Hot Times Classic schedule

I had something similar happen in Concord some years back at AAU Nationals.

I was coaching with Windmiller. He had the coach passes and he came in the back gate with the team. I came through the front gate and the lady wouldn't let me in without paying $5. I could see the team across the way and I explained to her I would go get the pass. I started walking that way but she sent an off-duty cop to bring me back. I paid her the $5. I got my pass from CD. After the game I went back to the gate with my pass to get my $5 back. The lady refused. And threatened to not let me stay after I expressed my opinion.

Spoiled an otherwise good memory. She was there the next time also. Wouldn't be surprised if she is on TBR. If so, I still think you owe me $5. After that I'd be willing to exchange apologies.

 

The tackiest episode I've witnessed was at ECAP near Goldsboro some years ago.

Forget who the team was but they had the first game early in the morning. The head coach had a cup of coffee that he hadn't purchased at the concession stand. He was near home plate. They told him he couldn't have it. He started to drink it anyway. They told him he would have to leave the park if he drank it. He threw it out on the field.

Even though it wasn't our team, the next year when that park came up as a choice we went a little farther up the road. I'm sure that cost them more than that cup of coffee.

 

showcases

Before anyone whacks me in the noggin for making another comparison to baseball, hear me out!

Impact held it's 16u baseball tournament a week ago. Games were played Thursday thru Sunday at UNC, NC State and Campbell. Day passes were $10, tournament passes were $20, so even if your team didn't play Sunday the tournament pass was a deal.

Here's the kicker... only 16 teams were invited.

Later this month the 17u "Impact World Series" will be played at the same colleges plus Elon. Probably about the same number of teams will be invited to participate. There will be a high attendance of college coaches there scouting the players. ACC, SEC, Southern, Big South and all the other regional DI conferences, as well as many of the DII and DIII schools, will have coaches evaluating the talent. Many players will get offers after their exposure in this tournament

For me, that's what a true showcase should be!

 

Wow. These stories are horrible. My daughter has been playing TB for 6 years and this episode at Greenwood Park was the first time we have experienced something like this but by the looks of this thread its going on all around us. Guess we have been fortunate to not experienced anything to this extent until now. I wish I had a video of people coming in the gate and having confrontations. Its been kinda comical in a really bad sort of way. The parks have people in towers watching everyone and if someone brings out a little cooler they manage to smuggle in the park the little golf cart "police" will find them.

 

How does that compare or differ with fastpitch?

Did they play full regulation games? Time limits? Situation simulations? How many games per team per day? How many tournaments/showcases during a season?

 

This tournament is disgraceful ($9 and no coolers). I would not pay the $9 per day or $30 for the 2 days (I got there on friday evening). We the parents contribute to the tournament fees, our DD's equipment, no coolers and ripping us off on gate fees. This is awful.

 

The huge difference is the number of teams in the tournaments. Now, when a team goes to the National tournaments (usually one in the summer and one in the fall), you'll have 100+ teams there... but you will also have every major school, as well as every MLB organization, there scouting. Check out the baseball board and the discussion about legion vs. showcase... at least in softball we don't have that "can of worms" to deal with... though it does make for lively debate each year!

These regional tournaments, like the Impact one, have fewer teams invited. Usually each team will play 4 - 6 games. They do have time limits during pool play and they play an average of 2 games a day. There are some tournaments that are purely showcase with a set number of games, usually 4-5 over 3 days... no winner, no trophy, just exposure.

Between summer and fall, a team like the Dirtbags, will play 14 to 16 tournaments. Except for the WWB Nationals at East Cobb (summer) or Jupiter, Fla. (fall), the tournaments are held at Universities predominantly in NC., with maybe a couple in SC.

Another critical difference is the age group breakdown. Softball has 16u and 18u. Baseball has 16u, 17u, and 18u and the 17u is the age group that draws the most attention as this age coincides with players that will be seniors in the fall and available to sign NLT's in November. There is also minimal "playing up" in baseball, except for the true studs.

I've never heard of that "situational" stuff being done in baseball.

Phreak, when it comes right down to it, in my opinion, the biggest differences are, one, way more teams in softball with very, very few being truly loaded with talent. And, two, tournaments/teams that are more concerned with the bucks or the trophy.

 

Coaches and parents need to be very selective about attending so-called showcases. Many Tournament directors are very aware that their are tons of parents out there that only want little suzie to play in "showcase" tournaments and coaches advertise "we only play in showcases" to attract players. Therefore, directors tack "showcase" on the end of the tournament name, invite the local junior college coach and coaches will pay $450 for a $250 tournament. Parents can say DD plays in showcases, coaches can say they attend showcases and TD's make a killing. Everyone is happy...I guess. The point is parents and players need to contact coaches of the schools DD wants to attend and if the are interested enough in little Suzie they will come and watch her play wherever she is. It doesn't make much sense for a girl to pay to play in "showcases" if the coach of the college she wants to attend is not there, and if he is there he needs to know that she is there and that is up to the player to let him know. Don't leave your DD's future in the hands of a travel ball coach or TD. Players need to make good grades and take control of their own destiny. So many players have hopes of going to a major D1 when half of them don't have the grades to even get in the school. First and Foremost be realistic. As long as parents support greedy TDs they will be more than happy to take your money. Sometimes money is better spent on tuition.

 

very well said!

 

To make matters worse we found out today that the pitchers have been pitching at 46 feet the last two days at Greenwood park. It was finally changed to 43 today. No wonder alot of pitchers have been struggling.