Team Classification

[cencal]

Being a parent of two daughters who have been playing travel ball for the last 4 years, I believe I have a decent understanding how things work with the different softball organizations, but I do have a question when it comes to team classification.

The team one of my daughters will be playing for is planning on playing tournaments during the spring and summer. From what I heard, they want to play in a variety of USSSA, IFA, and maybe NSA tournaments and then register as a "B" team in MAY with ASA so they could have a chance to go to the ASA "B" Westerns in Fresno.

They want to see how their girls can handle playing against ASA "A' teams that play in some USSSA and IFA tournaments during the spring. I'm thinking they don't want to register as an ASA "A" team because they still want to leave that "B" option open. (I also know that an ASA "A" can petition to be reclassified to a "B" if they had to) This will be the girls first time playing travel ball in the spring. They were use to playing rec ball but have decided to forgo that for 2011. This particular program has always been a "B" program. First rec ball then travel.

As a coach, would this be your way to get your team to play at a more competitive level? If it were me, and I knew these girls can play on a competitive level, I would definitely register as ASA "A". It's night and day when I compare "A" ball with NSA play at Rainbow Fields.

Everyone is different though and have their own ways. What would yours be?

[Iluvblue]

In order for a team to be an ASA "B" team, your players need to come out of the same REC league. If your team plays in an ASA "A" tournament, then they will be an "A" team for asa for that season.

What they do in other organizations wont make one bit of difference as far as ASA is concerned. So dont even think about what the team has done with IFA, NSA, USSA, it is like they never played a game.

SO, with all that mumbo jumbo, I dont think playing in IFA and USSSA tournaments against those same teams that will be ASA "A" ball teams is a bad idea to see where they stand. Then if they get crushed, they could then still play ASA "B" Ball (ASSUMING) they are all from the same rec league.

If this team has players not from their rec league, they are an "A" team and have no option of playing "B">


What the team should do?????? That is up to those coaches to decide and the factor to determine what to do is simple. What caliber of ball can the team play. If they are getting whipped on a consistent basis, they dont need to play "A". If they are competitive, forget "B" ball.

[cencal]

Thank you for your post Iluvblue. Very Informative. You have made it more clear to me now.

I'll just have to wait and see what the coaches decide to do and yes, all our girls are from the same rec league.

Can't wait for the 2011 season.