Still Going To The NSA World Series ??

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Its incredible that NSA has totally ignored every ones concerns about last weekend. I know several have written NSA and not a word back. What does that tell you about what they think of us? Stealtown came on and with some goofy story but as soon as he was confronted with the truth he ran like a chicken with his head cut off. Some one even came on and said they sympathize because of the weather but thy didn't get that this wasn't about the weather. We run into that all the time and some organizations handle it very well. We understand you can't control the weather but you can control how you handle a tournament when adverse weather hits. Planning. NSA State had none and to make it worse they purposely had every one come down to the fields on Saturday at 8:00 AM, knowing play wouldn't begin until late afternoon at best, just so they could get into our pockets. Shameless Greed!! Do they care what we think?

 

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Mike,

What sanction are you moving to? We have always enjoyed your tournament. I'm glad to hear you are not putting up with NSA.

Marie

 

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Mike,

Personal opinion -- great decision, BUT....

Would that mean no nationals in Columbus? Any chance of bringing in a different one?

 

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Mike:

You are to be commended in what had to be a very difficult decision. You put personal integrity above all else and I am sure that will be taken into account by everyone in the fastpitch community.

And I have been wondering one thing for the last 24 hours: How can anyone with a stake in fastpitch in Ohio not read OFC?

 

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Mike:

You are to be commended in what had to be a very difficult decision. ?You put personal integrity above all else and I am sure that will be taken into account by everyone in the fastpitch community. ?

And I have been wondering one thing for the last 24 hours: ?How can anyone with a stake in fastpitch in Ohio not read OFC? ?

I was wondering the same thing?!? If you are truly interested in the "pulse" of news, sentiment, ideas, feelings about fastpitch in Ohio, where else could you possibly get more information?? How many other states even have a tool like this for communication & organization? Not many, do the research .... amazing ...

Moreover, ... and in "theory" .......

I don't fancy myself a genius or anything, however, if I were anyone "important to the growth" of a different sanctioning body (ASA for example ?) I would be planning a LARGE move and effort in Ohio right about now, and probably utilizing the best known channel (OFC) for communicating, marketing, organizing, charming, and herding the coaches, players, parents, sponsors, etc.

In war, this would be akin to "controlling the air" ... Ohio is a very ripe piece of fruit right now for ASA. The timing is good, and the communications access & channels are possibly the best in the country, given OFC.

Given that Ohio has competitive talent, and a desire to compete with the elite around the country, the Ohio ASA "opportunity" is SCREAMING for attention. Additionally, what would capturing a midwest state like Ohio do for ASA nationally? So many teams from neighboring states (PA, MI, IN, IL, NY) intereact in each others' tournaments as well? Ohio could be key to ?"regional" transition - Blitzkrieg? Ohio (and Midwest) could fall to ASA nearly as fast than the French did to the Germans in WWII.

For the loyalists & the nostalgic, why would you have to change past tournament relationships? Why couldn't some of the more popular and well run NSA tournaments simply switch affiliations if they knew that the Ohio fastpitch Coaching & Player "communities" supported such a transition?

In the end, Ohio would be more aligned with pushing towards the nation's elite competitive levels also. Not a bad thing considering the top end talent that Ohio could (and does) produce, plus Title IX and the growing college opportunities & exposures as well.

For as long as I have had a daughter in fastpitch (5 years) I have heard that you can buy your way in to NSA Nationals, but you MUST play your way in to ASA Nationals. I have experienced both of these now, and the ASA experience was much more satisfying. Wonder where Bigtrain would come down on this issue? ?:-? ? ?A transition in Ohio like this would make him "complete" (no offense to Mrs. Bigtrain) ...

No bone to pick with NSA here, just surmising the situation, and seeing the opportunity for NSA's competitors. NSA wouldn't go away, but ASA would have an opportunity to dig in and take a much stronger position in Ohio. This is what happens to companies who forget that it is about their customers though, or allow the quality of their product to slip .....

 

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Johnnies, how do I have my name changed without losing my links or posts?

I will IM Bear. He is the guru of YaBB

 

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Mike,

What sanction are you moving to? We have always enjoyed your tournament. ?I'm glad to hear you are not putting up with NSA.

Marie

Thanks Marie - I have been in contact with Denny Rose of the USSSA and that is the best fit for me. I still do about 5-6 slow-pitch events during the spring/summer/fall and the USSSA has a strong slo-pitch program. I still have many great friends on the team and umpires side to completely abandon that part of my softball upbringing.

Denny is going to give me some latitude to try to get a good schedule off the ground here. I am going to build the foundation and have put together some current, 3 year, & 5 year strategy plans and models. TD and organizations whether they like it or not, are in "business"; the customer service business. If a need is not met or those customers are treated like crap, then those customers will go elsewhere and they should be expected to. All I ask for is for folks to just give me a chance to hear the problem and work on the solution.

PurpleJack - ?The NSA puts there Worlds here every two years and it is thru no help of mine. They deal straight with Linda Logan and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission which works for the Visitors and Convention Bureau. The NSA has the time and man power to work on something of this undertaking on a full-time basis where I could not because of work and family comittments. Denny is going to try to get a couple of the age groups in central Ohio in the future. They may have the locations already set for 09 and in 10, the NSA would come back again to Columbus. He may be able to land 09, if not he and I will work on obtaining a date for the future here or in his home town.

JoeA - I too find it shocking that a state director and his assistant director would not want to at least use a resource like this for tournament posting and details like teams entered. They don't have to get on here and engage in every NSA thread, but occasionally clearing the air can be good.I have had my butt chewed by John for posting on message boards. John thinks that nothing good can come of it and it does more harm than good? ?I guess that happens when you are from the "old school". ?

Pickledad - I have never been real excited about ASA. I will always agree that they run the best and toughest National, both slo and fast pitch. There national umpire training is second to none as I can attest to by watching some of the ASA umps who also worked for NSA. Strong mechanics and consistancy. Maybe this is the sometimes forever-rebellious teenager in me, but I have always thought they were too authoritarian for my liking. I have never been told by an umpire when I played to shut up or get ejected like the ASA slow-pitch umpires have told me over the years. And this would be after they told me during the pregame that I was the only one who could approach them about any questionable calls?

Johnnies If the Bear could change it to CentralOhioUSSSA, that would be perfect.

Mike

 

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Hey Mike,

I don't know you personally, but you sure seem like a sensible person. Good luck with the move, and whether ASA, or USSSA, or whatever, the door seems open for fastpitch.

I know USSSA is into fastpitch also, and have tournaments in Ohio which we have played in the past. But, USSSA is pretty huge in slow pitch nationally isn't it, especially men's??

 

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In October in our NAFA meetings.. I will bidding on a National tournament for Ohio. I will probally get one age division if I work hard at it.

And no, Lisa and John might not admit to reading the OFc.. but I know Hugh does in Nicholasville, Kentucky at National Headquarters. He showed me copies of my posts.....lol...

Tim Cleaver
Ohio State Director NAFA
Northern Kentucky State Director NAFA

And Mike: Glad to hear that you have considered USSSA. Good luck with that.

 

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I clarify the sentence, "Good luck with that" for some one who wrote to me.

I mean, "Mike, good luck with that as I know you are good for softball as well for these girls".

I like Mike. He's a good guy folks. I'm sure you had fun at his tournaments. I just wish he was on the NAFA side and I would make him Asst Ohio Director for sure.

His NIT ideas that have been turned down over the years... is the same as mine. I like them. I'm implimenting them actually.

Mike, the job is there for you if you want it. I'd be honored.

 

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I see from some other threads that teams have recently been signing up for fall NSA tournaments. I hope there remains a critical mass of teams who will choose not to play NSA tournaments, at the very least until the NSA recognizes how shoddily teams were treated at Tealtown and shows that it is changing its ways. We weren't at Tealtown, but the reports were so consistent. Moreover, the NSA rule that even after a team has qualified for nationals it still must attend the state tournament can have no purpose but to generate revenues for NSA. That the teams attending the state tournament were essentially coerced to appear makes the communications fiasco at Tealtown all the worse.

 

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We will play NSA Nationals this year as we committed last winter.....we try to practice what we preach and honor our commitments, but you can be pretty sure the bulk of our schedule next year will be USSSA, ASA, or anything other than NSA.