18u next year

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Is there any discussion on putting together a real 18u gold type team for next year.
As of now it seems that that age group is watered down with to many teams to make a serious run at a major tournament.
I am sorry in advance if there is such a team around cincy I just have not seen one.

 

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Is there any discussion on putting together a real 18u gold type team for next year.
As of now it seems that that age group is watered down with to many teams to make a serious run at a major tournament.
I am sorry in advance if there is such a team around cincy I just have not seen one.

Miami Valley Express has a Gold team.

 

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Ohio ICE Poole will be playing Gold again next year.

 

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I guess what I am asking is.
how good are these teams for real.
In talking to people from other states there are not several teams in the area trying to compete for the best 11 or 12 players
It would be intersting to see if all the 18 u girls got together for one tryout and formed the best team around the cincy area how competitive they would be with other cities.

I am not bashing any team
the question is what is the interest in having a team that would be able to win at a higher level and represent cincy any where they traveled.

 

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Lots of schools of thought on that - but it's a subject that has been discussed many times. You can probably find some information by searching old posts.

 

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Ohio ICE has a Gold team , do think to make a serious run must be state wide recruited, and have the determination and drive of a team like the Slammers...don't know of many girls and familys that want to be that dedicated to softball... JMHO, I feel Ohio definately has Gold quality players but for an Ohio team to play Gold it would require an exorbitant amount of time and money for travel ect.....Yes, we had a Gold qualifier....2 teams showed and my DD's team beat one of them this past weekend....and she isn't even on an elite travel team.....they are good but......When DD was getting recuited and going to things like TNT Showcase in Doylestown, Pa and Rising Stars in Florida we played and beat many "Gold Teams"....I guess I don't see what all the fuss is about...your DD is trying to get recruited to play softball in college and she should be going to college for the education...and obviously the majority of college players did not play Gold....In reality got to think California plays Gold becasue that is what is available there just like you will see more NSA teams in Ohio cause that is what is available....Yes, DD's recruitment teams did focus on ASA tourneys and that was where the more competative ball was played..if she grew up in California I am sure she would have played Gold, but she didn't and guess what still got full ride and loves her college and team, and no , don't think she would be happier @ Arizonia St or UCLA...

 

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I know eariler this year I made a post saying that you coundn't field a Gold team in the state of Ohio. Well after going down to South Carolina and watching my 14 year old compete against several East Coast Gold teams I drew this conclusion. When I was asked how good were the Gold teams I explained it like this. Every one at that level hits the ball hard thats a given, the pitching wasnt so much over powering as it was extreme movement and changing of speed keeping you off balance. The real thing that stood out to me was when these kids slapped and drag bunted, it wasn't your typiclal grounder to the 3rd baseman or shortstop then trying to leg it out. It was more of a hot shot hit were the defence wasn't that useually went for a double if your outfield wasn't fast or a ball beaten into the groung so hard it bounced 10 to 12 feet in the air by the time the defender came up with it the batter was allready looking at second. Defencively very strong due to the fact most games were won or lost due to that costly mistake by putting pressure on the defence.

Now after seeing Gold and I have to believe that the West Coast teams are stronger its possible to field a Gold team in this state if its put togather and fielded well. What I mean is defensively a couple of strong pitchers that pitch only as well as some solid catching and good fielders all around the diamond. I also believe a key eliment is good caoches that dont fall asleep during the game, one to call pitches another to call defence, one to pratcice hitting situations and finally a manager to manage the team.

 

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thanks for the response
exposure is great but my daughter has all that she needs
at 18u she wants to play games that count not just tournaments to have something to do
she is the most competitive player you will ever meet and she is not ready to just go through the motions next year.
and the EXPOSURE teams in our area will not fill her needs

 

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Our Magic White 18u coach Day is our "resident expert" on the matter, hopefully he'll get off the practice field and answer this for us! I believe, not positive, they may have played gold out in Colorado.

 

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I will preface my comments by stating that I am hardly an expert on the subject but I will pass along my observations for whatever they may be worth.

To answer the question posed by "Coach McQueen" - there are a few "Gold" teams from Ohio already as mentioned by "Luvfpsb". On the other hand, the statment made by "Scott Cilenti" is not accurate. There are no 14U ASA/Gold teams - simply calling yourself "Gold" does not mean that your team is an ASA/Gold team. The ASA/Gold classification is the highest level of play and applies to the 18U age group (although younger players are eligible to participate)

The question of a Gold team from Ohio is an interesting one. Playing at the "Gold" level is not as difficult a task as it may seem (Again, as noted by "Luvfpsb"). It is a matter of declaring yourself "Gold" on your ASA Roster and entering Gold Tournaments. There are several in the area (a couple in PA, at least one in IN and most importantly the Region 9 qualifier which is typically scheduled at Wright State). The difficult portion of playing "Gold" is recieving your National bid. If you think qualifying for USA/ASA Nationals is tough - there are only 64 berths to the Gold National tournament. You typically will earn a berth at a "Territory" or "Regional" qualifier. Keep in mind the majority of the berths will come from west of the Mississippi just because of the way the Territories and Regions are structured.

Many people may not be aware of it but Ohio is represented nearly every year at the Gold Nationals (qualifying through Region 9). Miami Valley Express has most recently been the flag bearer for the state but I do think a few other organizations such as the Ice have stepped up recently.

As I have detailed above declaring yourself ASA/Gold and playing in some Gold events is not that difficult of a task. There are opportunities to do so. Competing against true "Gold" teams and qualifying for one of the coveted 64 spots in Oklahoma City is another thing. Ohio is closing the gap every year but we still have a ways to go to be competative at the Gold National level. Just my opinion.

 

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Magic, Mr Cilenti didnt say he was playing 14U Gold. He knows there is no such thing. His daughter plays up and probably did play against Gold teams as he stated. Every thing else you state is pretty agreeable though.

 

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Purple

If that is the case (regarding Mr. Cilenti's post) - I misunderstood and apologize. Unfortunately, many people believe that when a team calls itself "____ Gold" it is a Gold team. Just trying to provide some clarity on that point and I apologize if I offended anyone.

 

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No offense taken, I wish we had more pursuit of Gold by more coaches, players and parents. Dont know if my DD could be be ever be Gold, but in Ohio one may never find out since so few pursue. For me its not just the pursuit of the "Gold" label. Its the pursuit of that "gold" skill level.

 

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Purple is correct. Scott's dd is 14u eligible this year, but played on a 16u team that played a very competitive schedule that included, I believe, a Gold tournament in South Carolina this year.

PS: Please don't call him Mr Cilenti. It's like putting a silk hat on a pig. Lol