Firecrackers??????

lewam3 · Aug 13, 2017

I just saw the post on the Firecrackers organization coming to Ohio in the form of a 16u team based in Cbus.
Interesting. On a National level, the Firecrackers name certainly turns heads at showcases, and their concept is indeed interesting having teams in so many states. Definitely will compete with other organizations for top players if it all pans out. I say its good for TB in Ohio.

tjsmize3 · Aug 14, 2017

lewam3 said:
I just saw the post on the Firecrackers organization coming to Ohio in the form of a 16u team based in Cbus.
Interesting. On a National level, the Firecrackers name certainly turns heads at showcases, and their concept is indeed interesting having teams in so many states. Definitely will compete with other organizations for top players if it all pans out. I say its good for TB in Ohio.

I'm with you lewam, certainly can't hurt OH softball, but with over 300 teams now it's starting to become more like the McFirecrackers... one in every town. I would say when you get that big the name itself will mean very little to an OH Friecrackers team as compared to what the individual coach does with the group. Overall though, one of the absolute best orgs in the country.

Stretch · Aug 14, 2017

A few years ago I heard that Mr. Firecracker was making bank off his "franchise". He personally got $20.00 from each fee paid by players.

300+ teams x 15 players per team x $20.00= $90K / year. Not bad.

Rotte · Aug 14, 2017

Stretch said:
A few years ago I heard that Mr. Firecracker was making bank off his "franchise". He personally got $20.00 from each fee paid by players.

300+ teams x 15 players per team x $20.00= $90K / year. Not bad.

That seems to be all it's about now!

Run26 · Aug 14, 2017

Stretch said:
A few years ago I heard that Mr. Firecracker was making bank off his "franchise". He personally got $20.00 from each fee paid by players.

300+ teams x 15 players per team x $20.00= $90K / year. Not bad.

Are those numbers accurate? I seriously doubt there are 300 "Firecracker" teams nationwide. I can see the $20.00 franchise fee but those numbers look very inflated.

I think Ohio still stands very strong on "elite" travel ball with the likes of Lasers, Stingrays, Outlaws and Bandits. It would be tough for a new elite squad to be formed.

gatorcoach · Aug 14, 2017

Run26 said:
Are those numbers accurate? I seriously doubt there are 300 "Firecracker" teams nationwide. I can see the $20.00 franchise fee but those numbers look very inflated.

I think Ohio still stands very strong on "elite" travel ball with the likes of Lasers, Stingrays, Outlaws and Bandits. It would be tough for a new elite squad to be formed.

$25per player per month OR $300 per team per month. I believe just over 100 FC teams across the country now.

DW@SBC · Aug 14, 2017

Like in any business, the person that does the hard work gets the rewards.

Good for Mr. Firecracker.

Run26 · Aug 14, 2017

gatorcoach said:
$25per player per month OR $300 per team per month. I believe just over 100 FC teams across the country now.

Each team pays per month or they pay a one time $300 franchise fee? A monthly fee of that magnitude would be an additional $3,600 per year in fees passed on to the players. Sorry, I'm not saying this isn't true but what in the world would you get for this additional $3,600?

Even if it's 300 per team @ 100 teams this is 30K for slapping a name on a jersey. Not a bad gig if you can get buy in.

tjsmize3 · Aug 14, 2017

Run26 those numbers are accurate. In 2014 TR had over 150 teams and has roughly doubled since then. He also charges that franchise fee and player fee monthly not yearly. Tony Rico makes several million on his franchise annually.

manitoudan · Aug 14, 2017

Must have gotten tired of the Bandits raiding Ohio.

coachtomv · Aug 14, 2017

Run26 said:
Are those numbers accurate? I seriously doubt there are 300 "Firecracker" teams nationwide. I can see the $20.00 franchise fee but those numbers look very inflated.

I think Ohio still stands very strong on "elite" travel ball with the likes of Lasers, Stingrays, Outlaws and Bandits. It would be tough for a new elite squad to be formed.

I think this is a little misleading/incorrect there are many very strong players playing in "non-elite-named" orgs. Hell, many of these organizations shuffle players from team to team or barely even hold a true tryout anymore, they have teams formed before the previous year is even over and miss out on a ton of talent by not trying them out. You don't know what you don't know, lol. Many of the "named org" teams are not even really that much better than any other, or atleast that "elite". We have had over 100 different players play for our WWAST charity teams and if you watched us play, you can rarely tell the "elite org" players, once that jersey name is gone they just play ball and there are many that can ball that you have never heard of. But.....the real difference is in the pitching, now there is a definite shortage of "elite level" pitchers, some good ones, a bunch of average and very few special ones.

JoeA1010 · Aug 14, 2017

I don't know about other college coaches, but the Firecrackers and Batbusters tags no longer carry meaning for me. As I've said before, if I get an e-mail from a girl from the Outlaws, Lasers and a couple of others, I know she's probably a solid player, at a minimum. With the Firecrackers or Batbusters, I have no idea. I have no idea who is starting the Firecrackers team from Central Ohio. It might end up being a great team, but the name alone won't get them far.

#FortyFour · Aug 14, 2017

''the real difference is in the pitching, now there is a definite shortage of "elite level" pitchers, some good ones, a bunch of average and very few special ones.''

Winner - Winner

Strohbro · Aug 14, 2017

Because I pretty much have no life, I went to the Firecrackers website and gathered this information. This is as of today:

21 States: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, NV, NJ, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT and WI

In those 21 states, the age group by teams breaks out this way:
8U (1), 10U(23), 12U(48), 14U(70), 16U(52) and 18U(23)

For a total of 217 teams. That's a lot of teams and players!!

AL - 10U, 12U, 14U(3), 16U
AZ - 12U(4), 14U(3), 16U(4), 18U(2)
AR - 10U
CA Central - 10U, 12U, 14U(3), 18U
CA Inland Empire - 14U(2), 16U
CA Inland Valley - 10U(2), 12U(2), 14U, 16U
CA Lake Elsinore - 16U
CA Northern - 10U, 12U(2), 14U(6), 16U(3), 18U
CA San Diego - 12U(2), 14U(3), 16U(3), 18U
CA Southern - 10U(5), 12U(15), 14U(20), 16U(15), 18U(9)
CO - 14U, 16U, 18U
FL - 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U(5), 18U
GA - 12U(3), 14U(5), 16U(3)
KY - 14U
LA - 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U(2), 18U
MD - 16U
NV - 14U, 16U
NJ - 12U(2), 14U, 16U
NC - 12U(3), 14U(4), 16U(3), 18U(3)
OH - 16U
OK - 16U
PA - 14U
SC - 14U, 16U
TN - 10U
TX Dallas - 10U, 12U(4), 14U(2), 16U, 18U
TX East - 14U
TX El Paso - 10U(2), 12U(2), 14U, 16U, 18U
TX Houston - 10U(3), 12U, 14U(4), 16U, 18U
TX West/North - 10U(3), 12U(4), 14U(2)
UT - 16U
WI - 14U, 16U

BA824 · Aug 14, 2017

Who is coaching the 16u Ohio team?

Strohbro · Aug 14, 2017

BA824 said:
Who is coaching the 16u Ohio team?

Here you go:

https://www.thesoftballzone.com/sho...rackers-oh-16u-looking-for-a-talented-pitcher

Doom Leader · Aug 14, 2017

All about the money, read an article about the man who runs the org , he is making tons of money on the name!

lewam3 · Aug 14, 2017

Doom Leader said:
All about the money, read an article about the man who runs the org , he is making tons of money on the name!

I don't think the 16u Ohio Team is in it for the money, though. So if the firecracker guy makes some good $$ off the brand name he built, and a bunch of girls from Ohio get some additional exposure from the same name, its a win/win situation, right?

wow · Aug 15, 2017

I have personally seen firecrackers teams at the elite level, also seen them at the not so elite level. I think as a business model its a great driver of revenue. Does it mean its the right team? IDK.

As with any team or organization, as most of us know, its the right combo of coaches, players, and team name. One of these alone is simply not enough. If you have all three you have a great mix, and a high probability of a great team. Most teams have 2 of the 3 and hence the constant pursuit of a better fit each year.

wow · Aug 15, 2017

lewam3 said:
I don't think the 16u Ohio Team is in it for the money, though. So if the firecracker guy makes some good $$ off the brand name he built, and a bunch of girls from Ohio get some additional exposure from the same name, its a win/win situation, right?

I have yet to meet a coach who has made money from fastpitch. Every coach I know, has spent countless dollars on turney fees, equipment, apparel, etc... Even the coaches who are given an allowance for time/rooms still end up making little to nothing. I believe all coaches should be subsidized to off set many of these costs. Do I think this should be a side hustle? No. Just that coaches need not be out money doing something they love. Point is if the ORG head has somehow become disconnected from the teams they represent and the main focus is driving dollars to his/her pocket, that's when everyone scratches their head.

Firecrackers??????

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