Team Classifications

[GSB]

Actually California has rules against travel players going back to rec ball in order to make an All Star team. There is a cut off date and any team may only have 2 that made the date. It really is not an issue as it is hard to find any good travel players who want to go back. I have only seen it happen once and that girl was really not very good.

You don't hear any issues with this in California like you do on the Texas and Co. boards. Just saying.

[PDad]

Actually California has rules against travel players going back to rec ball in order to make an All Star team. There is a cut off date and any team may only have 2 that made the date. It really is not an issue as it is hard to find any good travel players who want to go back. I have only seen it happen once and that girl was really not very good.

You don't hear any issues with this in California like you do on the Texas and Co. boards. Just saying.

Actually, there are a couple of cutoff dates (2/1 and 3/31) and teams can have up to 5 players that played A between the dates. It is within the rules to have an entire team play travel ball through 2/1 and then go back to rec. An OC team did this a couple years ago and took 2nd at State and 3rd at ASA B Nationals.

[knucklecurve]

I have noticed something this past few days that strikes me as being odd. For example, when TD's post a tournament as a "B" tournament everyone and there mother signs up for it, even some of the better teams in the entire area (which should be "A" teams), then there is a tournament the same weekend that is listed as an open tourney, but it has some of the weaker teams from the area playing in it. There is a tourney next weekend in Mansfield that has some of the top teams in the state coming that are no doubt "A" teams but it is posted as a "B" tourney. Is this the way the A and B classifications were intended to be used? Heck, if that the case why don't all tourney's just be posted as Open. I realize some don't think that they are "A" material, but what is that in comparison to, the best teams/programs in the country, the teams from California? If ASA is going to take back over what it once controled then this also might be a good start.

[amazing]

In NTX A or B is irrelevant. Teams just look at the teams participating, the location of the tourney and go to the tournaments that work for them. Most teams don’t even pay much attention to the class anymore. Actually most are now posting as OPEN tournaments anyway. We have seen stronger teams signed up for B tournaments than OPEN or vice versa. My younger team played in an A tournament earlier in the year and did very well. The next week they played in a B and the same teams were there. Even the team that won the A. Not sure it really matters. Pick your competition and tournaments that work for you and don’t worry about A or B because none of the districts or TD are worrying about it either.

[knucklecurve]

So this only takes place in NTX? I think that it would be much better for the true "A" teams to primarily play just "A" in there tournaments to generate consistant improvement against better competition. The same would go for true "B" teams. I guess certain "A" I mean sandbagging "B" teams enjoy licking their chops playing down against weaker compitition. Now I see why they bad mouth NTX all over place, even on the bucket, and it sounds like from your statement that NTX coaches don't care. How is that good softball ethics anyway or is that just the way the NTX softball mafia likes to run things? Rumor has it that ASA is going to change that.

[Joe]

Rumor has it that ASA is going to change that.

Now that's funny

[dueceduece]

" There is a tourney next weekend in Mansfield that has some of the top teams in the state coming that are no doubt "A" teams but it is posted as a "B" tourney. Is this the way the A and B classifications were intended to be used? Heck, if that the case why don't all tourney's just be posted as Open. I realize some don't think that they are "A" material, but what is that in comparison to, the best teams/programs in the country, the teams from California? If ASA is going to take back over what it once controled then this also might be a good start.

Mansfield is listed as an Open Tournament. I think most of their tournaments this Fall have been Open or A except for a couple of 10U's.

[Seven's Mom]

I have noticed something this past few days that strikes me as being odd. For example, when TD's post a tournament as a "B" tournament everyone and there mother signs up for it, even some of the better teams in the entire area (which should be "A" teams), then there is a tournament the same weekend that is listed as an open tourney, but it has some of the weaker teams from the area playing in it. There is a tourney next weekend in Mansfield that has some of the top teams in the state coming that are no doubt "A" teams but it is posted as a "B" tourney. Is this the way the A and B classifications were intended to be used? Heck, if that the case why don't all tourney's just be posted as Open. I realize some don't think that they are "A" material, but what is that in comparison to, the best teams/programs in the country, the teams from California? If ASA is going to take back over what it once controled then this also might be a good start.

That's exactly what happens by 14U. In North TX, there a a couple of B tourneys, almost all open, and rarely an A tournamnet. The A tournaments rarely "make". The better 14U teams play up 16U for the competition because the open tournaments are so unpredictable as to the talent level and the 14U A tournaments, if they make, are rarely more that 8-10 teams.

[51sDad]

In NTX A or B is irrelevant. Teams just look at the teams participating, the location of the tourney and go to the tournaments that work for them. Most teams don’t even pay much attention to the class anymore. Actually most are now posting as OPEN tournaments anyway. We have seen stronger teams signed up for B tournaments than OPEN or vice versa. My younger team played in an A tournament earlier in the year and did very well. The next week they played in a B and the same teams were there. Even the team that won the A.

Agreed. I also think that $$ has a lot to do with the way things go. Combine the fact that classification isn't relevant and the fact that teams play based on location and other teams registered why would a TD NOT make every tournament an open? This also has to do a lot with why the whole playing up issue is the way it is. Competitive teams can't guarantee themselves competition in OPEN tournaments at their own age level because they are saturated with rec teams. They can't play in the A tourneys because they don't make. So how do they make themselves better? Play up.

Not sure it really matters. Pick your competition and tournaments that work for you and don’t worry about A or B because none of the districts or TD are worrying about it either.

Disagree (somewhat). If the objective is to get better, sure you can pick the tournament with the best teams and hope you don't land a rec team in your first game. How many of us on here though have done that and had to hang 15 on some rec team before playing a real game? Here's a novel idea...Play friendlies! NTX is so focused on those stupid animated ribbons. If the goal is to get better to be able to qualify, why waste time playing in a screwed up system?