sbparent

Huntington won in 5 games.  Last game was 15-13.  #12 for Kirbyville can flat out smoke the ball.  She is fun to watch.

You are the first team I have ever heard of that got moved up to the Collins Park fields.  May happen a bunch just the first I have ever heard of.  I liked the following statement posted on the RM website, "Most new and 2nd year teams will play at smgsl."  I interupted that statement as if your new, your played at SMGSL, but if you were new, got connections and NOT from the State of Texas, then you would get one of the main ballparks. Maybe that is why folks have referred to them on here as the "Spring Klein Mafia."  I have always liked how the Elite Showcase tournaments handle teams; everyone gets at least one game at the main ballpark.  My daughters' team played there for the first time back in October and got 3 games at Heritage Yards which I thought was very fair for a 16U team.  When we played at the other parks, very few colleges were there.  If a team had all 5 games there (like RM would have done) it would have been very disappointing.

Was the turnout of colleges very good?  What colleges were there?

[quote name="hotty28" post="824162" timestamp="1281392231"] Well everyone is right to their own opinions, but like I stated earlier yes all the girls was great but deep down inside I believe if this coach didn't know any of the girls and the girls had never played on select teams my daughter would have been chosen,but since girls have played for the two assistance coach and have played on select teams they had an advantage. Which that's not fair the team was not picked on talent and no this is not a new team just a new name. [/quote] Maybe the coach picked the kids [b]He[/b] wanted.  [b]He[/b] is the coach and [b]He[/b] picks who [b]He[/b] and [b]His[/b] assistants want to.  No one said this was a contest with impartial judges. [b]His[b] team [b]His [/b] choices. Simply as that. 

[quote name="shake and bake" post="824292" timestamp="1281449732"] [quote author=badndn link=topic=71529.msg824289#msg824289 date=1281448900] [quote author=shake and bake link=topic=71529.msg824282#msg824282 date=1281447373] There are only 64 teams that can qualify for the "GOLD" Nationals. Only a certain number come from specific tournaments held all around the country. If you go to the ASA GOLD website it will show how some of this works. Yes you can play gold but you limit yourself in ASA . Has no effect on any other organization. [b]Also any girl that has played college ball CANNOT play ASA GOLD  but they can still play ASA "A" if they meet the age requirements. [/b] Basically it is suppossed to be an ELITE division within ASA. It is pretty hard to qualify to go to GOLD Nationals. [/quote] Hence the "Scrap Metal" name for Cheaters 18U team this summer. Could no longer be considered Gold because they had college players. New rule. [/quote]Yes that is correct. What do the JC girls that are eligible to play do with their time. They still need to be seen ,they still need to play although not as long a schedule they need to keep getting better. Cheater did a very good job keeping these girls somewhat motivated after a long spring schedule. The girls pretty muched coached themselves and Cheater just stood out there and sweated.  ;D [/quote] They could have called themselves Gold if they wanted to; just could not play in an ASA Gold qualifer.  I think allowing college players who still satisfy the age requirements is a huge plus for IFA.                   

I'll take a shot......What does it take to be a "Gold" team.....put gold in your name or on your uni.  That's about it. Anyone or team can call themselves Gold.  Proof is always on the field if you are truely worthy to match up with best 18U teams. ASA does have rules regarding players who play in Gold qualifying tournaments.  I believe if a player plays in an ASA gold qualifying tournament then that player can ONLY play in ASA gold qualifying tournaments for the remainder of that year (thus could not play 18 or 16 under ASA tournaments). Hope this helps.

Northeast Texas JC out of Mt. Pleasant as well.

Not sure about the past but I was impressed with the colleges that turned out this year.  The ones I saw were: ULL McNeese State UT Tyler Blinn Galveston Odessa College Milshaps Lousiana College LSU Euince Probably more, that is just the ones that I could remember.

The End Webster’s defines this as, “a point that marks the extent of something; the point where something ceases to exist.”  And so on Saturday, the end happened. We all will face the end at some time.  It’s like an old coach told me once; there are two types of coaches; those that have been fired and those that have not been fired yet.  We all know it is going to happen, and even thought you can kind of plan for it or know approximately when it will happen….well it still is not easy.  So as quietly as it started in Lake Jackson, Texas on a mosquito infested field in May, 2001, it ended in Beaumont, Texas on a hot Saturday in July; my daughter walked off the field for the last time, ending her travel ball playing career. I know we were not the only ones who crossed this bridge in life on Saturday.  As I watched the last out made I noticed nothing out of the ordinary.  After the game there was the quick speech by the coach, a few hugs and handshakes and of course lots of pictures.  Then on the drive home, I saw in the rear view mirror the tears begin to flow.  She knew it was coming, she knew the end was near but I don’t think that made it any easier.  The end had happened. For the past 10 years, summer has meant one thing in our life; softball. If you are serious about travel softball then you can probably relate.  And I guess I should not limit this to just the summer.  As best as I can remember, it runs the fall and winter and spring as well.  I would love to know how many miles I have traveled over the past decade.  From freezing cold to 100+ degrees to lots and lots of rain and mud.  Butane heaters at a ballpark; why didn’t I think of that?  SPF 50 sun screen is my friend. We have gone from carrying the kids to the car at 5 am in their PJs to be at the ballpark by 7:00 am to letting them drive to a tournament in their own car (still hard to grasp that).  We have made the annual pilgrimage to Colorado so many times I can drive around Denver without a map.  Thank goodness for hotel points, so I could save them up and take a trip with the family; to another softball tournament.  Remember those long knee savers?  Those are so old school now.  Wow, it is amazing that I have been at this long enough to say something is old school.  I guess they were replaced with $10 Under Armor socks.  A new bat for Christmas was almost a given. Thankful composite bats came around late in her career otherwise my bat purchase expenditures would have doubled.  And I cannot forget those early years of coaching. Calling parents to give travel directions, game times and hotel information (strange to hear a middle aged man say this but I sure wise text messaging would have been around then).  And how could I not say something about umpires.  Even they point at my daughter and say I remember when….  And I will admit it now, for the most part, they are pretty good folks.  ASA, USFA, IFA, AFA, NSFA, USSSA; yea they all are softball related but each means something just a little different.  35 feet, 37.5 feet, 40 feet and now 43 feet, its only 8 feet but what a difference.  Don’t forget the blisters on the hands after raking the field and please don’t mention this to the EPA but yes I have used gasoline to burn water off a rain soaked field. Thankfully we still have the college ball chapter to go so there are still more games and sunburns in my future.  But as I look back over the past decade I think I can sum things up by borrowing a quote from Lou Gehrig in his Farewell speech; “Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” It’s been a great ride!!!

I figure since they were already headed to the Premier that was enough.  I would think it would be hard for teams to be in California one week and then Georgia the next.  Well at least hard on the pocketbook.

Hey 13, I think the Eclipse went to Chicago for a showcase event. 

Anyone have an updated list of who is playing in this tournament?

Sounds like the IFA folks should use, as a marketing tool, the fact that Juco players are in their tournaments.  Could help in the attraction of coaches to the IFA nationals in Beaumont. 

I did not realize that ASA "gave in" to some of the demands that some powerful select coaches wanted.  No idea if the things they wanted were good or bad, actually needed or if they were issues that the mass of select coaches wanted.  Good luck to all and I hope it helps in the exposure of more kids.  

I think I saw on this board that the qualifer was also heard during a "dead week" for colleges.  Not good timing but probably hard to work into a crowded summer schedule.

From what I can tell this tournament is one week and Gold nationals is the next week (or vice versa).  Premier is in California; Gold is in Georgia.  Wonder how many of these teams will attempt to play both?

Is there a website that has the bracket on it.  Just was curious who played and such. Only 5 teams from Texas that got the automatic bids to the tourament: Texas Storm Demarini Texas Glory Texas Eclipse Houston Power Texas Impact Gold

This tournament seemed to be a big deal when it came out but not hearing much about it any more.  There was a qualifer in Houston couple of weeks ago but never saw any info on number of teams playing or who qualified.  There website has not been updated with news since March, 2010. Anyone have any info?

[quote name="CrazyLikeThat" post="739597" timestamp="1262828671"] Carl Dukes (ESPN Radio) interviewed one of Yate's player's father.  I believe his last name is Young and he is an asst coach at UH.  In the third quarter there was a bench clearing brawl in which both teams had their benches ejected from the game and play was halted for 15 minutes.  Mr. Young defended this as something that happens in sports.  Maybe proffessional sports.  I've never seen a bench clearing brawl in High School.  Then he went on to say that Yates only knows one way to play (press all the time) and that these kids need to play like that to show off to the scouts to get into the best colleges.  Seeing as how most of these players will eventually be making a living doing something other than playing basketball, its sad to see that their coach and father won't be contributing to making them better adults. [/quote] Not for sure but I believe the Mr. Young you are referring to is Michael Young.  He played at Yates in high school then went to UH as part of Phi Slamma Jamma and played some in the pros (only team I remember was the Celtics).

[quote name="stevenash" post="739541" timestamp="1262818853"] [quote author=Gabe link=topic=64409.msg739537#msg739537 date=1262818372] I don't like they pressed for so long but if Lee doesn't want to get scored on so much, play better defense. This is almost exactly like a football team scoring 70. Nothing ever gets said about that. [/quote] Am hearing a rumor that the Yates team is essentially an AAU all star team.  Any truth to that? [/quote] I have heard they have some "sponsors" which would lead me to believe that they do have some ties to an AAU team.  How in the world does an inner city school in Houston ISD fund a trip for their basketball team to travel to Hawii for a tournament.  Maybe they had a bake sale to raise the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

What is Livingston's record.  I saw them play and was very impressed.

You hit the nail on the head Mr. Verde. How did he get the teams from Houston to come to Beaumont? Given the weather situation, I am sure Ford Park was the only venue that could have played on Saturday and Sunday so I would think that would be a plus for teams to come there. I don't think there was another exposure tournament last weekend. I believe the Metroplex has their rounds of exposure tournaments starting next weekend.

They charge exposure tournament fees but does it deserve to be called an "exposure" tournament? They never provide a list of coaches that have registered. In two days I saw a total of 3 colleges at the tournament. Coaches at the Summer version of SOT was a little better; saw maybe 7 schools respresented. Not much bang for the buck for teams. Coaches I saw this weekend represented the following: Louisana College D3 University Of Dallas D3 Galveston College JUCO

I figured there had to be a rule just was not sure what it was.

As far as Gold Qualifers go, what determines the location of a team? I noticed that the upcoming regional tournaments in San Antonio there will be upwards to 70 or 80 teams for 6 births to Gold nationals. For the regional tournament that covers Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alablama there are 3 teams signed up with 2 bids being awarded. Could a team set up an address in Louisana and say that is there home and play in that regional tournament? Does the address of the majority of the players determine their regional home?