Pool Play and Bracketing Questions

[screwballz22]

Let me clarify myself than since it sounds like people are thinking we are a young weak team and wanting an easy road. Not the case at all we were a #1 seed. I am not asking about the byes because I want an easy road either I am asking because there are less games played when everyone has byes. For the money it cost to play I would like to see our team play as many games as possible on Sunday and play harder teams for the competition.
I brought up the pool play because when you play young teams and pound them all day it gets boring for everyone. Having a bunch of young teams in Gold on Sunday because of the way pool play Saturday was set up just waters down the Gold Bracket with teams who are gonna get bumped in round 1.

I just assumed it would be blind draw, sounds dumb to me but I will tell our coach next time we need to request to play good teams on Sat.

[Iluvblue]

It is never a blind draw. But really, what does it matter. Forget asking for tough games, aint gonna happen. If TD puts tough teams in one pool, people will complain about it. So the TD normally doesnt really care. Trust me, the better teams will ALWAYS make it to the finals and win the darn tourney. No matter what is done to help a weak team, they cant make it through 3 games on Sunday.


The ONLY thing that I didnt like, was getting a bye. That just meant fewer games for my girls, and the only way tot get them better, is by playing. More games the better. I could care less about winning the tourney in Fall, just want as many games as possible.

[Tenshun]

This might sound overly simplistic, but one of the things I've learned over the years is that weak teams tend to want easy pools on Saturday, and strong teams tend to want tough competition on Saturday. Weak teams celebrate when they see easy Sat pools and strong teams tend to groan about it.

For the weak teams, it's no fun constantly getting creamed and for the strong teams it's no fun run ruling everyone within 40 minutes of play.

So, if you're wondering whether you're on a weak team or strong team, just ask yourself what kind of games are you looking forward to on Sat.

[onlooker]

.............

[Iluvblue]

Who cares what name he is using to host a tourney. One thing you should have learned with Premier starting up, is that teh sanctioning body means jack squat. ASA, NSA, IFA, WWW... who cares. You think other tourneys that ARE ASA do blind draw pools? Yeah, right.

2nd, yeah, I am saying in a LOCAL tourney that means NOTHING, I could care less how pools are done. My teams were always pretty strong, so i could care less how they did the pool. I could always see things done with pools and where pool winners go on Sunday that were done to help a particular team.... but that team would always screw it up and lose, so who cares.

3rd, you dont get it. Coaches arent asking to be placed in certain pools... although I have asked a time or two to play a team that had some parents or coaches talking smack. But it isnt like a coach is asking the TD to place them in a poll with team X,Y, and Z. And even if they were, the TD would tell them to take a hike. Trust me, last weekend there were some people that really wanted a couple local teams to play each other in Gold.


And lastly, if you think that the way these tourneys is run is the reason we have so many teams... you are the one that is showing some ignorance. You think the way a local tourney is run (by the way, dont think I have ever played in the guys tourney you are speaking to) is determining the face of fastpitch in norcal???? Cmon

There are a boat load of teams because there are many players that are playing travel ball that would have never made a team 10 years ago. I dont like it, but really, who cares. And last time I checked, Norcal did pretty well at nationals last year and pretty much most of the past several years.

[onlooker]

...........

[Iluvblue]

Olooker,

I dont see how having this discussion is a debate. Honestly, do you think that new parents to travel softball know asa vs nsa vs ifa? So I am not sure how it is confusing to anyone that doesnt even know what those initials mean. Coaches should know and thus, they wont be confused. If they are.. oh well.


2) TD are constantly asked for early/late games. So if they accommodate their customers to help out, no way to do a blind draw. I just dont see a problem here, and im not sure why anyone would have issue with this... or they have an issue with this, until they need an early or a late game. Isnt a TD that helps out his customers doing good business?

4) Dont get me wrong, I am with you 100%. People running tourneys are not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts for the "Girls." It is clearly a business and I have no problem with it. People that run tourneys are at parks at 6am and dont leave until 9 or 10 at night. Would you do that 10 or more times a year for free if you didnt have a kid involved? Youth sports is big business. You think that bat Easton makes is worth anywhere near 300 bucks?? Again, just dont have a problem with this either. If they run a good tourney, people will keep coming. They run a crappy tourney, teams will go somewhere else.

[99NorCal]

we have an individual hosting tourneys using a name that implies he is with the ASA. ASATournaments.com. THis in NOT ASA, this is just like All World, NSA or IFA...he has chosen to align himself with ASA rules, but this is NOT an ASA event (If I opened a store called MicrosoftComputers I would be sued in 1 second, not here though).

While it's not an ASA championship play event, how is it not ASA if the umps are required to be ASA, the teams are ASA registered, and the events are sanctioned by the Sacramento ASA? What would be an ASA event? When the Grapettes host ASA tourneys, are those not ASA? Not trying to split hairs but just trying to understand.

[Iluvblue]

if Sac ASA has sanctioned the event, it is an ASA tourney. If Sac ASA has NOT sanctioned the event, it is not an ASA tourney.

All Grapette tourneys are ASA events... except when they do a Premier qualifier. And Honestly, Im not sure if it is the GRAPETTES that are hosting the tourney when it is Premier. It might be a Grapette tourney, im just not positive.

[Blockster]

The tournaments that Gary runs:

1. Have reasonably maintained fields
2. Don't charge gate fees
3. Allow outside food and beverage

All major +'s in my book.

Sure pools and brackets can be done better on occassion but usually the teams that "should" be in the semi-finals make it there anyway. Your team can only play the teams that are put in front of it and either win or lose. If your team takes care of business then it will play more meaningful games in the end.

I've watched tournaments at all the local venues that are run by various orgs in the area and can't say I favor one over the other(Except maybe before Arnaiz put up the foul nets, it was never fun dodging foul balls every 5 minutes!)