Hot Times Classic schedule

There is a coach that I have enjoyed watching over the years who is as much or more fun to watch as his team, but I have noticed him several times before games walking the field. He walks off the distances, picks up rocks and looks in the outfield for holes to warn the players about. I'm surprised it took so long to pick up on this. He must not be there.

 

Been there done that...

Memorial Day weekend.

Pool games into brackets.

Rain hit early afternoon on the first day. After the first round they tried to clean off the standing water from the fields (they absorb NOTHING) with shop vacs, but before they could finish....more rain. Over the next several hours, someone would shout down from the tower "game starting in 1/2 hour...", "no, 45 minutes...", "no, an hour...".

In the end, some teams, like ours, sat there for 4 plus hours to have the games called in the end.

Why?

Because the Bandits organizers had sent blue home...and they WEREN'T coming back.

Did we get to play the guaranteed number of pool games? No.

Oh, but I did enjoy the experience of getting stung MULTIPLE times by bees hanging out at their concession stand as I was buying my $2 bottles of water...

 

Rock Hill

Here's an idea... fewer teams, say 32 max, play in Boone and Banner Elk with ASU and Lees McRae as the hosts and use local fields like high school and rec. fields. Share the profits, and the work, with the locals by insisting that field maintenance is a priority.

There are plenty of rooms in the area, great dining options and it ain't 100+ degrees! Also, if the weather becomes a problem... wait 15 minutes and it will change! Today it was sunny and 81 with a low of 58... you may have needed a sweater for the 8:00am games.[/QUOTE]

Rock Hill, Columbia, and even Raleigh can be extremely hot. I have to agree Florence is one of hottest places in the free world, lived there and fire ants, mosquitoes, and heat were all we ever got there.
Ken is a great guy, works hard for his kids and organization and this tournament is a huge fund raiser so his kids do not have to pay so much for their trips to play Showcase and National events. Most that I have seen complaining have been there before, why keep going if things are so bad. Just don't go.
We have never had an issue getting hotels in Florence and we have been going there 6 years and the quality of teams has increased a great deal over the past three years.

 

Seems a good part of the teams that play are NC teams that regularly play each other anyway so instead of paying him $640 to see teams they can see right here at home, NC teams should boycott and have their own tourney. Should send a pretty strong message that things are not good.

 

.......You have goods points my friend, but also some of your post I'm gonna differ a bit here pal.
Yes 17u in baseball is the pivot year. In fastpitch softball, 16u has taken a hold of some ground lately, because these kids are the "17u" kids in baseball. Problem is....theres not enough players to play 16 AND 18, when the 16U kids are talented enough to play 18u.....And trust me, they have to choose whats best, or atleast what they think is the best road to take
.
So does a coach take an age wise 16u team to a 16U Nationals and have the "bigs college coaches" watch them there, or do they play up to 18u to get what probably is the best competition all year long, but lose their 16U status?

Tough call for sure.

Last...as for too many teams and not "so" many stacked with talent teams....I beg to differ with you on this gig.

There is SO much talent in NC fastpitch softball that it will make your head hurt.

I bet I could take the 9th batter off 9 teams and the back up pitcher and beat 75% of the HS/TB teams tomorrow.

No slander to anyone but.....a bigtime props to NC kids!

Fishdad

 

Listen, I have two kids who play travel ball and I have never ,ever heard of such outrageous gate fees, EVEN AT THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS! We played at Walnut Creek IN Raleigh N.C. back to back weeks and the gate fees were only $5.00 and they allowed coolers. Its not like it dont cost enough already to play travel ball, (hotels,food,gas, etc.) I dont mind paying $5 to $6 dollars but,cmon, $9.00 give me a break. I really think that someone is in this business for themselves and not really for the kids at all. Check this out.... I have also been told that the Cape Fear Storm Purple Team from N.C. went to Ken Bailey about selling $1.00 raffle tickets for their ASA 18u National Tournament coming up in Hemet Ca. and they were told that they could not sell tickets at the park nor in the parking lot. I think that is absolutely ridiculus.If we as softball teams,at softball tournaments,cant help support each other, who will support us? It sounds to me like Ken Bailey expects everyone to support him,but in return he supports no one else. Fight for the girls and keep the spirit of softball alive!!!!!

 

Fish baby I have to agree with G-man here I do believe the talent level is not nearly deep enough to support the volume of teams I have seen in recent years. Have been to all the bigger tourneys in NC SC and VA, the last 6 years, probably 20-25% of the teams represented don't have one player on their roster who could even make one the 6-8 best teams in the state, I've said it before I really think it is water down and it gets worse every year. Don't want to put anyone down who out there bustin their butt to get better, but I believe in being realistic about what I see, and I've been around awhile.

 

It sure sounds like greed to me! Somebody seems to be worried that a $1 raffle might keep them from getting that dollar for themselves.

It's time that everyone--parents, players, coaches, organizations--start asking what they are getting for their money. From what I'm seeing in other states we're not giving these kids everything we could be giving them. It's time to think outside the box and beyond what's being offered now.

It's time that the families start being considered also. They deserve more than a place to put their lawn chair. There is money to be made and good times to be had for all. Make it worthwhile and the money won't even be questioned!

 

The hotels tend to over book during the tournaments. I know this is common practice, but makes no sense when you know these people are coming. My DD has played her last September and again this weekend. On both occasions, we have arrived at our hotel and found that we did not have a room. Even though we had confirmation numbers, they did not have us a room, because we did not arrive before some other guest. In September, there were families from a team in Florida that arrived at the same time we did. They had 11 rooms reserved and non were available. I will not post the hotels in my post, but would be willing to discuss in private.