Put the parents shoes on for a minute. We (coaches) are with players a lot. If you are a newbie player coming in, it would be nice as a parent to confirm that any adult coaching her/him does not have a criminal background especially if the coach had a sexually charge on him/her. I am not sure if the umpires need to do it but I think they should be included as well. The little bit of money invested brings in a big piece of mind to all parents. We as an organization was doing this anyway wheater ASA was doing it or not.
Do it within the organization instead of being forced to do it. That should be an organization's dealing and requirement. It should be done by every organization instead of ASA requiring it.
People, get a grip. I have to agree with Quaker's assessment of the money grab and I agree with him on the fact that it should not matter what sanction you play and most teams don't go to a sub-National tournament at the end of the year anyway.
Go to a tournament because a tournament runs a great event and not because of a certain sanction.
These TD's in Ohio is just wasting money having qualifiers and having to pay $40 or whatever a team to any association for the right to do so and all it does is make the tournament fees higher for the teams entering during a time when tournament fees are going higher and higher in a bad economy.
I coached my DD for two years when she was young and the tournaments we choose was based on the TD and how they ran their event and not on what sanction it was.
To think that a team just has to go to ASA events to be considered a good team is just mind numbing to me.
If Lasers, Stingrays, GAPPS and Parma Wildcats events were not ASA events, would you not go? Of course, you wouldn't. You are going because they are great events. Not because they are ASA and not because playing ASA gives you this so called "special status" as an organization.
I would love to see the percentages of the amount of Ohio teams that attend sub-National events such as ASA Eastern Regionals, USSSA Regional Nationals or whatever.
It has to be low.. so it proves the point that these poor ASA TD's and orgs are being douped into thinking that the money they pay ASA or USSSA or whatever sanction for these "qualifiers" is just one big waste of money spent.
I think after this year, you will see many of the big named events go non-sanctioned in Ohio because they figured it out. Beckham did. I commend the Doomers for going non-sanction after their umpire fiasco from last year in Goshen at the younger ages. Which was no fault of their own as they was sent what they was sent by ASA. It was pitiful, folks.
Tim, keep up the good work for these girls and informing these TD's. Your insight into this game is second to none. Obviously, the OFC people thinks so when they keep giving you your own section in the OFC year after year. But, you can't lead a horse to water. The TD's have to figure things out for themselves and some big organizations are starting to figure out the money scheme by some of these associations for pushing "qualifiers". It's just a matter of time when softball gets back to softball and not about money in someone's pockets.
Go play good events ran by good Tournament Directors. One's who care.
Good luck with Global, Tim.
