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and they let a couple snot nosed 14u's in also ! what a joke ! MD
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I had planned to wait 24 hours but what the heck let's tick them off one by one:
Why cancel 16/18 entirely? With the new championship bracket format, and going to 4 scheduled pool games on Friday and Saturday for more college coach exposure, we had to have 10 fields playable (all at the same time) in order to funnel down without delay to the final four, final two, champions. We didn't think we could get all ten fields playable in time.
Why cancel 16/18 so early? Based on soliciting the input from several 16/18 coaches who were stuck at Liberty Park during the rain storm, to a person they said "although we would love play today, we came to be seen by college coaches - college coaches don't show up on Sunday and they don't show up in the rain. And, we would much rather be told early then sitting around only to eventually be told go home" It was at that point, I made the decision to canceled the the 16/18 division.
Side note: I estimate there were 50+ colleges (many more than were confirmed) at the tournament on Friday and Saturday. I spoke to 10-15 of them and asked them their opinion and feedback of the tournament and talent. To a person they had nothing but good things to say about the talent, format, coach-friendliness, facilities, communication, etc... I personally feel the 16/18 was a huge success for that reason and that reason alone.
Why drop the losers brackets at 10u, 12u, 14u? For those who have never run a tournament, if rain comes on Friday or Saturday there are all kinds of things you can do but when rain comes on Sunday you are much more limited. The relationship between games and the order in which they must be played forces fields to come online at the same time. I knew based on the reports that I was getting from each facility that we were going to have our hands full to get the best field online. It took 2+ hours just to get three fields (that were literally under water in some cases) ready (1 for 10, 12, 14u). Did we want to cancel the losers bracket? No, in fact my own team was in the losers bracket and was very disappointed.
Running out of t-shirts = a poorly run tournament! Guilty as charged! Yes, the t-shirts were a big hit and for that I am very pleased. Our goal is to sellout every year and in the three years I have been a tournament director we have sold out. Left over t-shirts is a bad thing - we had 250 left over tshirts one year. Yes, we probably could have sold a lot more but no one ever knows. We sold more t-shirts this year than ever before.
I understand everyone wanting to play, as I said my own team was eliminated because of our decision. But I stand by our decision and believe it was the right one, because we were able to determine the best teams in the tournament 'on the field' in the age groups where it should matter (10,12,14) and we got 700+ players great college exposure where it should matter.
Why cancel 16/18 entirely? With the new championship bracket format, and going to 4 scheduled pool games on Friday and Saturday for more college coach exposure, we had to have 10 fields playable (all at the same time) in order to funnel down without delay to the final four, final two, champions. We didn't think we could get all ten fields playable in time.
Why cancel 16/18 so early? Based on soliciting the input from several 16/18 coaches who were stuck at Liberty Park during the rain storm, to a person they said "although we would love play today, we came to be seen by college coaches - college coaches don't show up on Sunday and they don't show up in the rain. And, we would much rather be told early then sitting around only to eventually be told go home" It was at that point, I made the decision to canceled the the 16/18 division.
Side note: I estimate there were 50+ colleges (many more than were confirmed) at the tournament on Friday and Saturday. I spoke to 10-15 of them and asked them their opinion and feedback of the tournament and talent. To a person they had nothing but good things to say about the talent, format, coach-friendliness, facilities, communication, etc... I personally feel the 16/18 was a huge success for that reason and that reason alone.
Why drop the losers brackets at 10u, 12u, 14u? For those who have never run a tournament, if rain comes on Friday or Saturday there are all kinds of things you can do but when rain comes on Sunday you are much more limited. The relationship between games and the order in which they must be played forces fields to come online at the same time. I knew based on the reports that I was getting from each facility that we were going to have our hands full to get the best field online. It took 2+ hours just to get three fields (that were literally under water in some cases) ready (1 for 10, 12, 14u). Did we want to cancel the losers bracket? No, in fact my own team was in the losers bracket and was very disappointed.
Running out of t-shirts = a poorly run tournament! Guilty as charged! Yes, the t-shirts were a big hit and for that I am very pleased. Our goal is to sellout every year and in the three years I have been a tournament director we have sold out. Left over t-shirts is a bad thing - we had 250 left over tshirts one year. Yes, we probably could have sold a lot more but no one ever knows. We sold more t-shirts this year than ever before.
I understand everyone wanting to play, as I said my own team was eliminated because of our decision. But I stand by our decision and believe it was the right one, because we were able to determine the best teams in the tournament 'on the field' in the age groups where it should matter (10,12,14) and we got 700+ players great college exposure where it should matter.
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Why didn't the 18u teams have their own bracket then be mixed in with the rest? Granted it was a treat watching them play and school us (and I mean that because I told the roadrunners that). they are a class bunch of girls to talk too.
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Final point: Regarding the Turbos and GAPSS. Mike Flanagan was one of the founders of GAPSS and the Turbos. In the early years the Turbos were almost all Olentangy community kids. Since that time, the Turbos have expanded their reach for players to other surrounding communities. GAPSS is a fundraiser for the three Olentangy community high school softball programs. The Turbos have no affiliation to the tournament other than they have Olentangy community players on their team - no different than a lot of other teams. The Turbos team were offered guaranteed spots in the 'invitational' tournament because of their previous affiliation, they elected not to attend. Teams select their tournament roster for many different reason, I cannot speak to the Turbos decision to skip GAPSS but their absence was a burden on the high school programs who line up volunteers.
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Wrong tourney he is talking about the one at Berliner Park...Mid West world series.
And fyi all ages limited to 50 minutes. That barely half a game. One bad inning and game over. I think I would have rather been sent home at 830 this morning.
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That is YOUR opinion that the best teams were left "on the field". That is why there is a losers bracket so the girls can FIGHT back through and possibly win it all.
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All-Sanction World Series at Berliner did have to go to 60 minute games but fields were in very good shape considering.
Had Top-Notch competition also. Teams from Alabama to New York and everywhere in between it seemed. Canada also.
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not sure how a 3rd place finish in those caliber of teams at Compuware is considered a "joke"...must be drinking that akadema juice!
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What age was that at 14U we only had 50 minutes. Ten minutes would have made a difference...even 2 minutes...lol. 50 is barely half a game
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There were 2 certain umpires that were with the 10U's that should not EVER be allowed back on a field. They made it about "them" and not the game itself. I was hoping to see one in particular today so he could explain to me his thoughts on the girls cheering as, in his opinion, an attempt to make the pitcher pitch illegal. It blew my mind. That's what 10 year-olds are trying to do. Get that pitcher to pitch illegal. What a dumb***!!!
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Having played in Gapss a few years, Mike is a stand up guy and truly wants the best for the girls involved. It is a major undertaking to pull something off like this and even the best played plans sometimes go by the wayside in a hurry because of weather. They looked like there was plenty of staff at our games, even though we were done Saturday, but they were doing a fine job when we did. As far as shirts, Even at the Stingray tourney we ran out, but again were stuck with 140 of them in 2009... All depends on how hot they go. I believe pre orders were offered and I know ours were as well and when people asked what's up, the reply was all coaches had the opportunity to pre order and I would recommend that you do next year as they usually go fast.
Sitting here in Virginia Beach, so I don't know how bad the rain was, but from what I know of the Gapps org, they are not in it soley for the money.
JMO
Sitting here in Virginia Beach, so I don't know how bad the rain was, but from what I know of the Gapps org, they are not in it soley for the money.
JMO
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just sayin!;&
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blind man ray....who finished 3rd? and where? where were were you and what age does your dd play for? I guess colleges get a good eval watching college girls play hs girls that are going into 11th grade.
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