megasportsmom I am not sure what Ohio Wave travel teams have to do with this high school thread but I guess I will respond anyway. With regards to our summer travel schedule We play a pretty nice combination of ASA, USSSA and some others. Much of it depends on where we pefer to travel to as well as some other factors. Exposure is what you make of it. I think that our 18U team from last season had 7 or 8 players who went on to play either DI or DII college softball. They seemed to be pretty happy with their efforts over the years. I have been to enough tournament over the years to know that just because a tournament is sanctioned by one body or another does not automatically make it and elite tournament, and vice versa. Most agree that the top ASA events are the ones to be in and we are there. Not that I feel the need to justify it but here is an example of my own 14U teams travel schedule this summer:
Greenville Early Bird (USSSA)
USSSA Southern state
Toledo Tune-Up (USSSA)
Capitol City Showdown (ASA)
WORTH Ohio Wave Classic (USSSA)
USFA State (Dayton Ohio)
GAPPS (ASA)
Stingrays (ASA)
Urbana Summer Slam (16U bracket) (ASA or NSA ?)
We have always hosted USSSA at our place because we have a nice realtionship with them and they have always treated us very well. I have checked into both ASA and NSA for our events and never really saw the need to change. The Indiana teams that come over and play in our events year after year are excellent "A" level teams. We enjoy competeing against them.
As for the other events we attend well I would consider Stingrays, GAPPS, Capitol City Classic, and Toledo Tune-Up to be very good tournaments. They definately work well for our players and parents.
Last year we played down in Cincinati at SluggerFest and won that event. It was an ASA event and we enjoyed it. It did not fit our schedule this season otherwise we would have loved to go back down there.
We have had teams in the Stingrays for the past 4 seasons in all age groups, and the same at SluggerFest. So I guess that I am not really sure what the point is.
Again we wish LE well and hope that they can represent at the state level. It would be nice to see another team from the SW Region bring it home like we did last year.
Have a nice day.
