Great smoky mountain showdown or ISA

default · Dec 18, 2009

I have never been to a Game Day USA event and was looking at Pigeon Forge on June 11th (also considering ISA events). For anyone who has went to one...

Was it a good experience or bad experience?
Nice fields?
Well run?
Did you book your lodging thru the mandated tournament travel agency?
About how much did you spend on lodging?
etc?... You get the idea.
Any opinions/info would be helpful.
Thanks.

default · Dec 18, 2009

Re: Great smoky mountain showdown

Went last year with the Static Black 12u team. I would NOT recommend this at all. Nothing like the Joe Oliver Memorial in May ran by the ISA. Very un-organized. Terrible communication. Ended up with only a couple of teams in 12u ( including us), so we played a 14u team and a 10u team ( MV Vipers ).

The fields are good and well kept. But they had us playing on the 10u field the whole tournament that has really oddball fences. ( 120' in RF - 140' in LF ). Just a bad experience overall.

But hey, we came home with hardware. Wait, they didn't have enough trophies so they had everyone get their pictures with the same trophies and they shipped us ours in July.

You asked.

default · Dec 18, 2009

Re: Great smoky mountain showdown

We played in the 14u in this event last year.

Ended up only with 5 teams in the 14u/15u originally, with one team dropping (more of a rec team) and playing some games in 12u (because of lack of teams there, competition).

Fields: Nice parks, well maintained.

Tournament Mgmt: Poor. Their communication was bad...people running the event didn't seem like softball people. Probably more like tour guides trying to run a softball event...

Accomodations: We did NOT stay or book thru them. Team went camping instead. Saved some $$$, plus team gelled a bit getting to 'hang out'...

Competition: 3 of 5 teams (in original bracket) were from Ohio. Could have played in Cincy or Dayton to see the same teams.

Opinion: GO ELSEWHERE!!!

default · Dec 18, 2009

Re: Great smoky mountain showdown

Fun for us last year- mainly because we won the tournament. Small amount of teams there. Funny thing about it we played about 3 different teams from Ohio. We stayed in two huge cabins(no mandated lodging). Girls had a great time hanging out. Not a very good ran tournament at all. If you are looking for fun, team building and a very little competitive softball thrown in, then this is the tournament to attend. So I guess I am saying I don't reccomend this for serious softballers.

default · Dec 18, 2009

Re: Great smoky mountain showdown

Gopher_the_K said:
Went last year with the Static Black 12u team. I would NOT recommend this at all. Nothing like the Joe Oliver Memorial in May ran by the ISA. Very un-organized. Terrible communication. Ended up with only a couple of teams in 12u ( including us), so we played a 14u team and a 10u team ( MV Vipers ).

The fields are good and well kept. But they had us playing on the 10u field the whole tournament that has really oddball fences. ( 120' in RF - 140' in LF ). Just a bad experience overall.

But hey, we came home with hardware. Wait, they didn't have enough trophies so they had everyone get their pictures with the same trophies and they shipped us ours in July.

You asked.

The poor MV Vipers (10u) at that tournament. All the other 10u teams had canceled but Game Day USA didn't tell them until they got down there so they had them play us (Static 12u), the other 12U team that showed AND a 14u team. Of course 10u uses a different size ball and pitches from a different distance. They had to practice with the larger ball before playing and then hit the field. They did very well considering. Imagine when your DD played 10u how she would have been facing a 14u pitcher. Those girls played tough but none of them were to happy with Gameday USA. Us either. AVOID Gameday USA

There are other people running tournaments down there. Check one of them out. It is a great area.

default · Dec 18, 2009

Re: Great smoky mountain showdown

Good info - will move on from GameDay. What about any of the ISA tourney's (like Gopher mentioned)? Looking to go after school lets out...
Same set of questions...

default · Dec 18, 2009

I would highly recommend the other tournaments that the ISA offers there. You can go to the ISA websight to check out options or e-mail Joe Caldwell (TD). http://www.isasoftball.com .He responded back to me the next day. We are heading down there May 1 & 2 for the Joe Oliver Memorial. Played there at 10u with Doom '97 and saw some very good competition. Real eye-opener to play teams from the south that are playing on dirt when we are in gyms.

Would be a good all around bonding weekend with plenty to do off the field that's in close proximity.

default · Dec 18, 2009

If you want a good tourn. in Pigeon Forge--go to SEAAA World in July. Only trouble is traffic. LOTS of fairly cheap lodging, lots of things for kids to do.

default · Dec 18, 2009

We went down last year and played in one of Joe Oliver's ISA events. Had a great time. Tournament was ran very well, Joe kept in contact with updates and the park was one of the best I've seen. There were 12- 14U teams and we were the only one from Ohio. Got knocked out in the semi finals by a team from Georgia in 9 innings. I highly recommend any of the Joe Oliver events, I think he runs 3 or 4 of them there in Pigeon Forge.

default · Dec 18, 2009

Im surprised to hear bad reviews on pigeon forge,,,,, always had a great time there, that being a few years back maybe they have slipped a bit

default · Dec 18, 2009

bouldersdad said:
Im surprised to hear bad reviews on pigeon forge,,,,, always had a great time there, that being a few years back maybe they have slipped a bit

It wasn't P-Forge. It was Game Day Productions. It's still a great place to take a team, just do your homework before driving 4 - 5 hours.

default · Dec 18, 2009

Pigeon Forge is great. Fun for team and a great place to bond. Just pick your tournament. Went with Doom96 and played Joe Oliver's and it is fantastic. It gets 5 Stars. I wouldn't even give 1 star to Game Day. They are crooks.

default · Dec 18, 2009

Always enjoyed playing down there in Pigeon Forge. Been to 2 SEAA World Series and to the Joe Oliver/Old Time Printing tournament in 2008.

Joe Caldwell does an excellent job with the ISA tournaments and always been easy to work with. Little tough to talk to over the phone with his graspy voice, but a real nice guy!
Jim and Freddie Mullins heads up the SEAA W.S. and they are awesome to deal with. If you run into a problem (time wise) they will assist you.

I would HIGHLY recommend both of these tournaments or any ISA tournament. Yeah maybe a couple of tournaments thru the ISA might run into snags (due to teams dropping out, not the fault of TD) but overall excellent ran tournaments.

SEAA World Series is a blast and you get to knock heads with all the southern teams. Like I mentioned before on a different thread, they take their softball as serious as their religion!

Here is a pic of one of the diamonds. It is one of our favorites we took of our dd due to we got an excellent shot of the mountains in the background and a nice look at the red dirt/clay they use at the fields.

default · Dec 18, 2009

The ASA 10u -12u State Tournament in Fostoria and the Ohio Southern State Tournament in Wilmington.... that weekend and going to Pigeon Forge ?

default · Dec 18, 2009

As an 11U team, we are not planning on playing ASA states this year. We are still deciding whether to go to a week long WS or do a more controlled away tourney at a fun location. Pigeon Forge was one of the locations the parents agreed to consider. If we decide not to do USSSA WS, then the southern state is no longer necessity. Just getting options/info at this point.

default · Dec 18, 2009

That's right. You're a 11u team. I was thinking for some reason you was a 12u Dave.

SportsNation/SoftballNation is held in Virginia Beach, VA July 22-25. Well ran event actually and great vacation destination

default · Dec 18, 2009

Pigeon Forge is a very nice place to go visit for vacation, as far as a world series softball event I definitely would not recommend it. The tourney last year was ran horrible. Opening ceremonies was a mess with not enough room to even breath - alot of teams left before being introduced. During the tourney the fields were lined the first game and that was it, by the 3rd game there were no lines on the field at all. Our whole group, parents and players, were very disappointed. I can tell you that the USFA world series in Panama City Florida is incredible and you can do this for the same money, if not cheaper even though it is 9 to 10- hours farther.

default · Dec 20, 2009

Dave, if you want ISA scoop... one of my best freinds lives in Knoxville. His 2 twin daughters play for the Tennessee Cyclones. I can have you get in touch with their coach and get some ISA scoop. In general... they really like ISA and it has nearly replaced USSSA down south in many areas. Costs are in line and competition is a plenty when you can hook up with the Frost and Team Worth. As with any tourney... getting your research is important. Let me know if you want the phone number...I can get it in a couple days from my buddy.

default · Dec 21, 2009

Sounds great, Les. Any info you can help me out with I would appreciate.

default · Dec 21, 2009

Hey, Dave .. here is a thread from last year's event by the locals.... http://www.game-ex.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=14498

Great smoky mountain showdown or ISA

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