Top 10 Organizations in 2005

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With tryout season here, I thought I would give one person's list of Ohio's top 10 fastpitch travel organizations. This is one person's opinion and is not meant to disparage any organizations. It is being done for fun, discussion, and to let newcomers to travel fastpitch know where the top organizations are. I am concentrating on org. with teams at most levels so great teams like coke-ice are not included.

1- Lady Lasers - Dominant at all levels, difficult to argue against

2- Ohio Ice - Excellent at every level but no 10's

3- Central Ohio Stingrays - Solid at all levels

4- Heart of Ohio - Very large organization with many above average teams at all levels

5- Sapphires - 2 B state titles and 4th at Nationals this year

6- Wolfpack Solid at all levels; won 12u A state in '04

7- Valley Extreme - Excellent at 12 good at most other levels

8- Ashland - Up and coming; decent at most levels and played good competition

9- Ohio Classics - Competitive at most levels

10- Ohio Worth Waves - Another up and coming organization with solid lower age teams

10- Thunderbolts - Very good upper age teams

Others to watch:
Miami Valley Express - Dominant at 12u; ?adding more levels
Cincy Doom - Great at 12u and adding other age levels
Maddogs - Once dominant organization looks to return by adding many age levels
NC Spirit - a lot of talent on Cleveland's west side - only a matter of time
Cincy Tribe - competitive upper age levels
Ohio Pride - Back to back very good 10u's in '04, '05; Keep these girls in the organization and good things should happen

Have fun and good luck at tryouts!

 

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It would be very easy for this post to take a negative turn, and I HOPE that doesn't happen! All of the organizations mentioned have more than proved themselves!

HOWEVER, since this is the Silly Season of Softball - PLEASE remember the only way to get an answer to a question is to ask the one MOST QUALIFIED to answer! If you want to know how much playing/pitching/batting/running/sitting time your daughter will get - ASK THE MANAGER/COACH.

NEVER ASSUME - we've all heard what happens...

BEST OF LUCK to everyone during try outs. Hopefully you'll find a place comfortable enough to call "home" for the upcoming season!

 

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I agree with bhoh, the Buckeye Heat organization is an excellent one. Should be included on anyones top 10 in my opinion.


The most important thing to look at for players and parents in my opinion is where thier daughter fits in on the team. Also, who is coaching the teams. Past that they can look at what type of schedule is being played, and where they intend to go to nationals and so on, but I think that they have to feel like they fit in. There is a trememndous amount of time and energy that goes into training all fall, winter and spring to play a tough summer schedule. If they do not feel like they are part of the team then all the talent in the world will make a difference.

 

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Of course I'm not offering any opinions on organizations, but it really depends upon what one is looking for. There are many factors. Win-loss record, schedule difficulty, quality of coaching, organizational competence, honoring commitments, and the list could go on and on.

No one is really in a good position to begin to evaluate the top 10 organizations since probably nobody in the whole state has personally dealt with more than 3 or 4.

 

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Ohio ICE will have a 10u this year

 

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I think it would be a mistake for a newcomer to blindly walk into any organization based solely upon their reputation.

Here is what I focus on:
- Coaching (preferrably non-parent)
- Schedule that meets your family's goals
- teams ability to play deep into Sunday

 

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My DD has played for two of the top 10 teams listed. ?One thing I would suggest is to definitely check out the coaching. ?One team has a manager that is explosive, which in turn did not make it an enjoyable experience for my DD, parents, fans, or myself. So for my family we would not include that team on our top ten list. ?The other team however had fabulous coaching and was a great experience for my daughter, parents, fans etc? So I too agree that one of the main focuses should be on the:
- ? ? ?Coaching (my opinion first and foremost) - ask any returning girls and parents about the coaches temperament and how he/she reacts to loosing, errors, calls made by umpires, etc. ?

Only your DD, you, and your family know what is needed to find that perfect fit.

 

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Might I add that the OFC HeaT is one of the best 10 teams! We have beat the Classics, Tribe, Miami Valley Xpress, Ashland Flames, and the Wolfpack (which is another good team). I believe we hold a spot in the top ten.
(we're young 16's too)

 

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has anyone seen the Cincy Chill play i saw them play this season and they play tough ball and have beat the Tribe and the Express.

 

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soleprop...i totally agree with you! you cant pick a team as a good fit by only the name..we have found that out the hard way...gooduck to all!

 

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My DD has played for two of the top 10 teams listed. ?One thing I would suggest is to definitely check out the coaching. ?One team has a manager that is explosive, which in turn did not make it an enjoyable experience for my DD, parents, fans, or myself. So for my family we would not include that team on our top ten list. ?The other team however had fabulous coaching and was a great experience for my daughter, parents, fans etc? So I too agree that one of the main focuses should be on the:
- ? ? ?Coaching (my opinion first and foremost) - ask any returning girls and parents about the coaches temperament and how he/she reacts to loosing, errors, calls made by umpires, etc. ?

Only your DD, you, and your family know what is needed to find that perfect fit.

GREAT POST!

 

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This post is top organizations, not a great team. A good single team does'nt make a great organization and it takes years to get good coaching, players and organizers to produce an elite travelball organization that can stay competative and not split up.
Hats off the the people that gave up their normal life to produce and maintain some of Ohio's best organizations. Teams that want to be great organizations, get some mediaction ready and a good divorce lawer.

 

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My daughter is somewhat new to the traveling/select organizations. So we have really talked to alot of different coaches and parents to try to get a good fit for not just our daughter but the entire family as well. We seem to lean more towards the newer organizations just simply because they seem to have a fresher outlook on everything. I think some of the teams and organazations that have been around for awhile need to think back to when they were new and why they wanted to do this in the first place. So maybe they would have a fresher outlook as well. We all became apart of this for one reason only Our girls ?

 

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I don't know much about travel organizations but our daughter played for a really great team
(Miami Valley Twisters) where she had fun.
Sure we didn't win them all, but fun and learning have been the name of the game. The team has only played in 4 or 5 tournaments after rec season was over but she has loved every minute. Great coach, great parents, great kids. Wish the team played all summer. All teams should be ran this way.
Kudos and A++++ to the Twisters.

 

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in my oppinion alot of teams have very good organisations like ohio ice, thunderbolts,lady lazers,and wolfpack who have all been around for a while so its not easy saying who has a good organisation but who just knows to having a good one

 

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I see a lot of good and somewhat confusing post here. 1st most any coach has a kid on the team. Come on!!. 2nd what is the team's agenda. Do they have a tournament schedule set up to prepare them for a Nationals? 2nd, is the team in a tourney to win or to get better? We'd all like to say yes but I have followed a lot of these teams and programs. Did they follow through or did the parent commitment fall through. Been there done that. Few teams end up at Nationals somewhere. Mostly because??

Classics 10U

 

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Funny that you don't hear from Toledo or North West Ohio

 

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As a coach for 12u Valley Extreme, we have played the ice, lasers, wolfpack and sapphires. We have beaten them this year and they have beaten us. My girls also lost to a team that I could have bet my house on we wouldn't have ever lost to. Lets face it on any given day you can be worse then anybody or better. There is alot of great organizations out there, I just don't see how you can rank anyone. I know its just an opinion.

 

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Soleprop said it well. I'll add that "great" organizations still have bad coaches here and there. Check carefully and ask why there may have been a lot of turnover on a prospective team. Probably a good reason. Opportunity is a key factor, too. If your daughter wants to improve her pitching skills or become a better short stop, why go to a "great" team so she can stand in left field for 60 games?

 

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A top organazation post would be empty without including the pittsburgh spirit they have numerous national titles they had 2 teams finish nsa A national champion runner-up this past year including an all 13 year old team which whacked the ICE WHITE 6-1 TO GET TO THE FINALS that got washed out. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D