of "national" sportsmanship through earned berths. Qualifers are few, and with only 32 slots available nationwide, nearly impossible odds for most teams. ASA has done a tremendous job of creating a national brand, and with the flagship OKC Hall of Fame has created a destination that most gold teams dream of playing in. ASA also provides local representation via Regions, and gives teams a voice through that rep. All good things for PGF to learn, otherwise this will stay a "California" tournament.

Name the strong programs from FL, GA, WA, OR, AZ, TX, OK, IL, NJ? They are all on the PGF list. Name a strong team that is not on the list?
PGF continues to use births to get good geographic participation.

Right now, from our area, if you want your kid to play elite level ball, to play true 'gold' ball, you have to get on a team that has a demonstrated ability to attend PGF. That seems to be the case for the rest of these states as well.

Impact Gold from Texas, probably the most notable team in the state is going to TCS and ASA. They were on the invited list for PGF but are no longer. And in Florida, Gold Coast Hurricanes, also at one time were on the invited list but are not any longer.

[AlwaysImprove]

Do you actually think people would pick a 160 team tournament, with 145 of the teams are weak, versus 64 team where all 64 teams are very competitive? I doubt others are spending much time thinking about how the strong 64 teams got to PGF.

Just wondering your take on this question: How many teams were at PGF last year that tried but didn't qualify for ASA or PGF? Remember, you said all 64 teams.

Not sure how to answer your question, or how to look up the answer to your question.

I did have an opportunity to watch a number of ASA gold and PGF games last year. To me ASA teams fell off after top 5. After Tampa mustangs you had a lot of SoCal teams that were the lower sister teams to teams that competed in PGF.

As an example, Texas Impact Gold which played very competitively in ASA, finishing 3rd., finished 13th in PGF.

[AlwaysImprove]

Impact Gold from Texas, probably the most notable team in the state is going to TCS and ASA. They were on the invited list for PGF but are no longer. And in Florida, Gold Coast Hurricanes, also at one time were on the invited list but are not any longer. [/quote]

Gold Coast Hurricanes sponsor the Rising Stars tournament. Rising Stars is now a TCS event. That is likely why they have a focus on TCS.

Not real sure why Texas Impact Gold did not choose to come to PGF. It would be interesting to hear why.

Two teams not making it, does not mean it is a SoCal only tournament. The list of non SoCal teams is long, and competitive teams. Like: Beverly Bandits IL, EC Bullets GA, Georgia Elite GA, Illinios Chill IL, Indian Magic IN, Jersey Intensity NJ, NW Bullets OR, Southern Force GA, Team North Florida FL, Tulsa Eagles OK, Washington Ladyhawks WA, Wichata Mustangs KS. Nice spread of very competitive teams. With more to come.

[AlwaysImprove]

Now a question for you guys. Do you think that ASA listens to their teams?

[Trophy Hunter]

Now a question for you guys. Do you think that ASA listens to their teams?

Shouldn't this question be in the "ASA" forum?

btw, which invited team are you with?

[AlwaysImprove]

Now a question for you guys. Do you think that ASA listens to their teams?

Shouldn't this question be in the "ASA" forum?

btw, which invited team are you with?

None. I would love to be with some of those invited teams though. They are all really great teams.

I think that invites can become a disaster if they are not managed. If they result in non-competitive teams, they will hurt the tournament. So far PGF guys have shown they know the fastpitch teams very well. So invites have served to increase competitiveness and achieve more teams from more states. Both things I like to see happening to a tournament.

In this forum, or in an ASA forum, ASA did not list to anyone. My way or the highway, people took the highway.

[Trophy Hunter]

Some people took the highway. And I mean that literally, since so many are within easy driving distance.

[CULater]

Name the strong programs from FL, GA, WA, OR, AZ, TX, OK, IL, NJ? They are all on the PGF list. Name a strong team that is not on the list?

Impact Gold from Texas, probably the most notable team in the state is going to TCS and ASA. They were on the invited list for PGF but are no longer. And in Florida, Gold Coast Hurricanes, also at one time were on the invited list but are not any longer.

Gold Coast Hurricanes sponsor the Rising Stars tournament. Rising Stars is now a TCS event. That is likely why they have a focus on TCS.

Not real sure why Texas Impact Gold did not choose to come to PGF. It would be interesting to hear why.

Two teams not making it, does not mean it is a SoCal only tournament. The list of non SoCal teams is long, and competitive teams. Like: Beverly Bandits IL, EC Bullets GA, Georgia Elite GA, Illinios Chill IL, Indian Magic IN, Jersey Intensity NJ, NW Bullets OR, Southern Force GA, Team North Florida FL, Tulsa Eagles OK, Washington Ladyhawks WA, Wichata Mustangs KS. Nice spread of very competitive teams. With more to come.

You said to name one team from the list of states that wasn't attending PGF, I gave you two, and not just two but probably 2 of the top 10 programs in the nation. I am sure there are other top teams, like Team FLA, Miami Stingrays, Lady Gators in Florida, Houston Power, Sudden Impact in Texas.

[fastpitchforever]

Now a question for you guys. Do you think that ASA listens to their teams?

Not very well, but I'd bet they perked up once PGF got started. I haven't seen any ASA qualifiers or championships scheduled for Midland lately, so maybe ASA at least got this message and is keeping the bigger tournaments more centralized.

[Battle]

Do you actually think people would pick a 160 team tournament, with 145 of the teams are weak, versus 64 team where all 64 teams are very competitive? I doubt others are spending much time thinking about how the strong 64 teams got to PGF.

Just wondering your take on this question: How many teams were at PGF last year that tried but didn't qualify for ASA or PGF? Remember, you said all 64 teams.

Not sure how to answer your question, or how to look up the answer to your question.

I did have an opportunity to watch a number of ASA gold and PGF games last year. To me ASA teams fell off after top 5. After Tampa mustangs you had a lot of SoCal teams that were the lower sister teams to teams that competed in PGF.

As an example, Texas Impact Gold which played very competitively in ASA, finishing 3rd., finished 13th in PGF.

I'm trying to make sense of what you are saying. Are you bouncing your statements between age groups?