UPDATED! 12u Top Team Ranking – Pre ASA Nationals Poll!

[Clean_up]

Why is No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder Ranked in the top 20? Is winning weaker tourneys more important then competing with top teams? Both teams seem to be dodging really competitive tourneys.

IMO In 12u softball - team confidence is more important then playing really competitive tourneys in the fall and early spring and both No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder are solid teams that have played top competition in friendlies. Back when the 1st poll was introduced I give advice that both teams should win games and gain confidence while playing the top teams in friendlies. Example of OC Wildcats 96 - two tourneys wins and still under the radar until AA's. Watching the Wildcats play CA-K - the Wildcats expected to win..... confidence!

Therefore, I believe we should not punish teams for taking a different path...... instead judge them after watching them play. The Wildcats, So Crunch, Valley Tribe, No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder are all solid teams with all but the Crunch winning a tourney.

I totally agree, CA 96 won 10-1 over BB 96 and 4-2 over PowerSurge, they were primed to compete against good teams and brought their sticks, confidence and didn't give up; then when faced with what the girls thought were going to be easier games, just didn't play with the same intensity or heart. This is a lesson to all the teams playing to NOT take anything for granted, any team can rise up if they WANT IT and take you down if you are not ready. Competition at this level is strong and any time your team decides to take another team lightly, well it almost always comes back to bite them...

[upurbox]

Why is No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder Ranked in the top 20? Is winning weaker tourneys more important then competing with top teams? Both teams seem to be dodging really competitive tourneys.

IMO In 12u softball - team confidence is more important then playing really competitive tourneys in the fall and early spring and both No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder are solid teams that have played top competition in friendlies. Back when the 1st poll was introduced I give advice that both teams should win games and gain confidence while playing the top teams in friendlies. Example of OC Wildcats 96 - two tourneys wins and still under the radar until AA's. Watching the Wildcats play CA-K - the Wildcats expected to win..... confidence!

Therefore, I believe we should not punish teams for taking a different path...... instead judge them after watching them play. The Wildcats, So Crunch, Valley Tribe, No Fear 96 and Cal Thunder are all solid teams with all but the Crunch winning a tourney.

I totally agree, CA 96 won 10-1 over BB 96 and 4-2 over PowerSurge, they were primed to compete against good teams and brought their sticks, confidence and didn't give up; then when faced with what the girls thought were going to be easier games, just didn't play with the same intensity or heart. This is a lesson to all the teams playing to NOT take anything for granted, any team can rise up if they WANT IT and take you down if you are not ready. Competition at this level is strong and any time your team decides to take another team lightly, well it almost always comes back to bite them...

NO EXCUSES... ...A POWERHOUSE TEAM LIKE CA96 SHOULD HAVE WON THAT GAME ESPECIALLY AFTER BEATING OCBBJM AND P.SURGE...I HEARD IT WAS THE OFF SPEED PITCHING.

[Clean_up]

No excuses exactly! Just saying you can't take any team for granted and have to play your best EVERY GAME, something all the girls have to learn. If you want to be the best, you have to bring it ALL THE TIME, so hopefully they win in the Spring.

[Clean_up]

And therein lies the double-edge sword of being a "top team".
You are always expected to win and play at the top of your game. Everybody is gunning for you. Heaven forbid you try and use a game to give your #3 some innings or move some girls around defensively. If you have three games in a day, for example, each of those three teams will bring their best game to take you down. It may be the only good game they play that day, that week, that month, but they are pumped up and play their best, sometimes way over their heads. You on the other hand have to be up and play hard all three, never letting up. And if you do lose it will be the talk of the town as to what is wrong with your team or how you may have lost your form.
Unfortunately they are still immature young ladies and the reality is they are not perfect, they are just playing the game like everyone else.

THANK YOU!!!!

[bracketologist]

NEW POLL IS OUT!

Updated the poll to a points system and reclassified what it takes to be an A Team. Still no A Team at this point, but we clearly have a group of B+ teams.


Poll points system - each pollster ranks and presents their top teams. Each #1 ranking equals 30 pts and so on. All pollster rankings are averaged to give the final pts average. Note division 12u head coaches rankings and bracketologist count double. All head coaches can participate in the poll. Teams need to average a 3.0 or better (i.e., #23 ranking) to be listed in the poll.

Rank Pts
1 30
2 28
3 26
4 24
5 23
6 22
7 21
8 20
9 19
10 18
11 15
12 14
13 13
14 12
15 11
16 10
17 9
18 8
19 7
20 6
21 5
22 4
23 3
24 2
25 1

[Comets16]

Nicely said Spazdad....Only top teams can understand this.

[sballcatchr]

Who is Envy 97'?

[number19]

Who is Envy 97'?

A Poway (San Diego) All Star Team that went travel.

[socalrampage97]

Trust me. You will know who they are soon enough. Tons of potential and it seems like the Coaches know what there doing.

[n2softball2009]

What about rankings for 14u teams?