A team or B team

[WildRoseCoach]

In Oregon we have A, B (Typically the big difference between the two is pitching, defense is pretty similar with A/B Teams) and C (Which is Rec).

So in Cali if all travel teams must register A doesn't that dilute the whole classification?

[Pridefpsb17]

In Illinois, it is a big mess. Especially at the 10U and 12U level. Too many teams are playing ASA or NSA B.

In the "A" tournaments there are hardly enough teams and sometimes the tournaments are canceled due to lack of participation, that is if you can even find one.

For example, in the "A" state tournament this past weekend we had to travel from downstate to Chicago, there were five teams at the "A". The state tournament for "B" is divided into two--North and South. The North tournament has 10 teams--a couple that are playing "A" next weekend in another state tournament.

Next weekend is another state tournament 10U has six teams in "A" and in "B" 21 while 12U has 16 in "A" and 36 in "B".

USSSA is doing it right in Illinois. 10U is not being classified as "A" or "B". They do have a "C" classification.

Too many teams at the younger age groups are just trophy hunting instead of playing the best competition to work on skills that will help the team improve at the older age levels.

There is definitely a place at 14U and older to have "A" and "B" some teams from smaller areas just want to play a little ball and socialize.

The organizations need to do away with the "A" and "B" classification at tournaments that are not a State or Regional for 14U through 18U and at 10U-12U do away with the classifications period.

The JO programs are going to end up like the adult divisions where you have way too many classifications!

[sbfanatic]

In Illinois, it is a big mess. Especially at the 10U and 12U level. Too many teams are playing ASA or NSA B.

In the "A" tournaments there are hardly enough teams and sometimes the tournaments are canceled due to lack of participation, that is if you can even find one.

Exact problem we have in 12U second year (96) in DFW. So instead of forcing teams to move up to "A" ball once that have dominated "B" ball, they can negotiate a special classification. Some one was telling me that their team has a dual classification 12U "A" / 14U "B". Go figure?

One team played in a 10U "A" (96)nationals and has always been classified as a "B" team.

[DonnieS]

In Oregon we have A, B (Typically the big difference between the two is pitching, defense is pretty similar with A/B Teams) and C (Which is Rec).

So in Cali if all travel teams must register A doesn't that dilute the whole classification?

Rose, how would that dilute the classification? I am from Texas where the classification can be a mess, if you let it. A = travel, B = rec leagues (except LL League level rec) and
sand-baggers, C = teams that were Little League that now want to start playing softball.

[coachEd]

USSSA and AFA also dont have clear-cut classification rules (that I know of).

Neither does NSA.

And I found one strange sentence that basically says that a "B" team can't be an allstar team from more than one league.

The exception to this in So Cal ASA is for 16u and 18u B teams. These teams are typcially girls that may have played HS ball in the spring and then come back together to play as an "all star" team representing a rec league, or they can be independent. These teams are allowed to have girls from multiple different high schools (which most likely, they would have come from different leagues too), but the number of HS is limited (4 different schools, I think).

I dont see much of a difference here between these teams and travel teams other than the fact they are classified as a B team. Of course, there generally is a noticable difference in the talent of the players as compared to girls on 16u and 18u A teams. These B teams are supposed to only play in tourneys against other B teams, but they are allowed to play in A tourneys too, and many do (mostly because there really are not that many 16/18u B teams for them to play against). If they end up doing pretty well in an A tourney, and in fact, if the tourney is a qualifier for a higher tourney (like a triple crown tourney where you are trying to qualify for the TCWS in Park City), and they qualify for the higher tourney, they are at risk of being re-classified by ASA as an A team.

[WildRoseCoach]

Kind of the same way the "Gold" is diluted with teams that probably shouldn't actually be classified as "Gold".

In my feable mind the "A" Classification should be for teams that are highly skilled and compete at a higher level. The "B" Classification is for those travel teams that don't have the talent of the "A" teams, but are more competitive than the LL or Rec Teams.

If every travel team must register as an "A" team, but really don't have the skilled players to be able to compete, then that dilutes the whole Classification.

[SnocatzDad]

In Oregon we have A, B (Typically the big difference between the two is pitching, defense is pretty similar with A/B Teams) and C (Which is Rec).

So in Cali if all travel teams must register A doesn't that dilute the whole classification?

Rose, how would that dilute the classification? I am from Texas where the classification can be a mess, if you let it. A = travel, B = rec leagues (except LL League level rec) and
sand-baggers, C = teams that were Little League that now want to start playing softball.

I had the same reaction that all travel being "A" dilutes the "A" meaning. If all travel teams have to play "A" that means that you can be a terrible travel team playing "A". In our state travel teams self classify "Elite" "A" "B" so that you can play travel "league" games of similar caliber teams. (if you use your So Cal semantic translator our "elite" = your "A" our "A" = your "B" etc.. ) Our teams tend to play travel league games as opposed to friendlies. Teams have done a pretty good job self classifying, if anything teams tend to over classify themselves rather than sandbag by underclassifying.

[DonnieS]

Teams have done a pretty good job self classifying, if anything teams tend to over classify themselves rather than sandbag by underclassifying.

Based on the few times we have been able to play socal teams, thats the way I would guess it is there. When youngest was first invited to play on a travel team, (here in Texas), the managers were adament about playing B. This was pre-eteamz, but I didnt understand how we would know how good (or bad) we were, unless we played A. My hope back in those days, 7 or 8 years ago, was that my dds would be good enough to play high school varsity and it made no sense to me to not play A.

[Pridefpsb17]

. . .When youngest was first invited to play on a travel team, (here in Texas), the managers were adament about playing B. This was pre-eteamz, but I didnt understand how we would know how good (or bad) we were, unless we played A. My hope back in those days, 7 or 8 years ago, was that my dds would be good enough to play high school varsity and it made no sense to me to not play A.

This is a good reason why 10U and 12U teams do not need a "B" or "A" classification system.

When those younger age groups are just starting out who really knows what you've got until you play for a dozen games or so. Players develop differently depending on a variety of circumstances and then move to different teams depending on skill level, dedication, etc.

At one of our state coaches meetings in January, a director said "if you have a pitcher that can throw a strike, then you are an 'A' team."

[SnocatzDad]

Teams have done a pretty good job self classifying, if anything teams tend to over classify themselves rather than sandbag by underclassifying.

Based on the few times we have been able to play socal teams, thats the way I would guess it is there. When youngest was first invited to play on a travel team, (here in Texas), the managers were adament about playing B. This was pre-eteamz, but I didnt understand how we would know how good (or bad) we were, unless we played A. My hope back in those days, 7 or 8 years ago, was that my dds would be good enough to play high school varsity and it made no sense to me to not play A.

I'm with you Donnie, you should always play at the highest level you can be competitive at in order to improve the fastest. The problem is that goes for your opponent as well. If you grossly overestimate your ability (i.e. end up winning less than 10% of your games, run ruled 75% of the time) you may still see some benefit for your team, but your doing a disservice to your opponents who are also looking to play games at the highest competitive level.

I'm okay in principle with teams dropping down a level after they find out they dove in too deep, problem is the teams that stayed in the shallow end to begin with are never happy about it. So in practice your better off starting where your confident your at least competitive and moving up if it turns out your good enough to compete higher, no one complains when teams up-classify themselves.