U Rank 'Em!

it would seem best to start something like that at the end of school ball. The main reason being that few of the teams really start gearing up until then.
At that point, teams could submit information on their rosters like players names, player commitments to colleges, high schools, hs stats and hs awards and former tb team participation. Also, a list of their tournament schedule for the summer/fall. The ranking really should be by a committee verses an individual... unless he's a mean S.O.B. who doesn't give a rip if anybody likes him!
I know I'm gonna ruffle some feathers but here it goes... with apologies to the "Fishman"... There are only 3 to 4 tippy top showcase baseball teams in NC. There are about the same number of teams that are a notch below those teams. That means there are 6 to 8 showcase teams that are really worth talking about and are in existence in NC. Looking at all the softball teams that have been mentioned here you can see how far softball is from the "cream rising to the top". The talent is scattered across more rosters where there may be 1, 2, 3, or 4 DI/DII prospects and then filled out with good hs level talent. This makes for more teams that compete with each other in tournaments but it doesn't promote the top players as well as it could. Look at the Dirtbag page on the Impact baseball site and click on the "alumni" I would estimate that 99% of the former DB's went on to play college ball, or pro. Our BEST softball teams are at maybe 40 to 50% moving on to the next level. If there was one team that put together a roster of all DI talent, it would dominate at the tournaments and would fill up the local college rosters. If you look at UNC's baseball roster (a team that has become a regular at the College World Series in Omaha) you will see almost a third are former Dirtbags and this doesn't count the former DB's that had signed with the Heels but were drafted and went straight to pro ball out of high school.
Until softball evolves to the same level that baseball has, ranking teams is really just for fun and bragging... or bitching. If it does evolve then ranking teams will be mute... everyone will know who's the best.

fire away!

 

Rating Success

Everyone in the NC softball world knows there are established teams that are better than others and get the top talent in the state. At the showcase level, it is about getting them exposed to college coaches, D1, D2, D3 and JUCO.
My team is 3 years young, and everyone of my seniors last year had college coaches interested in them. A few of the seniors were not interested in attending the schools that had interest in them, so they will probably go onto the college of their choice and not play or play club ball. Most girls are going to college to get an education and work towards a successful career in other than softball.
We are about a .500 team, but we did our job for our girls. Do I want us to win more? Absolutely, and I coach them to do so and teach them to play at the next level because most come from high schools that don't. Will we show up in anyone's rankings? Probably not. If I didn't start this team 3 years ago, the girls in this area probably would not have played showcase ball, not be seen, and not had the offers they received.
I rate success on a different scale than most others on this thread.

 

OK, http://www.thisboardrocks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=33

 

huh?

 

Rankings

We were really not a new team last year we were just an experienced team that had to rebuild after a break up caused by the FVAA in Fuquay, funny how that organization always has problems. Ole well worked out great for us
The order as I see it.
16U Teams
Carolina Bombs
Carolina Cardinals
Cape Fear Storm
NC Challengers
Triangle Lightning
NC Dominators
Fuquay Bombs
Flames
Apex Sting
TFS
Lookouts

 

One team and I am sure there will be others not on the list for 14u are the South Alamance Sluggers. They are all 13 yr olds and they played awfully good this past fall.

 

I haven't seen a 14u list but you'll probably see some of the second year teams playing up in 16u as well from time to time.