Holy good God. WHY, why, why can't anyone just keep this simple. We have a myriad of parents and players who come to the Softball Zone to get educated and are not experts like CARDS above. So all that stuff you laid out is correct and I am sure other long time coaches and organization bosses can provide even more details about what to be concerned with, including all kinds of important minutia. That's great! I am sure folks will read all this stuff and learn from it but the same question/request still remains........
Give us your opinion AFTER all this data is considered. Please don't over think it. It's an opinion, simple. Give us your rankings CARDS and anyone else who can just address the original post. Even a super moderator believes it has merit and re-posted. There is a lot of knowledge on this board, experts, years of experience etc. etc. etc.
I am trying to help those who do not fall into the expert category. I asked what time it is and all we keep getting is how you would make the watch! Still don't know what time it is!
Here is my post from the original thread
If you are looking for the "total" Ohio softball organizational package/experience including practice facilities, accredited coaching, player development from 8 to 18, very nice total yearly organization scholarship dollars and college commitments, teams that play most tournaments within 4 hours of Ohio or, in state... I would go with REDS RBI as I stated in an earlier post because they offer teams in a variety of classifications.
The REDS "like many clubs" draw talent from about 1 hr. radius's of Cincinnati for the stronger A level teams the B level around the 275 loop.
Now I always suggest visiting any organization since it is the best way to see what each organization has to offer.
I know the REDS RBI may be a little unfair to compare many other organizations since RBI players are eligible for other scholarship dollars outside of what many players would get from a university that makes their annual scholarship dollars much higher than a typical travel club. The REDS/Players also have the benefit of corporate sponsors to help with travel expenses and for some of the C/B teams fee reductions. The REDS also utilize Olympic/College/Pro players doing some clinics like a couple other travel organizations do. Here is my list of just Ohio clubs...
# 1 Call me a Homer but I have REDS RBI at the top... (Not saying they have the strongest teams in Ohio or get a lot of D1 players . Heck their A teams would most likely lose to the other top 5 on my list but the organization will check "all" the boxes including very competitive play in MLB WS and ASA/USA for their A teams).
#2 Outlaws / Lasers Both Organizations have like 20+ teams around the state...Both organizations have lots of players moving on to the next level at DI/DII. Both Solid organizations well run with college connections playing in the best events available with their top teams. Some teams may have access to indoor training facilities and private instruction as part of fees like the REDS. Outlaws beat Lasers by a slim margin in my ranking because they have some ex Static coaches that is always a plus...
#3 Hawks / #3 1/2 Doom These two are also well known that play in some of the best invite invents available. Lots of ladies have went on to play at all levels of play from these organizations. Hawks and Doom did have training facilities as well last I heard.
IMO, The Hawks has an slight edge over Doom because of the number of teams one can tryout for with 3 or more at each age group and they some long time coaches that have coached at all levels of play...
#4 Stingrays IMO not as strong at the other 4 teams and may not be as strong as some not listed but, They have had their share of players go onto the next level and the organization runs one of the best tournaments in Ohio. They have at least one team in just about every age group. Not sure if the Organization has sponsors or training facilities. But looking at their website (it has not been updated in a while) it shows mostly an Ohio tournament schedule with one or two out of state events at the older ages 16-18.
#5 Classics while not a big organization compared to the others they have had some very competitive teams and also play in some top tier events to get players noticed. Not a lot of development opportunities but they do go out and attract the needed talent to be competitive.
#6 Wolfpack... while they have no teams at 8-10u they have 12u-18u representation for years. I always liked the Wolfpack hustle and they put on a good tournament.... Kool uniforms too...
#7 Ohio Thunder...While a newer organization they field teams in each age group. They draw players from about a 2 hr. radius of Mason Ohio so they must be doing something right...
#8-10 There are many one could put here...
Lots of quality local teams/small organizations that want the best for their players.. They may not always play top tier events or travel 4+ hours for tournaments but their families and players enjoy each others company, have fun and help their local HS programs while giving ladies the chance to continue playing after high school.
Many of these organizations develop the talent that end up on one of the teams in the top 6....
Cincy Magic...Del Hodge and the Magic have been around for a long time and has had many, many strong players go through the organization.
These organizations as well Heat, Storm, Xtream, Slammers, Lady Irish, Wizards, Road Runners also do a good job of player development.
OHIO is a large state and there are many great organizations that play a very high level of competition some with extensive travel not listed. The good thing is if a parent is just looking for local or less travel expenses etc. there are many teams available that can get that done in your area.
One caution I would say as we approach tryout season is, be a little weary of teams that tout "non parent coaches" as their organization accomplishments...
Not that they are bad many are good and have a track record with experience at the upper levels of play but a lot of these teams tend to not stay together long because they are mostly coached by newer younger ladies transitioning from college to coaching and they do tend to actually have more team finance issues, communication issues etc.
