Good Luck this summer Lasers Red, it's nice to finally see a team wanting to get outside of Ohio and play! It amazes me to see some of these posts in regards to a team that aspires to travel and play against the best competition in the COUNTRY, and not just in the states surrounding Ohio. I wish at least one organization in the state would step up and set up coaches all the way to the gold level instead of trying to have so many teams in the state. If someone wants to know what it takes to get girls committed to Major and Mid Major D1 program, then start finding teams that are East of Mississippi that seem to get their kids recruited and start following those teams in tournaments.
However, it helps if an organiztion would set coaches from 10 thru 18 Gold and leave them in place. Get graduates from Colleges that truly aspire to Coach in the future or non dads that know the game, dads are fine too, if the goals are the same.
It's not a popularity contest in Ohio, it's a popularity contest across the COUNTRY. Look up Georgia Impact, Rhode Island Thunder, New Jersey Intensity, Beverly Bandits, Zephyrs, and Tennessee Fury to name a few, see where they play, see how the organizations are structured and get the best talent in the state and start playing in the same locations. Ohio has so much to offer, but cant seem to quit destroying itself because softball is only 14 weeks long in the state and the idea isn't to play locally or play for the same coach for 10 years.
If coaches are in place every 2 years kids will have to work and earn the right to be there and the organization and teams will grow. Stop all the petty BS, once these kids start playing 14U the recruiting process starts and most 2nd year 14 eligible kids are playing 16U and most top 1st year 16's are playing 18Uand guarantee all 2nd year 16 eligible are playing 18U to get recruited in the fall and winter. Once these kids hit HS age, it no longer matters about birth year, only matters what year they graduate and playing at the top level for the fall and winter within a organization that showcases and plays for a National Tournament in the summer.
If parents cant afford a vigorous schedule, then send only a couple of parents and everyone pay for it, thats how most do it on the west coast as here in AZ we may play in state 4 times a year once our dd's enter HS and generally play 18 to 24 tournaments a year. Look up those teams mentioned and see their schedules, because from a recruiting perspective one has to look at it this way; if a school out of state wants a player and are willing to pay out of state tuition, a player in Ohio costs the same as a player on the West Coast, so where would you shop? This is JMO, but somebody needs to step up and get OHIO on the MAP and in some of the best tournaments in the COUNTRY.