Information about Premier Fastpitch Girls Softball

[wadeintothem]

You continuously talk about the ASA conducting the only real championships in the country. Furthermore, you constantly assert that a selection process has ensured that these real championships have the best umpires in the country.

Actually, I have not said that at all. You pulled that out of a dark place, becase that is not what I said. There are several championships. I've said that THIS is not a national championship, it is by design, description, prerequisite for entry, and intent, a showcase of high school players..not an 18 y/o national championship event.

I have heard nothing about the umpire selection process in terms of specifics. If the selection process consists of taking a test on the order of the ACE test given to coaches, I question whether the ASA process really does the job. It certainly is not evident during games.

I would imagine that there is no particular need for you to know, nor a real desire by you to know... so it is probably a waste of time to explain it. (and I would never claim that it is a flawless process anyway)

Why is it such a big deal to win the USA/ASA championships?

I probably would not be the best person to ask that. Perhaps ask coaches who for years cut kids so they can beef up their teams just before nationals? Some of these coaches are now using that well deserved good reputation as the catalyst spring board for future, doubtless successful adventures and very successful organizations which attract the best players. Ask them what winning nationals does for them and their organization. Odd they blame ASA for their own choices and decisions, even though those same decisions benefited them - but such as it is.

Little league is able to televise semi finals and championship games for its softball players in at least three age divisions? Why can’t the ASA do that? Do you know that some players have opted to play for little league instead of ASA on the outside chance that they may be seen on national television?

Who cares? Let em play where they want. I think they should play little league. Some people play NSA, USSSA, IGA, XYZ, and PDQ orgs. Hell, some people even play... soccer.

The Premier Tournament cannot be a bad thing for the Fastpitch game.

I agree. There are so many alphabet soup orgs out there, how could 1 more be bad? It can't be... if they ever become an Org.

What MAY be bad if this influences those voters within ASA and they drop college players instead of moving forward; however, as I've said, I'm on the fence on that issue.

How can an organization that sponsors a Hooter’s tournament be taken seriously in a women’s Fastpitch context?

I'm not entirely surprised you have the sponsorship issue backwards.

If your interest includes benefitting players you really need to reconsider your position and embrace this tournament wholeheartedly. Why not climb on board and help the sport grow rather than hanging on to the status quo?

How is further watering down 18G's helping the sport grow? Because MORE kids that should probably be playing 16A or 18A are now able to play 18G? Great, thats what we need. Besides, I'm already committed during the time the 2010 Gary tourney is going on. Maybe another year though! Honestly, it looks like a very cool event.

I can see that this may not be helping the sport grow though. I see this as assuaging the desires of some coaches. It may be in fact taking the sport backwards by providing a more watered down showcase HS division or even possibly worse, degrading the 18G ASA division.. and this is not a competitive league with the best 18 y/os.

ASA is not a showcase org, and perhaps they should NOT allow themselves to be made into one.

Instead of trying to prevent something potentially beneficial to the sport from happening, someone with your experience and knowledge ought to be asking what you can do to help.

I would never presume I could derail this and thats not even my goal. Its ONLY chit chat on a message board. I'm not a voting member in ASA. I'm no body but a dude with an opinion.

Part of me thinks ASA should stand firm on a true 18G division and if every one of these teams never come back, so be it. ASA wont collapse. I believe new teams will likely take their place and that list is missing PLENTY of real good orgs that I think could very well be those new top organizations. They werent worthy of an invite by the boys, but they have been good orgs awhile, and this may be the boost the need to become the next great org. But then the other side of me knows a lot of these people on that list and they are darn good people and good for the sport and maybe ASA should work hard to bring them back.. so thats why I waver around.

I only offer the alternate opinion, which IMO, is very important and needs to be stated. I seem to alternate around in my POV because I do waver on several issues in this argument.

[CheckWriter]

It was an interesting aside to read through the officiating message board. My conclusion? They just don’t get it. They go on and on about the best teams and the best tournaments and OKC really is a great place to hang out and who wants to go to Disneyland anyway … this is softball, etc. Well guess what, it IS about the girls, hanging out with team mates, friends, family. Doing stuff BESIDES softball. Because DDs’ (sisters on the same team for the first time ever) team did not qualify for OKC this year (older DD’s team went 2 & 2 in elimination play in OKC last year), THANK GOD, because we took our first family vacation without bat bags in a DECADE during the week of Nationals. It was GREAT. In the younger days, when DDs weren’t good enough to be on a “contending” team, they went to Park City and had a great time and played some good ball and went pretty deep, I think a third one year in either 12s or 14s. Believe me, neither I, nor the girls are losing sleep they didn’t go to the “real” tournament.

Now, assuming 18 DDs per team and 64 teams, that 1,152 DDs (don’t have a good feel for how many, many more team are there nationally that didn’t qualify) and only 1.6% of those get to be champs, besides the 1.6% that came in second, very few people are going to remember who cam in second. At what point do apply the moniker of wannabe? 11th (just out of the top 10)? 33rd (“bottom half”)? Non qualifiers? In So Cal non-classifiers? Where do you decide that the coaches are no good, the girls should just give it up, it is not worth giving them a shot to try? Is everybody below your “threshold” not worth it? That coach whose “Gold” team has never made it – just give up and don’t give the girls a place to play. Who is ANYBODY to tell these girls they can’t try?

These self aggrandizing people on that board act like the whole point of Gold is to give them a good show in OKC. Maybe one of the college freshman whose game they call will become the Honda female athlete of the year, good stories between games. I personally REALLY appreciate what the blues do, without them there would be no ball, but the blue doesn’t get to know the girls, doesn’t spend hours a week riding them when they’re screwing up, hours a week trying to pump ‘em up when they’re in a slump, helping them to try to find the right school and them helping make the connection that will get them there. Badger the parents to pick the stuff up, drop the stuff off (especially the checks) and on and on. Screw the ones that get moved to the end of the bench to make way for the college girls after 9 months of busting her tail to make the team, improve and contribute to the team, get her an at bat during a pool play blow out or maybe let her run for somebody once. That ump that wants to make to gold nationals, finally get “the call”, gets psyched up, makes all his arrangements and, oh sorry, there is some NCAA Div I guy that decided he wants to work the tourney after all, turns out an old buddy will be there on business at the same time. If you really still want to come, you can Ump a pool play game or two at hours nobody else want. That would be cool, right?

We minions that blindly follow the GH guy because he has convinced all of us what we want. Where do people come up with this stuff? We used to be in So Cal but are no longer. Older DD got exactly what she wanted. In 26 days she will be moving in to the dorms at her dream school. The softball and all those boring, useless, showcases were very likely the “differentiator” that got her into a school where every single applicant has over a 4.0 and a 2000 SAT and also made it affordable (not free).

Now, if that “messiah” guy can create a tournament that is fun, convenient, allows a bit of “family time” and is good and competitive, that will be most things to most people. Guess what, just as you find no value in anything that is not ASA, the value of that acronym is dwindling year after year.

Just a stupid parent’s opinion, who also happens to be the one who finances this whole undertaking and has a bit of an influence on what teams DDs play for. Besides, we meddling parents that don’t know squat about softball do, for the most part, know what is bets for our DDs and we outnumber EVERYBODY in this endeavor.

[Skarp]

In the words of my 9-year-old: "Oh, snap!"

[ssarge]

I'm not entirely surprised you have the sponsorship [Hooters] issue backwards.

This is an aside, and I personally don't care about something like this.

But a more brain-dead decision than this affiliation could not be found IF the organization is serious about JO softball. Just absolutely mind-bogglingly dumb. Doesn't matter how much money is involved. In fact, the consideration of money in the decision basis makes it worse. HOPEFULLY, this came about because some idiot making a decision got a free plate of chicken wings, and NOT because ASA didn't care about image as long as they got a sponsor dollar.

[wadeintothem]

It was an interesting aside to read through the officiating message board. My conclusion? They just don’t get it. They go on and on about the best teams and the best tournaments and OKC really is a great place to hang out and who wants to go to Disneyland anyway … this is softball, etc. Well guess what, it IS about the girls, hanging out with team mates, friends, family. Doing stuff BESIDES softball. Because DDs’ (sisters on the same team for the first time ever) team did not qualify for OKC this year (older DD’s team went 2 & 2 in elimination play in OKC last year), THANK GOD, because we took our first family vacation without bat bags in a DECADE during the week of Nationals. It was GREAT. In the younger days, when DDs weren’t good enough to be on a “contending” team, they went to Park City and had a great time and played some good ball and went pretty deep, I think a third one year in either 12s or 14s. Believe me, neither I, nor the girls are losing sleep they didn’t go to the “real” tournament.

{long post follows}

I think its obvious ASA needs to address the OKC situation/length of tourney issue. I for one admit I thought it would be the dream of girls to go play in HOF Stadium for the championship, I think many others thought that as well - so I've had a "rude awakening" about that since this all began and now know they need to get that situation addressed. In fact, I think that is the main catalyst and enabler of the whole thing, because as you alluded to, money is the bottom line. This was one of the more interesting povs I've seen (you have things wrong about how officiating works.. but I wont pick nits ) ) - thanks for your perspective.

[wadeintothem]

I'm not entirely surprised you have the sponsorship [Hooters] issue backwards.

This is an aside, and I personally don't care about something like this.

But a more brain-dead decision than this affiliation could not be found IF the organization is serious about JO softball. Just absolutely mind-bogglingly dumb. Doesn't matter how much money is involved. In fact, the consideration of money in the decision basis makes it worse. HOPEFULLY, this came about because some idiot making a decision got a free plate of chicken wings, and NOT because ASA didn't care about image as long as they got a sponsor dollar.

Your dd's love to go to Hooters so give me a break.

[ssarge]

Your dd's love to go to Hooters so give me a break.

Wow.

Some of them love to drink, too, or worse.

I can think of a lot of sponsors that would be even more inappropriate than Hooters, but still reflecting what SOME kids love to do. Tobacco companies. Alcohol companies. Condom companies. No doubt.

There is also no doubt that people who are sensitive to female athletes being judged on the basis of their accomplishments, NOT their physical attributes, would draw a line for potential sponsors NORTH of Hooters. And equally little doubt that a sanctioning body in touch AT ALL with its constituency would do the same. Whether or not they agreed with the sensitivity.

[ssarge]

I think its obvious ASA needs to address the OKC situation/length of tourney issue. I for one admit I thought it would be the dream of girls to go play in HOF Stadium for the championship

I thought so, too. By-and-large, it is not. Puzzled me at first. I think it has to do with the fact that these are 16-18 YO girls, not 12 YO girls. At that age, very few of them are "dreaming" about National Teams (obviously not at all about the Olympic team any more), or any softball after college. Or even the WCWS, for that matter. Most know that maybe 20-25 of the 1000 4-year colleges in America which play softball have ANY chance of getting to the WCWS, and obviously, most of them are not attending one of those 25 colleges.

And most of them are incredibly jaundiced to travel in their 6th or 7th year of it spanning maybe 15-20 weeks per year. After thousands of air miles, hundreds and hundreds of hours in the car, and weeks and weeks of hotels, it has become pretty ho-hum. Almost all of them would rather be home hanging out with friends than spending 9 days ANYWHERE. Much less 9 days THERE.

Finally, 30-40% of the teams never even play IN the stadium. Instead, they end up on Wilson (the worst, straight into the teeth of the wind), Combat, or Easton. On two of those fields, the view (and smell) is of a horse track. Nothing wrong with the fields, but they DON'T send chills down your back. BTW, neither do $4.00 sodas (and no ability to bring any beverages inside with you) in a 100 degree / 85% humidity setting. With up to a 7 hr delay because the tarp on one of the fields leaked during a thunderstorm. At least at a local tournament, when you pay $1 for a can of soda, you know it is a fundraiser.


The ASA Museum is a fun hour. The Firefighters Museum accross the street is interesting. You feel obligated to visit the Memorial, but it's hard to call it "enjoyable." And then? Nine days really is a LONG time. Pretty much, it's just a 200 hour period of IPODs, computers, cell phones, and Chilis and Applebes, punctuated by (on average) 5 games (10 hours) of softball.

[wadeintothem]

There is also no doubt that people who are sensitive to female athletes being judged on the basis of their accomplishments, NOT their physical attributes, would draw a line for potential sponsors NORTH of Hooters. And equally little doubt that a sanctioning body in touch AT ALL with its constituency would do the same. Whether or not they agreed with the sensitivity.

Your DD's boyfriend is going to take her to hooters (or already has if she is old enough) and she is going to come home raving about it.

She wants to go. theres nothing wrong with the hooters slow pitch series, which btw, has NOTHING to do with JO ball or I dont think even FP, so chillax.

This is a total 100% red herring among many.

[Iluvblue]

You see FAR WORSE by watching MTV these days than you do by going to a Hooters.

We like the wings so much we went online and got the recipe. Now we make them at home.