That also makes for deeper rosters as you aren't going to roll with two pitchers and one catcher..
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Alliance vs. PGF???
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Haven't read the entire thread, but a team with 3 players my DD played with and I helped coach in rec all-stars won the 16u Alliance championship. Another player on that team is coached in High School by two good friends of mine.
It did rain in Irvine last Sunday night. It sprinkled during the last few minutes of my daughter's pool play game and sprinkled most of the way back to the hotel. I actually had to briefly turn on my windshield wipers.
PGF has gotten arrogant like ASA/USA softball was ~12 years ago when PGF started. Alliance is a reaction to it. Will it succeed? I don't know, but competition is good.
Still some good competition but I know a couple teams that got invites for PGF that had no business being there. My DD's team had a lucky streak and earned a platinum bid at a qualifier. Though, her team got an invite to Alliance after going something like 2-1-1 at an Alliance qualifier, with one of the wins being a forfeit.
Upside of PGF I was at a game being watched by Mike White, Karen Weekly, Cindy Barstow, along with one of the Oregon coaches who I did not recognize. I also got to watch at least 6 Fastpitch Foundations/Paulygirlfastpitch pitchers pitch. Including one who I met at a clinic in Portland OR 3 years ago and I knew she would be very good, pitch. I got to spend 20-30 minutes watching a game coached by Pat Moyer with Rich Balswick and Javasource... plus get a great picture of L with Rich and Mike-- before my girls wanted to go back to the hotel. I got to watch most of a game caught by Eric F's daughter.... which is always a joy, and hang out with Eric.
Downside is the greed of PGF. The organization my daughter played with last year bribed PGF for a bid for their 18u team by making our 16u team play 4 6 game 'super-friendlies' the last week of October and first three weeks of November last year instead of refunding some of the fees to the parents. Needless to say, over half the team left the organization, though the few 1st year 16u's that stayed with the org got to go to PGF on an 18u team.
Our team was led to believe by PGF/Traveling teams that if we were eliminated early there 'may' be a 'nominal' early departure fee from the hotel once we were eliminated. The hotel told us no refunds, then after several phone calls and 4 polite, but persistent fathers explaining to the hotel management that all four of us were lifetime titanium elite with Marriott, they and PGF Traveling teams did us a 'favor' by only charging us 2 nights for an early departure fee, not 4 nights.... when at most it should of been 1 night.
It's a ton of fun to go to PGF, but it is an expensive hobby that a couple families on my DD's team probably can't exactly afford. Most players aren't going to have Mike White, Karen Weekly, and Cindy Barstow watching their games.
For the vast majority of players that want to play in college, they would be better served by getting hitting lessons, a good strength and conditioning program, getting good grades, finding a good Independent College Admissions counselor to help them identify schools to target, and writing letters to the coaches at those target schools and attending camps at those schools.
It did rain in Irvine last Sunday night. It sprinkled during the last few minutes of my daughter's pool play game and sprinkled most of the way back to the hotel. I actually had to briefly turn on my windshield wipers.
PGF has gotten arrogant like ASA/USA softball was ~12 years ago when PGF started. Alliance is a reaction to it. Will it succeed? I don't know, but competition is good.
Still some good competition but I know a couple teams that got invites for PGF that had no business being there. My DD's team had a lucky streak and earned a platinum bid at a qualifier. Though, her team got an invite to Alliance after going something like 2-1-1 at an Alliance qualifier, with one of the wins being a forfeit.
Upside of PGF I was at a game being watched by Mike White, Karen Weekly, Cindy Barstow, along with one of the Oregon coaches who I did not recognize. I also got to watch at least 6 Fastpitch Foundations/Paulygirlfastpitch pitchers pitch. Including one who I met at a clinic in Portland OR 3 years ago and I knew she would be very good, pitch. I got to spend 20-30 minutes watching a game coached by Pat Moyer with Rich Balswick and Javasource... plus get a great picture of L with Rich and Mike-- before my girls wanted to go back to the hotel. I got to watch most of a game caught by Eric F's daughter.... which is always a joy, and hang out with Eric.
Downside is the greed of PGF. The organization my daughter played with last year bribed PGF for a bid for their 18u team by making our 16u team play 4 6 game 'super-friendlies' the last week of October and first three weeks of November last year instead of refunding some of the fees to the parents. Needless to say, over half the team left the organization, though the few 1st year 16u's that stayed with the org got to go to PGF on an 18u team.
Our team was led to believe by PGF/Traveling teams that if we were eliminated early there 'may' be a 'nominal' early departure fee from the hotel once we were eliminated. The hotel told us no refunds, then after several phone calls and 4 polite, but persistent fathers explaining to the hotel management that all four of us were lifetime titanium elite with Marriott, they and PGF Traveling teams did us a 'favor' by only charging us 2 nights for an early departure fee, not 4 nights.... when at most it should of been 1 night.
It's a ton of fun to go to PGF, but it is an expensive hobby that a couple families on my DD's team probably can't exactly afford. Most players aren't going to have Mike White, Karen Weekly, and Cindy Barstow watching their games.
For the vast majority of players that want to play in college, they would be better served by getting hitting lessons, a good strength and conditioning program, getting good grades, finding a good Independent College Admissions counselor to help them identify schools to target, and writing letters to the coaches at those target schools and attending camps at those schools.
Last edited:
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
- 7,270
- 113
.
Full length double headers imo
Much better than
Friendlies of say 3 small 1:15 games.
Which may only be 3 to 5 innings each
Prefer~Play 2 full games = 14 innings.
Topic prepair for 7 inning games~
Roster sizes are based on different goals/reasons.
That said
These two examples can have
seperate roster needs.
Particularly~
What type of tournaments the team enters plays a role.
When the amount of games, especially in the losers bracket,
DRAMATICALLY increases how many games in a day/week may play.
Vs
Showcases with only 5 games
While past forum discussions on this bring up the need for shorter games to fit more games & more teams into tournaments. Ok...
Still
Training for pitchers should include facing the same batters
several times through.
Same for batters adjusting to seeing the pitcher again/again.
But with shorty games and entire rosters batting...
(example friendlies)
its almost only one time through a line- up per per game.
Both pitcher and batters lose out on what is needed to learn to make adjustments facing eachother,
With the purpose of competing against eachother in the same game.
2 pitchers 1 catcher is very thin anyway. Even friendlies. But can be done.
Full length double headers imo
Much better than
Friendlies of say 3 small 1:15 games.
Which may only be 3 to 5 innings each
Prefer~Play 2 full games = 14 innings.
Topic prepair for 7 inning games~
Roster sizes are based on different goals/reasons.
That said
These two examples can have
seperate roster needs.
Particularly~
What type of tournaments the team enters plays a role.
When the amount of games, especially in the losers bracket,
DRAMATICALLY increases how many games in a day/week may play.
Vs
Showcases with only 5 games
While past forum discussions on this bring up the need for shorter games to fit more games & more teams into tournaments. Ok...
Still
Training for pitchers should include facing the same batters
several times through.
Same for batters adjusting to seeing the pitcher again/again.
But with shorty games and entire rosters batting...
(example friendlies)
its almost only one time through a line- up per per game.
Both pitcher and batters lose out on what is needed to learn to make adjustments facing eachother,
With the purpose of competing against eachother in the same game.
Last edited:
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
- 7,270
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Last edited:
Schmick's Gloves
Banned
- Nov 8, 2020
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There were a few teams in Alliamce 16U Tier 1 that had just 2 pitchers. One in my kids organization had just 2 there after 2 of their pitchers left the team during HS season. They had borrowed pitchers from other teams in the organization to pitch for them at Top Club and in Colorado but those pitchers didn't fare well and the team was eliminated or lost the games the guest pitchers pitched in, so they did Alliance with just their 2 remaining pitchers and rode them til they were gassed.
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This is a great point.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
- 7,270
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Think we both (many here) really like to see softball grow AND
get better!
Having played prior to what some know of here, there are a few things i do think have been glanced over now, that are actually very important...of which i comment on purpose.
@Orange Socks How many years have you been wearing orange socks in softball ?
It started one 10U Allstar tourney Saturday morning 8am game with 90% humidity, morning dew on the grass and had to hit some fungo. Several games later, I noticed that the clay dirt made it's way into my socks. And it never stopped until we started playing at the Scrapyard with turf fields and then I became a parent behind the fence.
Think we both (many here) really like to see softball grow AND
get better!
Having played prior to what some know of here, there are a few things i do think have been glanced over now, that are actually very important...of which i comment on purpose.
@Orange Socks How many years have you been wearing orange socks in softball ?
That's fine. Most players - even ones playing at PGF - don't have what it takes to make the rosters of those teams. There were lots of coaches roaming the PGF fields, from all levels of college ball. There are thousands of college softball opportunities available every year. Finding the right fit for your DD is what's important. The right fit isn't just the lowest Division number.
Alliance is kicking off their qualifiers this weekend (22nd/23rd) . Registration appears a little soft. Example:
Winter Qualifier 14U and 16U in AZ has 19 and 11 teams.
OC Coastal (also 22nd/23rd) 10u 3 teams, 12U 35 teams, 14U 35 teams, 16u 32 teams and 18U 20 teams.
Still have a hard time understanding why So Cal teams/Orgs. (Specially 10U thru14U) want to drag their teams across the country, to play in most likely shitty weather, with a huge cost factor to each family when they could sleep in their own bed, play in great weather in So Cal.
Winter Qualifier 14U and 16U in AZ has 19 and 11 teams.
OC Coastal (also 22nd/23rd) 10u 3 teams, 12U 35 teams, 14U 35 teams, 16u 32 teams and 18U 20 teams.
Still have a hard time understanding why So Cal teams/Orgs. (Specially 10U thru14U) want to drag their teams across the country, to play in most likely shitty weather, with a huge cost factor to each family when they could sleep in their own bed, play in great weather in So Cal.
