MBB2

Kiddo and I were at a tournament recently and we walked by a field that was 14U I think.  Both teams were named Gold.  One of them was not very good at all and it just stuck with me.  It's not like those teams were well known... far as I know.  Lady Unicorns Gold 14U, something like that. With Hannah heading off to school I don't have a vested interest one way or the other so there really was no agenda with the question.  Lampl has a great group and it was at his events our daughter got her first exposure.  The branding answer makes sense I guess, even if it doesn't apply to the vast majority of organizations doing it.  Marvin Blackmon (full name for full disclosure!)

Woah, there.  I see where this went and understand your enthusiastic reaction but before you get your pitchforks in a frenzy let me clarify that I was NOT thinking of any one group.  Matter of fact there is a similar post by me several months ago on this board asking the exact same question and that was well before any recent announcements.  A quick board search will find it... just sayin. Good point on branding, but wouldn't that mean the top team is, for example, Elite Gold Gold?  Hell, maybe they are for all I know. Ok, go back to sharpening your Internet knives... Marvin

I don't understand using the Gold name at younger levels.  Gold 12U, Gold 10U- matter of fact I saw a Gold 8U looking for players.  Did ASA add another level above Class A for those ages? 

Here is our experience... Daughter started at 4 and played league ball during the spring summer until she was 10, then starting playing year round in Houston.  We logged miles and miles taking her to Florida, Colorado and everywhere in between.  She grew to resent the missed parties, sleepovers and dances. She made first team all district as a sophomore at West Brook and decided that was it. She wanted to have a social life. A year later, with my wife and I both supporting her decision (and hiding our disappointment much as possible), she came to us and talked about getting back into softball. She came to realize the life she thought she would have never really materialized. Because it was her decision, the door was still open in her mind. The bad news is she missed a very important recruiting year.  The good news is all she wanted was a small college that allowed her to be a student first.  She found that with the help of her travel team coach and is now heading off to Central Methodist in Missouri this fall on a softball scholarship.  They are a competitive, ranked program that made the NAIA World Series last year. Players are expected to attend classes, even if that means running across campus in their uniforms between games.  Best of all, CMU streams their games on the internet so fewer travel miles for us! None of this would have happened if we had forced the issue- much as we wanted to do just that. You just never know, but as the song says"if you love them set them free." Best wishes however it works out.

Congratulations to Hannah "Porkchop" Blackmon (2013) as she visited Central Methodist University in Missouri today and brought back her athletic and academic scholarship papers to sign in the coming days at West Brook High School. The Central Methodist Lady Eagles played in the NAIA World Series last year and are currently ranked #18 in the 2013 preseason poll.  CMU's coaching staff extended an offer to Hannah in Colorado earlier this summer, recruiting her as a middle infielder.  Hannah is interested in studying physical therapy and youth ministry. Thanks to Vidor and Spindletop GSA, Beaumont Blast, OOC and Coach Paine at WBHS for the time invested in making Hannah a better player and young lady.  Special shout out to Scott Devore of Texas Shockwave Demarini Gold for being a tireless recruiter.  I encourage all players and parents to give his organization a look. :D --- Proud Dad

Congrats from the Blackmons!  Awesome job, kiddo.

Congrats to a BWB Bruin!

Whoop, from the class of '89!  Congrats and best wishes, future Ag!  ;D

Shaker parents will say the Shockers, and the coaches will remind everyone they did go to ASA Gold Nationals one time last decade.  Crush parents will point to the 40 teams they have playing.  Blast will comment on the Gold National heritage of their organization... or their namesake's organization... or their cousin's... I never get that straight.  ;) All ribbing aside, why can't we just say there are several organizations doing a great job of giving local girls the opportunity to earn college offers?  There are a lot of coaches that give their free time to help girls be good players and better young women.  Robert Armentrout gave my daughter her first batting lesson years ago.  Billy Mitchell gave her a place to play when I refused to drive to Houston anymore.  Kenny Blanda helped coach her in 8U and then years later gave her the first exposure opportunities (in a college way, not a Bo way).  John Harrell gave her extreme motivation about seven years ago when he told her there was no place for her on his team- may be the best thing that ever happened to her, and I don't mean that rudely.  All those folks helped her, and this week she accepted a scholarship offer to live her dream.  She'll be studying sports therapy and youth ministry at Central Methodist University, a Top 25 team that played in the NAIA World Series this past summer.  Far as I'm concerned, they're all great and should be equally congratulated for helping my kid and many others achieve an incredible goal.  I'd vote for all of them but the poll won't let me.

Are her batting mechanics rotational, linear, slapper, torsion-reflexive or the Shoulin adduction theory?  :o Sorry, there are much more qualified folks to offer a serious answer.  Besides, I've spent at least $3,000 on bats the past 13 years and my daughter tells me I don't know anything anymore... I wish she would have told me this about 10 bats ago!

Looks like a good group of teams.  Should be a great time- and I don't have to spend much on gasoline!!! Sorry I'll be out of town Sunday morning and will miss the Shockers/Shockwave matchup at 8am.  The girls are starting to round into team shape and played fairly well last weekend in Longview... which of course means nothing from one minute to the next, much less over a full week.  You'll either see Jeckell or Hyde, that's for sure.

Thought I saw a team list somewhere... must be seeing things.  Guess I could always start umpiring again!  ;D

Shockwave Demarini Gold had two games washed out Saturday at College... not sure if the coach tried to reschedule any of those or not.  Competition was hit and miss.  The three teams they did play did not have strong outings. That said, there was a great turnout by college coaches for a local tournament.  It won't take long for teams to hear that Alabama, LSU and programs of that stature were roaming the fields.

Craig- how is this looking? 

Quick plug for the organization as a whole... My darling knucklehead (DK) plays on the 18U team.  I can tell you in the ASA Gold qualifiers last month and the trip to Colorado this past week, Coach Scott was tireless in his recruiting efforts.  DK has an offer and several more very solid prospects and she only started the recruiting game in late May.  It takes a tremendous amount of time to write letters, send emails, etc... but if your DK puts in the work, the Shockwave organization will be there to help. I'm sure the other organizations in the area do much the same thing, but I wasn't sure if many here knew the current Shockwave organization, so there's my two cents.