Roll call......16U ASA Nationals in Salem, VA

[JAD]

Is anyone else headed to 16U ASA Nationals in Salem, VA next week? I know 29Dad's DD will be there, but I think he is staying home, anyone else? Would love to get together for a beer or two since we are only playing one game a day for the first three days.....

 

[C.K]

We'll be there!

 

[29dad]

First nationals I've ever missed. But 29mom will be there and she would love a beer or two! She perfers hers with a few green olives. That's a South Dakota martini. Good luck to all of the DFP teams.

 

[humpty]

What's difference in 16u and 16u gold nationals.

 

[C.K]

16 gold is 32 teams only and you qualify for it playing a gold qualifier. Id say the level of play is very similar to top 40% that u will see in Salem VA. I was looking at the pools and we played 2 of teams that are giong this year we split when we played them.

 

[JAD]

What's difference in 16u and 16u gold nationals.

16U Gold is new this year. I am 92.8% sure ASA created "Gold" just to try to compete with PGF. The 16U Gold will be held in Oklahoma every year, while the regular 16U ASA tournament will continue to move around. It is in Salem, VA this year and I think Chattanooga, TN next year. As C.K. pointed out there are separate qualifiers for "Gold" vs. regular ASA. In GA we had one team go "gold" and we have @ 8 teams going to Salem, VA.

 

[humpty]

Can a team play both

 

[29dad]

I think a lot of teams decided to "wait and see" about ASA Gold. Not one team from our state is there. I've noticed some of the scores from Broken Arrow - 23-0, 17-0, etc. Don't see how it can compete with PGF. What college coach is going to prefer Broken Arrow, OK to Huntington Beach, CA??

 

[JAD]

Don't see how it can compete with PGF. What college coach is going to prefer Broken Arrow, OK to Huntington Beach, CA??

FWIW - GA Teams that went to PGF averaged 15+ college coaches per game. GA team at 16U Gold said they saw 4 college coaches the entire time they were there......

 

[SoCal_Dad]

16 gold is 32 teams only and you qualify for it playing a gold qualifier.

16G has 48 teams.

The 16U Gold will be held in Oklahoma every year

16G will be held near 18G - both will be in Oregon next year. ASA's current site rotation for Gold puts it in OK every 2 years, so they'll both be back in OK in 2016.

I expect most teams will choose whichever makes sense for them based on cost (e.g. location) and benefit (e.g. exposure). ASA 16A Nats used to be a great exposure event. It will be interesting to see which ASA Nats - 16G, 16A and/or 14A (San Diego area) - draws a lot of college coaches and from which level (D-I, etc).