ASA 18 Gold Results?

[Bishop]

I guess we are being a little childish and should stop...........NOT!! It's just too much fun and boys will be boys at any age.

You are quite the muck raker at times. I hope you list those credentials high on your resume'.

What irritates me the most is all you hear is ASA is king, the holy grail of softball. For the most part it is an earned birth into the tournament. All other sanctions are 'pay to play'. Ok, I can go along with that. But then when the final chapter of the ASA book doesn't give you the competitive edge you bail out and make up your own tourney with your own rules. So your kinda using the organization until you DON"T need them. Childish??

On the whole premier thing. Doesn't effect me. What ever they think is best for thier programs is good by me. In my area, the stiffest competition is at the ASA tournaments so that's where we will play. We'll try to qualify for nationals and go when possible and get slapped around by the all star teams, enjoy our time in the big show and learn what we can for next year.

They should sit down with ASA and open a new class, say a College Gold class. Using a formula on a % of your team who are college players to determine which class you belong. All ASA is doing is trying to even the playing field and not give unfair advantages to certain teams. A new classification should help the situation.

The girls from our area that play college ball play with one of the ASA 23u teams if they play summer ball. Works well for us, but then we don't get our kids recruited to SEC or PAC-10 programs. I could be comparing apples to oranges.

 

[BrianMonk]

...Some of our conclusions. Is it fair to allow college players in a non college event, no. But is it fair to punish the teams because some have made it to the college level, no. Will the Premier or ASA Gold please everyone, no.

One thing we all agreed on. If this starts being the norm the only way to make it fair is to move the Premier each year. If not it gives CA too much advantage, both physically and financially. Long plane rides and driving times wear some players out. The cost for teams to travel would also limit some from participating. Without relocating the event it is nothing more than an Open State Tournament, meaning we gonna put this tournament on in CA mostly for CA teams but the rest of you can come if you want.

Premier was only formed after a number of years of some top organizations trying to get ASA to change. Many felt college players didn't belong at the 18U level. Many of these organizations sell themself at helping players get recruited.

When the john-come-lately teams come along and simply stock their team with a number of college players, that isn't good for the sport. Why should an entirely non-college team focused on being recruited get knocked out of Gold Nationals by a pseudo-college team?

ASA has many crusty old white men that rule the roost. They are set in their ways and were unwilling to change. The good old boy network was alive and well and still is today even at some local levels. That's not good for the sport either.

As mush as I dislike all of the alphabet organizations in the softball world, I fully understand why Premier did what they did. It also wasn't just isolated to CA teams, there were a number of high profile non-CA teams involved in the Premier process as well.

They will host their national tournament outside of CA, but for the initial years, that's where it is being held. CA teams have traveled the US for years and years, there's no reason why others can't recipricate the favor.

Next year will be even more interesting:

As reported by Spy Softball:


JULY 29 2010 UPDATE

IRVINE AWARDS FIELD PERMITS TO PREMIER

The organizers of the 2010 ESPN Rise National Softball Championship and board members of Premier Girl’s Fastpitch today announced they have the use of Col Bill Barber and Harvard Parks in Irvine as well as the Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley softball complexes for their 2011 National Tournaments in 14U, 16U and 18U, all to be held August 1, through August 6, 2011.

Thus, the continuing saga surrounding Gold Nationals turned another page today.

The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America had announced July 7 that Irvine, Calif., will be the host city for the 2011 ASA Girls’ 18-Under GOLD National Championships July 31- August 6. ASA officials were boasting of what they considered a coup against the organizer of Premier, ala the press release.

But, SPY sources say the ASA press release was premature, that the fields and dates in question had already been spoken for by Premier organizers, and that the matter of the ASA request was under rquested review at the time the press release was issued. Notwithstanding, So Cal officials told SPY last week of their plans for fencing four of the fields at Harvard Park.

SPY has confirmed today’s decision by local government with three independent sources.

Presumably, ASA will now find another venue and/or dates for 2011 Gold Nationals

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Let me ask this, since I am ignorant and have not had the pleasure of a ASA National event. Just how many fields are needed to accommodate such an event.

I'd say we have around 80 good fields within 45 mins of each other in all directions. 1 large million $$ complex, and numerous A class parks.

Most have:
Fence Distance:
Fields
@ 200'
@ 225’
@ 275’ (Portable fencing used when needed)
@ 300’ (Portable fencing used when needed)

Sub Surface drainage on all infields
Southern Athletic TurfTM infield mix / conditioner on all infields
Tifton 419TM Bermuda on all outfields
Computerized irrigation system
MuscoTM lighting on fields
Electronic Scoreboards with clocks on all fields
Covered and enclosed Dugouts
Main control / scoring tower or Scoring tables
Most complex side walked and surfaced with professional landscaping
Ample paved parking
Multiple concessions at most parks
Covered pavilions
Restaurant's and plenty of motels near by.

 

[Coachmom]

If you are a "college recruiting" softball program I would highly suggest making Premier a destination for your team, even if it means traveling to Southern California to do it.
Tons of College scouts here this week.
If you are simply looking for another trophy then don't bother.

 

[BrianMonk]

Let me ask this, since I am ignorant and have not had the pleasure of a ASA National event. Just how many fields are needed to accommodate such an event.

I'd say we have around 80 good fields within 45 mins of each other in all directions. 1 large million $$ complex, and numerous A class parks.

Most have:
Fence Distance:
Fields
@ 200'
@ 225’
@ 275’ (Portable fencing used when needed)
@ 300’ (Portable fencing used when needed)

Sub Surface drainage on all infields
Southern Athletic TurfTM infield mix / conditioner on all infields
Tifton 419TM Bermuda on all outfields
Computerized irrigation system
MuscoTM lighting on fields
Electronic Scoreboards with clocks on all fields
Covered and enclosed Dugouts
Main control / scoring tower or Scoring tables
Most complex side walked and surfaced with professional landscaping
Ample paved parking
Multiple concessions at most parks
Covered pavilions
Restaurant's and plenty of motels near by.

Typically, at ASA Nationals, around 16 fields are used. The more condensed (few locations) the better. Moline had this in 2 locations for the 14's, the 12's at Bloomington used 4 locations - I know one of the complexes only had 4 diamonds so I assume the other 3 did as well.

It worked for both locations but another thing to consider is umpires. I know SoCal would have a bunch but if you have Premier and ASA in the same location at the same time, ASA would need to bring in many of their umpires as I suspect Premier would lock up many locals.

 

[SnocatzDad]

But, SPY sources say the ASA press release was premature, that the fields and dates in question had already been spoken for by Premier organizers, and that the matter of the ASA request was under rquested review at the time the press release was issued. Notwithstanding, So Cal officials told SPY last week of their plans for fencing four of the fields at Harvard Park.

I thought that hosts sent bids into ASA and ASA selected sites from submitted bids (i.e. you pay for the privilige of hosting an ASA tournament) How does that jive with ASA requesting Irvine to host. Not sure ASA requests host facilities.

Are there enough fields in Irvine to host all those tourneys concurrently?

I'm roughly aware of the process. I started asking why bigger facilities in Twin Cities area don't bid anymore, found out several lost money (one on the order of 25K) after bidding and being awarded an ASA National and then having it be underattended. We just hosted 14A Northern in Mankato MN and only drew 14 teams in comparison to 16UA Northern in Bowling Green, KY drawing 86 teams. ASA just isn't strong enough in our area, only drew 3 teams from our own state, and very few from the bordering states.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Typically, at ASA Nationals, around 16 fields are used. The more condensed (few locations) the better. Moline had this in 2 locations for the 14's, the 12's at Bloomington used 4 locations - I know one of the complexes only had 4 diamonds so I assume the other 3 did as well.

It worked for both locations but another thing to consider is umpires. I know SoCal would have a bunch but if you have Premier and ASA in the same location at the same time, ASA would need to bring in many of their umpires as I suspect Premier would lock up many locals.

Thanks, I wondered just how big and how many fields would be needed.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

16UA Northern in Bowling Green, KY drawing 86 teams.

A team from our area won that tournament. My DD played last summer and fall with some of their players under a different team name, but they moved up to 16u in 2010. The new team is stacked but most must move up to 18u this fall.

ASA just isn't strong enough in our area, only drew 3 teams from our own state, and very few from the bordering states.

Maybe that's why we are not getting a locational look. We have one of the biggest and best facilities I've ever seen. BUT ASA has only 25% of the sanctioned tournaments in this area. Shared by 3 other organizations. So that may be the problem.