SoCal softball

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How much of a softball "culture shock" would it be for a 14U Ohio girl to mesh in the SoCal softball world? She plays at a pretty high level here in Ohio, but would like to know what to expect in the event of a relocation.

 

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you tell your exact defintion of 'pretty high here in ohio " and i'll give you my opinion. I'll say this , unless she has played ASA nationals against that type of competition at 12 and 14 she might be pretty blown away. Only the top of the food chain type girls could play with best out there, BUT we do have them. Alot depends on how high you aim out there also. They have tons of mid level teams also. need more info to offer up a better answer. MD

 

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I hesitate to say too much, because there is no way to tell if we would be going to Cali yet. Interview is next week. I will say that dd was on a top 10 coaches poll 12U team last year. I'll leave that up to everyone on here to decide what the value of that is, since there are varying opinions to the validity of those polls.

I'll also say that it wouldn't be a big deal if she were to be on a "mid-level" team in Cali. It would allow her to maybe get a feel for the level of ball out there, and then see where the chips fall.

 

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Ca is unique because if your 14 you will play 14U, not saying your team wont play in 16U tournaments, but CA is all about kids playing at their age level because ASA/USA is of the most importance and now Premier is coming. Where in most states your top 14's are playing up at 16U, so scouting gets irritating for some colleges. You go to a 16U tournament looking to get kids to fill spots in 2 years, but the kid is 4 years from graduating, where in Ca you know what you get when you attend an ASA/USA event, you get the age that's suppose to be there, not 12's playing up at 14U! Ca is unique in that perspective, whish more states followed suit! As for Ohio, the question would be if you took the top players at their right age level, how many teams could you create to be a true power house? Then how would you compete against CA teams that have been on that philosophy for years?
Good luck if you relocate, dont be afraid to send me a PM as we moved AZ 18 months ago and predominantly play in CA, its definetly great for softball!

 

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Check out heybucket.com. It is a site like this for CA. Ask that question to them and see what they say. Would be interesting to get their feedback on it. If you check out some of the team sites, you will see how Dedicated they are. I was looking at the Firecrackers 14U team and it was unreal. Usually practice 2 hours 2 to 3 nights per week and then 5 1/2 hours Saturday and Sunday. That's why they are SO good!

 

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don't be alarmed if someone flames you on heybucket --great site but no lack of members agraif to throw darts at new members. Esp from outside the cult (SoCal)

 

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Seems like they are at it pretty hard now .. as we watch the snow fly and try to schedule indoor events. Here is a link to the Corona Angels' website...looks like some serious ball and sponsorship going on..

http://www.eteamz.com/coronaangels/

 

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amount of organized team practice would be a big difference, out there they are not spread all across the state like some of the really good ohio teams, so they can practice daily. I did'nt follow 12u very much last season, I can say I'm very familiar with 1 team that was in the top ten all year. Even though there were solid IMO they did'nt have a kid ready YET to go out there and make a top 15 type 14u team. A couple players might have a shot due to very good athletism but dedication to the game out there is super high. Your kid would really really have to want it .

 

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DD's team played the 14U Firecrackers this past weekend in Huntington Beach, I will say they are the real deal. If there would of been fences they may of hit 8 dingers during our game. Solid defense and above avg pitching. I look for them to be a top 5 at ASA/USA this coming August.

Check out heybucket.com. It is a site like this for CA. Ask that question to them and see what they say. Would be interesting to get their feedback on it. If you check out some of the team sites, you will see how Dedicated they are. I was looking at the Firecrackers 14U team and it was unreal. Usually practice 2 hours 2 to 3 nights per week and then 5 1/2 hours Saturday and Sunday. That's why they are SO good!

 

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Not correct MD, not every kid drives 20 minutes to practice. Alot of kids travel to play in the top organizations, they travel 60-100 miles to practice in Ca., they dont have to travel out of state much to get top competition like most others have to do. They will travel to Vegas and Az for some tournaments, which is a 5 to 6 hour drive. Here is a couple of websites to see how far Ca will travel or how they play head to head in past tournaments.

http://www.surfcitytourneys.com/

http://www.triplecrownsports.com/

http://www.43ft.com/

http://www.lvtourneys.com/

 

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Not correct MD, not every kid drives 20 minutes to practice. Alot of kids travel to play in the top organizations, they travel 60-100 miles to practice in Ca., they dont have to travel out of state much to get top competition like most others have to do. They will travel to Vegas and Az for some tournaments, which is a 5 to 6 hour drive. Here is a couple of websites to see how far Ca will travel or how they play head to head in past tournaments.

http://www.surfcitytourneys.com/

http://www.triplecrownsports.com/

http://www.43ft.com/

http://www.lvtourneys.com/

Gotta agree with you on this one. We've had the priviledge of playing the Corona Angels quite a few times. Talking with the parents, quite a few of them are from way north of Orange county and travel extensivley for practices and games. Just because they live in Cali, doesn't mean they can just walk out the front door and walk onto a diamond with high level ball being played. You have to seek out high level competition no matter where you live. And sometimes that takes a car ride 6-12 hours away.

 

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my kid walked to practice 6 miles uphill both ways. barefoot. JK you guys MD

 

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my kid walked to practice 6 miles uphill both ways. barefoot. JK you guys MD

to the indoor practice facility in the snow.

 

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6-12 hours to a tourney...not a problem.

 

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I'll also say that it wouldn't be a big deal if she were to be on a "mid-level" team in Cali. It would allow her to maybe get a feel for the level of ball out there, and then see where the chips fall.

I'm guessing she's a '97 and an eighth-grader if she was 12U last year and 14U now. When would she be relocating? Middle school ball doesn't really exist out here, so she'd be looking to play on a travel team right away.

Unless she is a very strong pitcher or a catcher, it will be challenging to find a spot on a good "mid-level" team for the 2011 Spring/Summer season. You'll be able to find a team because there are some teams that always seem to have spots to fill. More than likely, she can at least get on a team where you'll get a feel for the different levels of teams out here for next year.

PM me if/when you want some accurate info about SoCal softball.

 

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Yes check with SoCal Dad, he lives there and I'm sure knows more than I do. I only see what dd plays against and what other dad's tell me at the park. However, if your kid is a Pitcher and hits her spots and above average speed with at lest 3 to 4 pitches will be a wanted item even in California on the top teams. No good team says no to a good pitcher!

 

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nice avatar Rog ! PS how dare you correct me you jack wagon ! LOL MD

 

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nice avatar Rog ! PS how dare you correct me you jack wagon ! LOL MD

Loving every minute of it, I got corrected too! If you want accurate info in Ca. ask SoCal Dad he lives there!

 

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I say get in where you fit in !:cap:

 

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Sampling of SoCal winter ball:

We played in a college showcase last weekend in Lo-Cal (aka San Diego). The weather was great - low 70s with a warm sun and cool breeze. I saw a girl with a Lasers Gold helmet playing for AZ Stealth.

DD will play her first HS game today. It's supposed to hit 77 degrees.