Kankakee NSA nightmare

[Dragbunt]

* Name of the tournament - The Howling (NSA Sanctioned) 10U-18U
* Location - Kankakee, IL
* Quality of teams - B to high B
* Field quality overall - below average
* Field quality for games -- lined and raked in the morning only
* Communication from tournament director - Poor numerous last-minute changes and delays
* Facilities - Filthy bathrooms (need to be hosed down) and two overused porta potty's
* Number of umpires per game - Two NSA umps (no issues with the overworked umpires)
* Concessions - concessions are amazingly good and reasonable, although I'm not sure if the local health department is involved or if sanitation is satisfactory
* Comments - 10/21/2023 - We had a 45-minute drive and were expected to be at the field by 7 a.m. - We were notified at 5:52 am our 8 a.m. start time was being pushed back one hour to 9 a.m. (no, it didn't rain all night) - we suffered with numerous schedule changes and delays throughout the day - originally scheduled for three Saturday games, but the tournament expected our girls to play 5 games spread out over 14 hours (pool play to bracket and not for the championship)- after a 12 hour day, our fourth game was completed (a loss) around 8:15 pm, at this point most of our team was crying in the dugout while moving out to wait to start our fifth game at scheduled for 10 pm - (the temperatures throughout the day had ranged from 45-65 degrees with high winds most of the day and at this point our girls were exhausted). Finally, when given the opportunity, the girls voted to walk, and forfeit the last game along with the tournament. Most were still crying because they didn't want to quit, as these are all tough and competitive 14 and 15-year-old girls, but they had nothing left.

To me expecting a 16U team to play a schedule like this is borderline child abuse!

 

[The Man In Blue]

I have NO experience with NSA. Just going to say, "What did you expect from a tournament named for a classic 1970s horror flick?" Maybe next time play in "Somewhere Over the Rainbow?"

It says it is a 3-day tournament with 4 games, but you are saying you played 5 games in 14 hours. How much of the schedule did you know going in?

 

[lostcreek1]

Saturday DD’s team played in a double elimination tournament that went from a two day tournament to a one day tournament. All of the games were scheduled back to back until the team in the winners bracket was waiting on the losers bracket. They played six games back to back. When I say back to back it was literally leaving one dugout and walk to a different field and walk straight in the dugout, and get ready for the next game. Is ridiculous to not even allow for a break long enough to be able to eat something. No one should ever set up a double elimination tournament in one day, and if they do teams should refuse to play.

 

[Gambler Bob]

Signing up for a 16U NSA softball tournament should have been your first sign that your team is doing something wrong. Almost every team that is any good was playing in St. Louis or O'fallon this weekend. This is definitely a C level tournament.

The comment about this being a nightmare or border line child abuse is almost comical. Way too much crying going on for 16u softball team. It was a pretty nice weekend for this area for this time of year. Time to toughen up a little bit.

 

[Dragbunt]

I have NO experience with NSA. Just going to say, "What did you expect from a tournament named for a classic 1970s horror flick?" Maybe next time play in "Somewhere Over the Rainbow?"

It says it is a 3-day tournament with 4 games, but you are saying you played 5 games in 14 hours. How much of the schedule did you know going in?

We were scheduled for three games on Saturday, with the remaining games on Sunday, double elimination.

 

[Dragbunt]

Signing up for a 16U NSA softball tournament should have been your first sign that your team is doing something wrong. Almost every team that is any good was playing in St. Louis or O'fallon this weekend. This is definitely a C level tournament.

The comment about this being a nightmare or border line child abuse is almost comical. Way too much crying going on for 16u softball team. It was a pretty nice weekend for this area for this time of year. Time to toughen up a little bit.

I appreciate your input, Gambler Bob. We can only aspire to be as tough or good as teams are down in O'Fallon or St Louis. Hope you weren't laughing too hard at my post...

 

[Orange Socks]

Sounds like a typical local softball tourney. The first thing I tell parents. Be flexible as something will most likely change. A few OCD parents could not handle not knowing when the next game will be played and why we weren't on time. Why can't we just play on that open field? Why this? Why that? The answer is: It's softball dude. Once we started playing showcases it got much better. Timed games for the most part with enough time cushion between games. Enjoy it all while you can. I miss those crazy weekends.

 

[Cannonball]

* Name of the tournament - The Howling (NSA Sanctioned) 10U-18U
* Location - Kankakee, IL
* Quality of teams - B to high B
* Field quality overall - below average
* Field quality for games -- lined and raked in the morning only
* Communication from tournament director - Poor numerous last-minute changes and delays
* Facilities - Filthy bathrooms (need to be hosed down) and two overused porta potty's
* Number of umpires per game - Two NSA umps (no issues with the overworked umpires)
* Concessions - concessions are amazingly good and reasonable, although I'm not sure if the local health department is involved or if sanitation is satisfactory
* Comments - 10/21/2023 - We had a 45-minute drive and were expected to be at the field by 7 a.m. - We were notified at 5:52 am our 8 a.m. start time was being pushed back one hour to 9 a.m. (no, it didn't rain all night) - we suffered with numerous schedule changes and delays throughout the day - originally scheduled for three Saturday games, but the tournament expected our girls to play 5 games spread out over 14 hours (pool play to bracket and not for the championship)- after a 12 hour day, our fourth game was completed (a loss) around 8:15 pm, at this point most of our team was crying in the dugout while moving out to wait to start our fifth game at scheduled for 10 pm - (the temperatures throughout the day had ranged from 45-65 degrees with high winds most of the day and at this point our girls were exhausted). Finally, when given the opportunity, the girls voted to walk, and forfeit the last game along with the tournament. Most were still crying because they didn't want to quit, as these are all tough and competitive 14 and 15-year-old girls, but they had nothing left.

To me expecting a 16U team to play a schedule like this is borderline child abuse!

My DD played in a similar tournament in Kankakee way back in the day. The diamonds were next to a river. I think it was either 10U or 12U. Anyway, I agree with some of your post. The field quality was below average and they rarely worked on the diamonds between games. The facilities were also below average. The umpiring was really good. My DD was in the circle for many of the games.

If you had rain, then that changes everything. The number of teams, the number of diamonds, and the number of umpires available, ... all factor into how games have to be played. We've traveled all around the country and encountered situations where players have played around the clock when rain was involved. I would bet that my DD's teams were not the only teams that have played into the morning hours. I understand your frustration but it is a part of the game at times.

 

[MoJo]

I agree with those above that this weekend sounds more the norm that a national disaster.
We have all been to tournaments that are worse than this one described by the OP.

The more I think about it, the more this even seems pretty regular. 4 games completed in 12 hours...definitely leisurely.

By the mid afternoon, all facilities could use a good visit by facilities management to clear out trash and bad bathrooms.

 

[Jay Bolden]

That and all of those NSA Kankakee tournaments haven't changed in years. It's always the same issues. Take a look around there are other non sanctioned tournaments around. Again O'Fallon and St. Louis is place to be if you're A level if not, I believe there are other tournaments around the area now besides the NSA Howling one. Want to say there was one in Downers Grove that was B/C level.