Time to leave the Creek

Once again I went to the Creek to see the state title tilts. The softball was great, meeting several peopel was great, but the fields, well the fields were very poor. I tis time the state looked at getting these championships on level fields were they do not have dodge three pitching rubbers and they have a fence that it completely put up. The teams that are there work to hard to play on fields that are so poor, and there are plenty of other places in the state that have four to eight fields to host the event.

 

We had this discussion last year

Of course you're right. The fields @ Walnut Creek are terrible and the
venue , in general, is second rate. Part of the problem is the tournament-style format. As long as it is used the multiple-field facility is required. If softball were to go to a baseball-style format then arrangements could be made to use college stadiums. Chapel Hill and UNCG would be great; central locations. But that would mean giving up the fun of having all the teams in one place on one weekend.

 

hs players enjoy seeing other state championship caliber teams/players...not to mention the college coaches.

addressing the mound and fence issues has got to be a priority.

"The Creek", imo isnt a second-rate facility.

Some may wanta have 'the State' tournament in Rock Hill, SC??
oh thats NSA not NCHSAA.:imagestor

 

I like the idea of having all games in one central area, the are just a few things that need to be addressed. I was talking to one of the guys that work there & they said that this is one of the biggest crowds he has seen there. IMO they just are not prepared to deal with such a large crowd. They ran out of bottled water, hamburgers & hot dogs at the fields where the 3A/4A games were played.

 

The fields are terrible but mainly because of the way they prepare them to play ball. You cannot just continually drag the fields without turning them over. The fields can have a deluge of rain one day and the next day be like playing on cement. Someone needs to turn them onto a nail drag or something. Otherwise the facilities are fine.

 

The Cary Complex is very nice,our team played a N.I.T. there a couple of years ago and the fields are in excellent conditions....GURU

 

College Coaches!?!?

This weekend was during the NCAA "dead period". No D1 (I'm not sure about D2) coaches should not have been there . . . that's the rule. Did see "windmiller" and some other D3/JC people. This is another problem with the current setup. Date conflicts with WCWS which is always sets the "dead" period.

As for the fields/facility. It's really designed for men's slow pitch. Even if you improve the IF's (which hasn't happened in the seven years I've been going there) you still have the fact that the fields are severely crowned. I like having everyone in one place. Just wish it were a better place!

 

Concessions

Again, this was discussed last year. Same thing happened, same excuse given. The lines are always slow and the service poor.

 

I now for a fact there are high school fields who have had no problem with 1500 people at a softball game. If I saw 1500 people at the Creek between all 4 finals

 

NCAA Rules

There were three D1 College Coaches that I saw this year. Represented were Charleston Southern, University of NC - Wilmington and University of Maryland - Baltimore County. There could have been more that I did not see. Last year NC State, UNC, as well as about three or four other D 1's were there. As for D2's Mars Hill, Wingate, Lenoir Rhyne were there this year as well as Pfeiffer, Mt Olive, last year. I am sure that these coaches know the rules better than anyone and would not jeapordize their jobs.

D 2's only have 4 days worth of Dead Periods and those are at the ESP and LSP. Phone calls for D 1's and D 2's can still be made during a Dead period to a recruit so long as the recruit is of eligibility to recieve phone calls... (July 1 after Junior year)

Here is NCAA recruiting Calendar for 2005-06

August 1, 2005 - July 31, 2006

(See Bylaw 30.11.4 for Division I softball calendar formula)

The dates in this calendar reflect the application of Bylaw 30.11 at the time of publication but are subject to change per Constitution 5.2.3.1 or if certain dates (e.g., National Letter of Intent signing dates are altered.)


(a) August 1 through November 23, 2005*
[except for (1) below]:
Contact/Evaluation Period


(1) November 7-10, 2005:

Dead Period


(b) November 24, 2005, through January 1, 2006,
[except for (1) below]:

Quiet Period


(1) November 30 (12:01 a.m.) through
December 4 (12:01 a.m.):

Dead Period


(c) January 2 through July 31, 2006,* [except
for (1) and (2) below]:

Contact/Evaluation Period


(1) April 10-13, 2006:

Dead Period


(2) May 30 - June 8, 2006, (noon):

Dead Period


(d) During high school regional and state
championship competition that does not occur
during a dead period:

(e) In Hawaii, between November 24, 2005, and
January 1, 2006, [except for (1) below]:

(1) November 30 (12:01 a.m.) through
December 4, 2005, (12:01 a.m.):

Evaluation Period



Contact/Evaluation Period

Dead Period


* Each institution is limited to 50 evaluation days (August 1 - July 31)
per Bylaw 13.02.6.2, which do not include employment of coaches in
instructional camps/clinics or the observation of prospects participating
in high-school softball competition.