2011/12 is getting started soon....who are THE 12/11u teams?

[Bake]

I am going back maybe 12 or 13 years but one of the toughest teams I encountered at that time was the Southern Indiana Thrillers, I think the team was based out of the Evansville area, many great players and very good coaching. In those days the Evansville area had some very good travel teams.

[NWISoftballGuy]

Does anyone have any idea of how many 12U travel teams are located in NWI? And I'm not talking ASA or NSA quality, I'm talking ALL teams. Just trying to figure out how watered down these NWI really is!

[Wagner]

2 CP Bulldogs
1 NWI Sox
1 Team Energy
1 Raiders Black
1 Valpo Phoenix
1 Dyer Fire
1 Porter Co team (not sure of their name)
? Munster Muddawgs
? Triple Crown Extreme
? Wheatfield Warriors
i'm sure i probably missed some.......

[madwhit]

FYI - on this past weekend in Birmingham, AL for the 12U


Thank you! That was absolutly amazing weekend to coach, watch and be a part of. We had a chance to be a part of something great and the girls played the best I have ever seen them play. We were a little in shock at first but learned to adapt to the faster game and played the best on that day against the all time best.

Also I would like to commend the other teams, players, parents and fans for making us feel so welcomed. I knew softball could be played without drama and that is what it was down there. Were their upset coaches, girls and parents...YES but they behaved with nothing more than class. I cant wait to go down again.

Thank you to the Birmingham Bolts for opening their stadium up for a private practice. Amazing things are happening down there and I cant wait to see where it leads. Also congrats to the Geuax Play 99 for the runner up win!

Lots of heart was played this past weekend by so many girls and I am forever BLESSED to have witnessed history when that little team from Indiana went south to bring home the 1st ever USFA World Series Championship trophy for any age.

Thank you girls!

Cynthia
Go Gators

[NWISoftballGuy]

2 CP Bulldogs
1 NWI Sox
1 Team Energy
1 Raiders Black
1 Valpo Phoenix
1 Dyer Fire
1 Porter Co team (not sure of their name)
? Munster Muddawgs
? Triple Crown Extreme
? Wheatfield Warriors
i'm sure i probably missed some.......

[code][/code]

Thanks Wagner. Alright, so that's possibly 11 teams from NWI. Let's not count the numerous Illinois teams just across the line. Can you imagine taking the top 11-12 players from each of these NWI teams (granted I'm sure one or two teams have more than 1 player and some don't have any worth talking about) and making one very competitive team that can play in the highly competitive tourneys (poss. far travel)! I realize that this is a pipe dream, but I hope in the future that parents realize that their DD needs to be placed on the top team(s) in the area that go to exposure tournaments for college recognition. The teams that only play NSA B, or keep their players because the players are friends of their DD for the last so many years, or being loyal to one team crap, need to be straight up with the parents of the girls trying out on what the goals of the team are. Alright, I'm done rambling. Point being is that NWI softball is way too watered down at the 12U level. So much talent spread way too thin! Hopefully it will change as the girls get older.

[bucket sitter]

I feel things are getting better in some ways in NWI, and much worse at the same time. The presence of the NWI White Sox Academy is definitely a positive, and means there is potential to have a big time program presence in NWI. With Bake's team attending ASA Nationals last season at 10U, a strong 12U team with the Indiana Raiders Black, and Holloway's CP Bulldogs at 14U, tell me this isn't shaping up already.

If I was Bake and the White Sox I would make the Raiders Black and the Holloway’s Bulldogs an offer they couldn't refuse to come join the White Sox. TODAY. Sorry Raiders and Bulldogs, but he better do it before Conroy or another Illinois program offers them. And face it, they have MUCH more to offer then the other two organizations. Besides, how cool would it be to see these three teams playing for one organization and winning at the top level?

Here's more food for thought. Why, why, why are there still ads for the 12U Raiders and 14U White Sox still posted, and the openings not filled? Meanwhile, there are rosters half full of good players on teams in NWI who will never sniff an ASA berth. Therein lies the problem in NWI. Parents are OK with their talented daughters playing with lesser talented players. That is the mindset that separates NWI from Indy and Illinois. When you play and practice with players as good or better then you, you get better.

Parents, RUN to get your daughter on the best team in their age group. Forget about where her friends play, where the most convenient team is, which team is closer to your parent’s house, or which team has the most of her future high school teammates on it. If your daughter is one of the best two or three players on a ‘B’ team, RUN to one of these other teams, or to an Illinois team.

We do eventually figure it out. But it’s after years and years of playing for subpar teams, in subpar tournaments.

If you are one of these parents, make the call for Pete’s sake. Your daughter will be better for it!

OK - Soapbox over!

[10GatorCoach]

bucket,

these are not just NWI problems, they are everywhere problems. Many girls who play SS/P/3B/etc..... (and/or the parents of those girls) for their rec/coach pitch/10U/etc... team and refuse to play any other position on the field. how many adds do you see for a SS/OF/etc.. or SS/3B/etc... looking for team. the key is that you put EVERY player in EVERY position and see who EARNS what spot. this may change every weekend and may never change, but too many teams only hit OF flyballs and IF groundballs and say "your an IF and your a OF. it works for both players/parents and coaches. the very 1st thing that should be covered at tryouts is that nobody has only 1 position and we are looking for girls that can and will play any and every position. let's face it, to put a "top" team together you are going to have a lot of P/SS from other teams. not everyone can play SS every inning and not everyone can bat in the 4 spot. thats the problem that you face trying to put together a "top" team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jag1]

LOL..! this scenario STILL plays out at 14U, 16U, and 18U..! AND there are way too many parents/kids even at the older age groups that are reluctant to go play where dad isn't a coach or has a lot of influence on the team chemistry. If you're serious about playing at the next level, you have to put your kid on the most competitive, well established team as possible. That probably means she may have to find another position, put friendships aside,and dad/mom will need to find a seat in the bleachers and keep their mouth shut.. Most of the really good teams I have seen, didn't get there by playing daddy-ball and playing kids out of position..!

[NWISoftballGuy]

From bucket sitter's last quote: Parents, RUN to get your daughter on the best team in their age group. Forget about where her friends play, where the most convenient team is, which team is closer to your parent’s house, or which team has the most of her future high school teammates on it. If your daughter is one of the best two or three players on a ‘B’ team, RUN to one of these other teams, or to an Illinois team.

I have tried to get in the past to get a good group of "core" girls to be on one team, but all the above excuses are all too common!

Here are some questions for Bake or someone else with a daughter that has been to college: Do college recruiters look more at a girl playing travel ball (exposure tourneys or not), or does the recruiter look more at the high school level? If the recruiter looks more at travel ball, do they look at any NSA "B" teams?

Bucket sitter is right by suggesting these parents wake up and get their daughter on a highly competitive team. And they better do it quick!

Great follow up posts by 10GatorCoach and jag1 also.

[fastpitch fool]

NWI Guy,

I would pool Bake's personal experiences, for sure. But, you should also include Gunshy and Killerbee on this too. Both have a good amount of experience placing players in college at a range of different college levels. Bucketboy's experiences would be helpful too...

All four will likely say seek out the best team to play on regardless of age, with the best schedule possible...