- Sep 10, 2013
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how would you feel?? tournament issue
- Thread starter softball4us
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- Feb 21, 2013
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"How would you feel"? I think the resounding answer of the folks responding is "we would feel fine". It sounds like it might not have been the answer the OP was looking for, but that is the beauty of sites like this...We all get overly emotional at times, and this site can be a good reality check. Hopefully, when "we" ask questions like in the original post "we" are really looking for honest feedback and not just others to validate our overblown emotional responses to non-issues!
SB4US- Here is a slightly different way of looking at it. What if those 14U teams paid their entry fee and couldn't make the tournament at all on saturday? The TD would have given them each 0-3 records and seeded them into the single elimination bracket on Sunday. The reality is, they did the TD a favor by competing in the older age group on Saturday, so other teams could get their 4 games in. I am sure you feel frustrated because looking around the fields Saturday, you felt you had a shot at winning the tournament. It honestly sounds like the two best 14U teams played in the championship of the 14U division. Your only other recourse is to not play tournaments anymore for this particular TD.
- Sep 10, 2013
- 24
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I haven't had an issue with anyones answer except for the ones that were a little judgemental but thanks for your opinion.
- Sep 10, 2013
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I agree the best 2 ended up in championship and deserve the win. I guess b/c other tournaments that I have been to (even other NSA) they never let 2 teams play in 2 different age groups in the same tournament. They ask a team to move to another age group and they stay in that age group. LIke I said, we don't mind playing these better teams, its great for our girls to play A level teams.
Given that NSA wouldn't allow it in championship play I'm surprised no one sees the rule as a big deal. Given the outcome I'm surprised no one questions the ethics of the coaches in playing back down the next day.
- Feb 21, 2013
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To clarify... It seems like you asked for opinions on how people would feel, but then as you got response that were different from how you felt you posted more information to justify how you were feeling. The bottom line is that I would have been very surprised if many people thought there was anything wrong with the scenario you posted. What happened with those two teams had ZERO bearing on your team, so I have a hard time understanding what there is to me upset about.
The ethics of the coaches allowing their team to play in their own age group? Depending on the tournament, the competition may have been better in 14u. This apparently wasn't a case of a team that will be in 16u in the spring and played "down" for a tournament in the fall. This is two 14u teams that played up...by request, to fill a void.
Are we really infiltrating TB now with "feel good fairness" and everyone gets a trophy? Why should a coach's ethics ever come into question or should he or she be questioned about being too good and playing in the teams own age group? Some girls are just animals on the field. Some teams are full of those girls. The options are to take your lumps or go to tournaments they are not at. But not to be upset that they play in their division.
I have seen coaches of good teams play up frequently when a particular tournament warrants it. They do so because they feel it is better competition for their team and have no desire to beat up the local B teams in their own age group. It works better for all parties. I view that as more appropriate, more ethical and more fair. Not fair as in everyone gets a trophy. Fair as in NSA Rule 4 section 8 b.
It was in an NSA tournament, that obviously was not sanctioned in the 16u age group, as none of them got points for it. So in essence, as far as NSA is concerned, they played in one age group. If they had been awarded points for both championships, then I could understand the concern there, and the gripe. However, we have no idea what they were presented with. The TD could have told them that they needed them to play in the 16u group to fill it out, but that they would get no points for it, would not be able to see the competition in the 14u group, and would be forced into a single elimination scenario on Sunday. So for basically taking Saturday off since the games they played that day did not count for them at all, we question their integrity? Again, sounds like OP is upset that his team didn't get in championship game because the others were too good. But, this is just my opinion, and we know what those are worth.
