Memorial Day 2013

[Sftball Junkie]

A lot of Rec All Star teams tend to fill the ASA Tourney Memorial Day killing the competition level. Talking to other parents it sounds like many are hoping teams will be heading to RR Golds tourney for better competition and more Games.

They have done a lot better job with the communication in Stockton.

Fields are prepped as good if not better than Sac.

Blue is right my cooler Stays cool in the car. (Funny everyone brings up the coolers, I don't see that many coolers rolling around the tourneys in Roseville. Any idea where this comes from?)

[Iluvblue]

When he used Rainbow Fields it was because they had 40 plus team sin the 14u age division ALONE. So that meant ALL 14u games were at Rainbow fields, which is a whopping 15 minutes off of highway 99, And it is less than 5 minutes away from pizza, chicken, and tons of other places to eat. In addition, Rainbow is a GREAT venue to play, so if you are lucky enough to get Rainbow, i certainly wouldnt complain.


In any event, we played in a sac tourney this Fall... we ended up 30 minutes past Sac on a place that had two fields on Saturday. They were nice, well maintained, but to hell with driving that far.

Like I said, it just comes down to do you want to be in Sac or Stockton area.

No matter what, you can no longer say it is because Stockton sucks. Fields are good, teams are good, tourneys are ran well. ONLY if we have car break ins is there an issue, and honestly, they should bite the bullet on that weekend and have security walking the lots at their locations for that weekend.

[ICMTM]

Here's the deal. Most people sign up for the tournament that is going to offer the best level of competition and deal with their cooler issues. I'll get my cooler contents into any stadium, arena, field, or otherwise if I need to. Those are non issues. People just go to the parking lot and make their sandwiches. Heck I've BBQ'd behind the stadium @ Arnaiz.

Last year 14U and 12U the competition was in Sac. There may have been a ton of 14U teams @ Rainbow but every last 14U team that was a national contender Played in the ASAtournaments.com event. RR Gold attracts the NSA crowd so it's a wash.

I'm personally indifferent. My kid has played in both. The only issue I have with Stockton (skipping the obvious jokes) is they never run tournaments on time. It seems like (unless there is a talent shift) the Tracy event is a non starter for most then? Again I thought it was the place to be for 18 Gold?

[Iluvblue]

RR Gold attracts the NSA Crowd? I have been out of the 14u landscape since I started the Monarchs 3 years ago, but 4 years ago, NOBODY was up in Sac. When I was speaking about Rainbow, i was referring to my time. I have no clue who was there last year, number of teams, or quality. There was a big push to go to Sac last year to say screw you to Stockton.

Not sure what will happen from here on, but one thing is for sure. the TEAMS determine where the action is, not the TD.

[ICMTM]

Not sure what will happen from here on, but one thing is for sure. the TEAMS determine where the action is, not the TD.

You're on my page now...Where is that is what I am asking? There are three choices but in all honesty if all the good teams are playing in the same tourney it makes it a great one.

[Iluvblue]

I tried to tell people this at least 7 years ago, that the teams are in control. I can make a few calls and have 6-8 very good teams coming to play in a friendly in a matter of a few days. Make our schedule that works for us, handle our own fields, handle our own hand selected umpires and not have to deal with NO BS. isnt hard to do, although you can not simulate tourney play.

i dont mind doing this a few times a year, but Id prefer to be playing in tourneys overall.

[Stealing Home]

A lot of Rec All Star teams tend to fill the ASA Tourney Memorial Day killing the competition level.

Nope just watered down travel ball teams that should be playing Rec.

[Goldball4]

Tracy will be the place to be for gold.

[artomatic]

Tracy will be the place to be for gold.

One night many years ago, my wife and I were walking along the beach.
She looked into my eyes and whispered in my ear, "Kiss me where it stinks"...
So I drove her to Tracy.

[triplecrown]

With more and more teams starting up, and programs having as much as 4 teams in a age group at what is suppsoed to be the "higher" up ASA, it has made the overall quality of play that much weaker, purely do to it being "watered down" with teams and coachs, at least in NorCal. Now I am the first to say i think its great that more kids are given the opportunity to play softball. The top teams will remain strong, its just a huge gap from top 5 or 6 in each age group, to where everyone else is.

Rainbow is Rainbow, off the beaten path for most, nice fields, where NSA teams have always played. If your from the area and want to get some work in against teams who are fielding rec ball teams, and want to save some gas, than i guess go make yourself feel good.

Stockton, the City is bankrupt, the police force has been cut by a third (not good) in this town, and therefore the much needed help these fields (Louis,Regional,McNair) and even Lodi, will never see improvements to infield conditions which remain horrendous. The quality of play is the same, top 2 or 3 teams in each age group are solid, then it gets very avg at best

Tracy's fields at Sports Complex are not to shabby, wind blows like no tommorow but overall not to shabby. If I am Gold thats where I am going on that weekend. Does it smell, I guess Arto knows better than me