Has Ohio ever had a better showing at Nationals???

[mike_dyer]

PGF is just another organization promising more. And delivering nothing new. Until there is a single National in a central location or something more accessible, forget it. It just creates arguments. PGF is just selling themselves more aggressively. If you were on the West Coast, wouldn't you want to avoid flying to the midwest for a National?

This is a true story. I didn't post it here, I have told it to a few people in conversation.

I was working in northern California back during high school softball season. I talked with an engineer on one of my jobs, I said something like "You guys probably play a lot of PGF tournaments here. We play ASA at home, I heard PGF is big here though."

He said "What is PGF? I've never heard of it."

A few days later I was talking to a woman who was leaving early to go catch her kid's last high school game. I asked her the same question, she said something like "I heard that PGF is big back in the midwest and in the east." I could tell she said it because I told her I was from Ohio.

So this is what I gather. If you're on this side of the country and you mention that PGF isn't everything it's being sold as the response is "It's big out on the west coast."

When you are on the west coast and it comes up the response is "It's real big back east."

The reality of it is that right up until the late rounds at nationals PGF is JV summer ball no matter where you are. Regardless of the propaganda as long as ASA is running the national team it will always be that way.

 

[init4all]

What state has the most recruited kids in softball?

 

[c12los]

Glad to see the Ohio teams do very well. We do have a lot of talent in Ohio. The 16u Premier Champs have some Ohio girls on that team as well. PGF, however, does draw the most coaches at their nationals (Not saying that PGF is better than ASA, just draws more coaches atleast D1 coaches from the major conferences). And its the head coaches who are there watching at PGF, not the assistants. Since Lasers Purple and the Bandits are somewhat close in location, they should play best out of 3 to have the bragging rights as to who is the true national champ. lol

 

[ohiosoftball]

what state has the most recruited kids in softball?

looks like oklahoma

 

[DoubleTheFun]

I'll throw out a few thoughts , might offend some , might not . I hope not , its not my intent to cast any thing negative on what sanction someone chose to play, or where any particular team finished this year or in past years . I'd say the opportunity to crown a true national champ passed in about 2010 , give or take a year . Up until then ASA/USA drew the very best from coast to coast . No one was staying home to play any other sanction . After that the crowd got thinned out quite a bit and winning a natl' title from either PGF or ASA/USA got somewhat easier . Simply because most or all of Ca has decided to go PGF and that removed big roadblocks to any team outside of Ca winning a USA/ASA national title . Likewise it eased the competition in PGF for the Ca teams as well. Now lots of tremendous teams decide to play another sanction either out of loyalty to ASA or avoid flying across the country and incurring huge travel expense. That doesnt mean the game or the teams are watered down or anything of the such, simply the best teams have 2 choices to compete at the top as opposed to one . And that makes winning the event easier for both. Interesting but the 2 teams in the 16u final at PGF were mid western teams , Bandits and South Dakota Renegades .

To get back closer on topic I'd be hard pressed to say the Lasers ever had a better showing than this year. I've been around 10-11 years and dont recall them , or Ohio having such overall success . It really was a banner year. Winning a PGF and ASA , either regional or the national event is high level stuff . Even to come close means you have some serious ballers . Congrats to all who did Ohio proud .

^^^^^^^^I couldn't agree more with what was stated by Manitoudan ^^^^^^^^

There are plenty of opportunities to compete on a high level whether choosing between ASA and PGF or a mixed scheduled of by both of them.

What would make things even more interesting if both ASA or PGF would further expand their list of host cities for national championships.

ASA seems to have the rotations of Bloomington, IN, Salem, VA, Sioux Falls, SD, Chattanooga, TN, College Station, TX, and Normal, IL pretty well set while PGF is always in Huntington Beach CA regardless of age division. Was interesting though to see that ASA hosted their 10U Nationals in Stockton, CA this year (although it was not that well attended).

 

[sportsdad]

I don't know I think I'd take the 300 plus coaches at PGF..

Sounds like you are in the PGF camp. Sounds like all the players you know fully deserve to play in the SEC for Alabama or Oklahoma? So you have talked to some of those 300 coaches? Ask them if that is the right format? If they like it? Can they really watch all those games and watch a few performances and know who they want? Can they completely discount ASA Nationals? And everyone east of the California border? Sure I would agree that they make SOME decisions that way but come on... It was best said by Manitoudan...

Random thoughts: Take a long hard look at the process. You think those coaches don't have an A and B list? Are all the players gonna get money to go to college? You do the math. Do they all have DI aspirations? Do they all want to Attend Oklahoma? Can they all go to Oklahoma?

Many families make these vacations. Many teams lose focus going out west. I would like to see more of a divisional system and some finals somewhere after they have been TRULY earned across multiple sates. But nobody would make money in Nationals involving fewer teams.

 

[BulldawgsDirector]

I wasn't comparing sanctioning, I don't care. If you go to a regional or National tournament and are in the semis or better, congratulations on a great run and way to represent your state. I wasn't talking about getting recruited but if you look at the older teams that finished high at various events they are well represented on college rosters. As an "adult" to slight a bunch of 10 year olds that came together to achieve a goal is pretty pathetic to me. Its amazing how congratulating a bunch of teams for their success can result in any negativity at all.

 

[FastBat]

I love Ohio softball doing well Nationally. Yes, Ohio was represented very well in a lot of Nationals and obviously ASA. It's not just those either, in Little League Ohio did well in 12/14u. Also, let's not forget Ohio's Emma Johnson doing well in the NPF!

So, IMHO Ohio is looking like a power house Nationally. Go Ohio softball!

 

[SoCal_Dad]

There are plenty of opportunities to compete on a high level whether choosing between ASA and PGF or a mixed scheduled of by both of them. (+1 agree)

What would make things even more interesting if both ASA or PGF would further expand their list of host cities for national championships.

ASA seems to have the rotations of Bloomington, IN, Salem, VA, Sioux Falls, SD, Chattanooga, TN, College Station, TX, and Normal, IL pretty well set while PGF is always in Huntington Beach CA regardless of age division. Was interesting though to see that ASA hosted their 10U Nationals in Stockton, CA this year (although it was not that well attended).

ASA locations became a little more diverse since they made a change several years ago where each territory would host at least 1 ASA/USA Nat. Since then, the West's 2013-2017 rotation of 16U (Sunnyvale, CA), 14U (San Diego), 12U (Sacramento, CA), 10U (Stockton) and 18U (Oregon). Salem, VA has benefited from this change too as they've hosted 18U thru 12U for the East. 2017 has a couple new ASA/USA spots with Findlay, OH (10U) and Dallas, TX (12U).

PGF is stuck between a rock and a hard spot regarding sites. I agree with those that think it would be beneficial to hold some age groups back East. However, if PGF ever did that, they'd never again be able to get all 4 of the prime parks they currently use for those 2 weeks as someone else would get ongoing control of any park for the week(s) PGF doesn't use it. It's a step PGF isn't willing to take at this point.

 

[lewam3]

It is not easy to win tournaments. Period. Think of all the tournaments your team has been in this summer and count how many they have won. Now count how many regional qualifiers your team has won. Now count how many national qualifiers and state tournaments that your team has won... Ok if you made it to regional nationals or the big girls nationals, how did your team do? Pony, USSSA, PGF, ASA, NSA -doesnt matter...did they win? Ok.

 

[chixdad]

I don't think it would matter who they played, overall the Lasers organization would do Ohio proud. Not taking anything away from others but the Lasers just keep on winning. i just wish we could see some of our bigger organizations play each other when in the same tournies. Congrats to all of the Ohio teams that placed well in Nationals anywhere.

 

[FastBat]

It is not easy to win tournaments. Period.

I agree.

I just wish we could see some of our bigger organizations play each other when in the same tournies.

IMHO, that is the difference between Rec and travel, is the variety of teams being played and the ability to be ready for anything. Playing the same teams over and over gets boring.