What is it about Girls and staying with one team/

Showcases

Several of the tournaments mentioned are almost impossible for new teams to enter unless someone drops out or fails to pay timely. Others like Rising Star are first come, first in, situation. ASA in NC has not been as strong as some of the other states, not sure why but could be Howard at NSA did a better job recruiting the teams to his tourneys, could be ASA did not advertise or ASA's leadership did not pusue fastpitch softball with the vigor of the mid-west and western states. I am sure ASA would love to be a force in NC but it would take a great effort on their part to over take what NSA has built to this point. We had an ASA qualifier in Burlington last year which the Cardinals used to get to regional, we used the ASA states to get our bid to regionals but that is not available this year. Ray Chandler and I are working with NCASA to get the SE regional dates changed so NC teams can compete for a National spot, if not we go to a national qualifier open to teams from all over the country. The point is ASA is probably stronger on a national level than NSA and defintely at this point, has more of a college following. With the continued success of the travel teams mentioned in this post, we hope to get NC reconized as an up and coming softball power. We have a ways to go but the day will come when all work as one for the betterment of the great young ladies that play the game and then and only then will NC enjoy the success of our western neighbors. There is no magic solution for teams breaking up, kids moving on etc. However, in rec leagues U had a different group every year and U always seem to manage a good time. Had the various rec leagues reconized where we were headed and bought in to the Showcase concept, there would have been a place for all to play and probably most of what we are complaining about and stressing over would not be here. Yea, hindsight is 20/20 right?

 

Good post. Need anymore voices?

 

Showcase

Sure do, call Bob Caldwell or Tony Laws or e-mail them and let them know we want more support for fastpitch teams in NC. Thanks for all U do for softball in our fine state. We are getting there and U are one of the reasons..

 

great responses guys and gals..................... :applause:

 

As Blues mentioned earlier, out west, many girls choose not to play ball in high school, and many schools no longer offer softball. These girls play travel ball instead because the competition in HS is nowhere near the level they play against in tournaments and that's what the college coaches want to see. The best players against the best competition. Also, most of the travel ball coaches out there are paid to coach, similar to thet way classiic soccer teams pay their coaches around here.

NC is gaining. Chandler's Cardinals 18U and the Lady blues 18U both did fairly well last year in CA in the ASA nationals. The year before, I heard the Cardinals finsihed in the top 10 in the ASA Nationals. Also, last summer, a team from Hickory won the NSA 16U Nationals. I also think there are a few other teams in NC that could compete at that level, however many times it just comes down to money. These trips to play ASA in Colorado, FL, CA, TX are expensive and most of us would have a tough time working all those into our budgets in a summer. Plus, if you coach, there is time off from work that must be considered. With that said, teams that are serious about playing at that level will find a way to play because it is at those tournaments where you get seen by the most college coaches. For those who only want to play in HS, then what we have in NC with NSA, AAU, USSSA and others offers plenty of competition. But there again, you don't have to play ASA to play to be recruited by a college, ASA just provides considerably more exposure.

 

How many Girls go out of State to play college softball?

Crystal Coxs UNC ChapelHill
Kelly Allen UNCG
Kristen Bowan UNC- Charlotte
Kristy Killough UNC-Charlotte
Shana Ervin NC State
Miranda NC State
Diana Cook ASU
Sheena Bailey PU
Abbie Looper Garner- Webb
Debbie Agiuar UNC-P
Kristen Taffi Belmont Abby
Mindy Hargrove PU
Crystal Fumanuk PU
Lauren Berst Queens
Lyndsey Gay Catawba
Ann Aldridge PU
Jackie Smith Catawba
Erin Fruness PU
Brittany Harky Queens
Blair Harky NC State
Jessica Huffman Campbell
Amanda Goodson UNCW
Erica Rutledge Peace
Trena Rutledge Peace
Nicole Shoemaker Queens
Hannah Angel UNCG
Hailey Scism Alabama
Melanie Lewis WA
Would Anyone else like to add to this list?


Most girls like to stay within 200 miles of there home.
Why waste your money to go to CA,TX and FLa when our North and South Carolina colleges are doing good in getting local girls in. College Coaches have already seen the local talent they are going to CA, TX and Fla to look at out of state girls.I was in Plantation Fla 2 years ago and all the Carolina College Coaches was watching was the TX, AZ Etc. We was playing TX and The NC coaches had TX player profile books in their hands not a NC Players profile book. why? because they have already seen the players in NC at Hot times or Cardinal Classic.

 

F-Pitch, all that you wrote here is true up to a point. Most players want to stay close to home. My DD is one of those. Only 68 miles from home. And if most of the players want to stay close to home then you are right. You hit the closer highly competative tournaments with the most exposure. Going to the tournaments in Colorado and the national ASA tournaments are for those teams that are well organized, done a great job fundraising, and want to benchmark their players against those from the west. Which is the benchmark even now. The east is catching up but we are not there. I would love to take a team to those tournaments but as an organization we are not there yet. We are in the Dynamites, and the Hot Times, and planning on entering the Cardinal Tournaments. But, oh to play in the July 4th Firecracker tournament in Colorado. I envy Ray and Rodney and those others who have been able to experience that with their players. No, its not about the coaches as you might or could interpret that last sentence but I haven't seen anything written or stated that the coaches can't be excited as well. What Ray and Rodney have done is a lot of hard work and dedication to the sport. :xyzthumbs

 

Go where the best competition is!

Playing in stronger tournaments no matter where they are is better than playing in weak tournaments. Good competition allows college coaches to look at the stats. Also it gives them an idea if they can play on their level. Always wondering if a player could hit good pitching or if a pitcher could dominate good hitters is how you miss recruit. Then you have a player on a college team that doesn't play all 4 years or transfers to a lower competitive enviornment. The player is not happy, her parents are not happy, and the college coach has a scholarship in a player that was real good against bad competition. The Cardinals, Blues, Dynamites, SC Bandits, Challengers have legit stats because of the competiton they play against, no matter where they have to go to play!

 

Good Post. Sums it up in a lot less words than I would have used.