16u ASA Nationals - what happened?

I don't know if it is rumor, but it sounds as if there will be at least 10 teams attending
ASA Nationals for the 16u division in Owensboro, Kentucky.

ASA State Tournament - Nightmare
Classics Qualifier - tie between Wolfpack and Nightmare - Wolfpack gets bid as Nightmare had one
Regional Qualifier - TriCounty Hurricanes
Eastern Regional (2007) for 2008 - Ashland Blaze
Cleveland Metro - Valley Sting
Region 9 - Cincy Doom
Dayton Metro - Maimi Valley Express

Wild cards? Lasers Orange, Classics Black, Valley Extreme.

What about the Maddogs - they finished 4th in state tournament
What about the Buckeye Heat Toledo - they finished 3rd in state tournament, 4th in regional(8 team)
What about Ohio Freeze - 2nd in regional

If berths are passed out to "deserving", why not Viking Elite, they have done very well
Akron Sapphires, finished high in Classics tournament - aren't the five teams I've listed more deserving
as they had the higher placement in the qualifiers? :-? It sounds like "who you know" NSA/USSSA style.

I'm all for increasing number of teams from Ohio to attend the Nationals, but do you now get in on who you know, what your team name is, etc.?
The Nightmare and Wolfpack on consecutive weeks endured over tournaments over 24 in number, yet Ohio sends teams that were not champions in tournaments with 8 our less teams?
Buckeye Heat Abraham qualifies several years ago in Shreive, a meat grinder, and one qualifier - very special considering.....

It was never this easy back in the days, the "old" Randy Raiders teams gaining consecutive berths, but losing out two times prior finishing 2nd and third (after making to winners final), but being shut out - the tourney field was at least 24 plus back then with western Pennsylvania, metro Pittsburgh and others.

Again, don't get me wrong on Ohio not being deserving, but can someone give credibility to the wildcards and justify why the others were not invited - maybe they were and declined - I don't know - but I would like an ASA official to post on the forum justification. :-?

Many more people on here smarter than I about this topic, but a few thoughts regarding your questions:

1. ASA = NO "Invitations" - You MUST show up at a sanctioned "ASA Qualifier Tournament" and usually you must "WIN" that tournament. There are a few ASA events like ASA Nationals & Regional Nationals (from previous year) and Oklahoma City HOF that grant multiple exemptions, I believe. There are California teams that fly to the midwest or east coast just to qualify because they may be a top 50 team in the country but can't qualify in their own state. Can happen in Ohio also, due to fewer exmption spots.

2. Nationals versus Showcase Events - Some teams opt for big Showcase tournaments at the end of the year. Can't really speak directly for the Akron Sapphires 16u (for example), but I have heard that they were more interested in specific Showcase type events this year than Nationals, thus no Nationals - they are in the Carolinas right now with about 30 college coaches watching them play, in a more condensed & intimate rather than "sprawling" situation (for better/worse or right/wrong ?:-/ ??).

Moreover, and related to your point, there are some VERY strong Ohio teams that beat up on each other that could do well at Nationals, and make "us" Ohio fastpitch fans proud. But, at some point closer to college, things can start to become about personal goals as much as team goals. The team is the vehicle for individual achievement and advancement, with everyone looking better when the team does better as a whole. The team (and its culture) is made of the individuals, and their (plus the Organization's) goals collectively. Don't mean to suggest that team function and focus are not important. Team orientation, wrapped around those other goals still remains vital, of course.

So whats the big deal who goes???

ladyknights,
It is a big deal on how you qualify, that is my concern.
I question the integrity and value of the berths if a team is a "wild card"
and other teams are more deserving.

Team A may have a better record, but did they do it in a qualifier or state tournament?
Team B has higher placement in a qualifier, so they get the nod over team A?

Teams are given 1 berth from a 24 - 32 team qualifier, yet wild cards are given out?

I know the maddogs were at Ashland and the state tournament. They placed 4th at State along with
the Buckeye Heat Toledo who place 3rd (to go with a 3rd place at regionals), Akron Sapphires placed high in the Classics tournament, why are these teams overlooked - what has the other teams done to justify over the above mentioned!

If it isn't a big deal, get rid of qualifiers and just invite teams - and change your name to NSA, USSSA, ISA, or whatever

Stallion, I'm pretty curious as to where you got your information on these "Wild Card" teams??

A parent from one of the teams

Again, I am not saying that the additional teams are not worthy, but are they more
deserving than the process. Are the Ashland Blaze less deserving as they qualified in 2007? No, a huge no because they were in the "process" of qualification. When additional berths are given, is it because
those teams didn't qualify? If the Lasers, Wolfpack, Classics got the berths, and the Blaze didn't make it
to thru last years eastern, would they have been given a "wildcard" or additional berth?

Stallion, I think your info may be incorrect, and know for a fact that ASA Eastern Berths were offered to teams, but not USA/ASA berths to Owensboro. ?

As far as the Ashland Blaze team, they won't be attending Nationals anyway.

Just looked at 16u Nationals We Site, Here are the Ohio teams listed as of yesterday:

Buckeye Heat Toledo
Grove City Nightmare
Ohio Wolfpack Black
Lady Lasers Orange
Valley Sting
Tri County Hurricanes Gold

http://www.teamipevents.com/

Directly from the tournament web site, here are the OH teams on the list so far who are entered in the USA/ASA 16U National Tournament in Owensboro, KY:

Buckeye Heat Toledo
GCKA Nightmare
Lady Lasers Orange
Ohio Wolfpack Black
Tri County Hurricanes Gold
Valley Sting

http://www.teamipevents.com/BPA/ASA Team List.xls

Entry deadline is noon on July 20.

ladyknights
I'm trying to call my "parent", but it seems as if Lasers Orange recieved a bid -
didn't they finish ninth at regionals

stallion2 said:

ladyknights
I'm trying to call my "parent", but it seems as if Lasers Orange recieved a bid -
didn't they finish ninth at regionals

Click to expand...

No, I think my team did.

Ok...You got me wondering...I just sent an email to the ASA Commisioner to get to the bottom of this deep dark secret, maybe we'll now be able to unravel this mystery.

Hey Stallion,

Please keep my team out of your discussions. We all know who you are and if you have anything to say about us, then post under your "real" screenname on the forum. If you have anything negative to say about the Lady Lasers Orange, please PM or call me and I will gladly discuss your beef with the team. You have no knowledge of my team other than what your "parent" said.

Thank you,
Marie
Lady Lasers Orange

It looks like Ohio will be very well represented by some very good teams. Good luck to all the Ohio teams that attend. It should be a great time! I wish my dd was going.

sbplaya said:

It looks like Ohio will be very well represented by some very good teams. ?Good luck to all the Ohio teams that attend. ?It should be a great time! ?I wish my dd was going.

Click to expand...

I agree.

softballcat12,

I am not hiding behind a screen name, and I doubt if you know who I am.
I have no beef with your team, and I am within the rules of the forum.
I used my right as a member of OFC to make a post and begin a discussion.

A legitimate question, so back off. If you need to pm me, feel free.

Joe Conti
Stallion2

Bear!

I agree S2 raised legitimate questions. ?How are teams (Buckeye Heat, Lasers) going to ASA Nationals who did not "win" a qualifying tournament. ?It has nothing to do with the teams; it's about ASA. ?We, the softball community, would like to know the answer.

LN - did you get an answer back from your e-mail yet?

Cincy Storm 16U- Red
Cincinnati ASA Metro Region 10 Champs
Going to Owensboro.

Stallion2. I think I know you?? Did you go to St.Charles and then to OSU and played BB for Bob Todd?