PGF Announces High School All-American Games

[WWolff]

PGF Announces High School All-American Game

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July 5, 2015
Brentt Eads


APremier Girls Fastpitch (PGF)?producers of prestigious club events across the country including national and regional championships, camps and clinics?announced today that it is launching the PGF High School All-American Game to take place July 29, 2016 at Bill Barber Stadium in Irvine, California.

The contest will showcase 30 to 40 of the best high school fastpitch players in the nation and will be televised on ESPNU.

The Huntington Beach-based organization, which runs the PGF National Championships for ages 18U down to 10U, will match top players in an East versus West format. This game will be held on the same day of the premier club event of the summer, the PGF 18U National Championship, which will also be televised by ESPN.

We are very excited to bring to our National Championship stage the PGF High School All-American Game, Dan Hay, President and CEO of PGF said today.

This has been a long time goal of ours, which has resulted in numerous discussions over the years with the likes of Bill Conroy, PGF Vice President of Marketing, and Derek & Joann Allister of OnDeck Softball, who have been longtime proponents of this type of an event.

Players in the All-Star game will be chosen by a panel of softball experts with input also coming from OnDeck Softball, FloSoftball and USA TODAY High School Sports.

Initial player lists for each area of the country are being developed and will be the starting point for player selection. Athletes wishing to be considered for the game will have an opportunity to submit information and materials at a later date. Athletes must be registered with PGF in order to be considered.

 

[poden-smoden]

It is a shame that the PGF continues to try to battle it out with ASA. I truly believe if they do not stop the whole California thing that they will soon fizzle out. Asa 100 plus years and not going anywhere anytime soon!!! The best teams in Ohio barely have to leave the state anymore. Yes, they are all PGF tourneys but I would think our teams are really tired of California and will eventually refuse to go!

 

[brownsfan]

I tend to disagree. I know my dd enjoys playing at the PGF level events. And as far as I know, I don't know too many teams from Ohio that travel to CA anyway. When ASA/USA was in San Diego, I think 3 Ohio teams went. That would be Outlaws, Classics, and Maddogs. So you really can't say teams from Ohio are going to get tired of going.

 

[FastBat]

Any and all softball promoting and people who support our sport are wonderful! Therefore, I love PGF. This is exciting for our Ohio HS girls!

 

[flygirlsdad]

Sounds like a cool idea. USSSA has some sort of regional try out all star teams play each other. Doesn't seem like it will be an inclusive event though as far as really trying to get the best HS players around as there is nothing that says anything about a tryout. Sounds more like a PGF all star tourney with certain people and organizations selecting players. Nothing wrong with that, but calling it a high school all american game sounds like a bit of a misnomer to me.

 

[wvanalmsick]

Call me Johnny Rain Cloud.

We have a Travel Softball sanction trying to expand its influence/reach by delving into the High School arena. They are requiring High School players, which have no sanctioning body, to be a member of a Travel Softball Sanction. Why don't we call it what it really is, the "PGF Travel Player All-Star Game". When the list of participants is announced, it will be immediately followed by a flurry of posts on numerous forums bitching about the selection process and "Why didn't so & so or my kid get selected".

Just saying. Been around long enough to have a pretty good guess as to how this will shake out. The All-District and All-State selection process is already a highly political circus, this will be an absolute wild rodeo. Who are the panel of softball experts? If it is to be a true HS All-Star game, then there should be absolutely no reference to a kid's travel experience/team.

Who is paying for the travel/lodging/meals?

It will be great exposure for the girls that get selected but I just see it as a game in which each player is already committed to a Div 1 school.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

An interesting detail in the announcement is ESPN will be televising the all-star game and 18U championship. They were a major factor in the birth of PGF and left after the first year (2010) due to wanting it held at WWOS in Florida.