The Last Great 16U Fall Tournament is Gone

[93players]

Ronald McDonald switched the 16U tournament to a Showcase style, but kept it on the weekend with the 14U tournament. Apparently this was done to let the 7 colleges who are coming to watch the scheduled games. The tournament should have set up pools with 4 set games and then move to single elimination. Sad to lose a competitive tournament.

[Lefty's Dad]

I totally agree with you on this. I was so disappointed when they made this decision. It would make sense if there were a lot more coaches attending but with only a handful I just don't see the advantage. We had been looking forward to this tournament all season and now it's just another showcase with very few coaches in attendance. Bummer.

[93players]

My advice to Director Lampl for next year is to eliminate 16U and let the top 16U teams into the 18U division. Too many daddy ball teams in there now. Expand 14U on the second weekend. He did it to cut back 16U team use of the fields so he could let in more 14U teams. No way that 7 college coaches begged him to move it to a showcase. They were there last year watching the 16U teams battle it out. Bad example for the 14U teams -- to see 16U teams play lackluster softball. A strong and hungry 16U team can often go 4-1 or 5-0 against Gold teams because of the lack of hustle in showcase tournament ball. Better yet, RMD, bring back the 16U tournament of the fall for the Texas 16U teams.

[ru4u]

Yes, 93players huge truth. Touchdown, we have a Bingo. Lampl are U listening?

[etx bd]

No way that 7 college coaches begged him to move it to a showcase. They were there last year watching the 16U teams battle it out.

I agree that it's a shame to kill the competitive tournament format for the 16U. I think competition works better especially since the NCAA relented this year and opened up November for recruiting again.
But we must have been at 2 different tournaments last year - I did not see any coaches but a couple of JUCO coaches at last year's RM 16U.

[Blind Squirrel]

We were curious about some other perspectives on the Midland tournaments held in Springfield, IL....? Our initial impression was, they should call it "The Exposure tournament for Midland Magic and selected friends", with 40 other teams playing and paying..! The host team (and 3-4 others from the locale) literally stood guard at the gate and sequestered the college coaches in regards to where and when their teams were playing as they entered the ballpark..........we did finally get some looks in our last game of the weekend, against the Midland Magic '94... ...some input would be appreciated.!

They sequestered or suggested? Did they physically lead the coaches to the host team's games and try to ensure they stayed put? What incentives were given to the coaches to watch only the host team's games? I see absolutely nothing wrong with the coaches being given the host team's schedules and any other related info about only the host team.

Put yourself in the college coaches shoes. In most cases you go to an exposure tournament to see an array of players that you may be interested in recruiting. What could be done at the gate that would significantly alter your plans such that you spend the entire time watching one team play game after game and disregard your interest in players on other teams?
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I never watched games closely enough to have much confidence in my impressions of players in general, so my related opinions may be completely off and I encourage/expect others to set the record straight.

Do most kids really change their level of effort depending on whether or not it is a competetive tournament or a showcase? Do kids really not try as hard when college coaches are watching versus when the game is on the line at a competitive tournament? I've seen a difference in the attitude/actions of adults during games but I haven't noticed much difference in the kids. If a kid is motivated solely be self interest than I would think they would try even harder to perform with colleges watching, especially when the game is on the line. What better thing to show a college coach than you are a clutch player? That you play the game with enthusiasm, intensity and maximum effort. I've noticed a difference in kid's behavior after games but not while involved in actual play. What causes a kid playing in front of college coaches to not give their very best effort? I never saw any such difference in either of my kids but maybe they are odd in this respect. I certainly don't doubt that some kids try to "turn it on and off" depending on the situation. I feel sorry for such kids as that is not an attitude that tends to serve adults well during their careers.

My reaction to the lackluster performance of teams is an extension to my views on individual players as described above. Do most kids not mind being on a team that performs poorly from lack of effort?

What do college coaches see that enables them to routinely distinquish between actions/emotions driven solely by concern for self versus concern for the success of the team and the kid's desire to contribute to that success? Are such coaches just seeing what they expected to see beforehand? Are other adults?

John

[DonnieS]

Do most kids really change their level of effort depending on whether or not it is a competetive tournament or a showcase?
John

John, what I see in a competitive game is that the kids quit worrying about who is looking and just do what they do best, compete. I much prefer competitive games but I understand that recruiters want to know who is playing when and where. My dd was recruited from a competitive game, it was from this RMD 16u tournament. Another team had asked my dd's dream school coaches to come watch them play and while the other team may have benefited from it, my dd definitely did.

When we first were getting to this age, I didnt bother to look into the colorado summer tournaments, thinking that they were all showcases. Had I known early enough, I would have tried to get my team into those.

[93players]

I watched games for the last 3 RMDs at 16U and have seen A&M, OKLA, Houston and a decent number of coaches. Last year, I had to leave early, so I did not see the coaches in the later games.

In Texas, many parents push their 16U kids to 18 and Gold, so the dozen or so programs that try to compete nationally at 16U depend on RMD and Colorado (Fireworks and Indy) to prepare them for the Nationals run. RMD was going to be a solid test of how good the ASA A Sioux Falls teams really are for this year's run. It would give the programs alot of information about where they need to get better. These teams routinely beat local 18U talent, but that does not tell them where they stand at the elite 16U talent. Director Lampl should read this post.