How many teams have qualified for Nats three years in a row?

[play4fun]

In other words, they were not given a berth just because no one else signed up for a tournament

[leftyt26]

That's a good question, but I am not sure I am qualified to answer it.

[Whizzer86]

Actually it would be a question of teams passing on a birth.
AF was handed down births and I think TT as well (I'm not positive). Both are very good teams.
Although simply signing up in a remote area and no one attending is an interesting thought. BTW lefty, I am not an AF basher.......... just requalifying the question to see if the answer is different.

[TXfastpitchsoftball]

Seems to me you're engaging in semantics. A team that gets a berth to nationals "qualified" for nationals. It would be unfair to penalize teams that get a berth from a qualifying tournament and then don't have to continue to play metro, state, regionals, etc. You might exclude teams that came from a local association that hosted a national tournament, but everyone else "qualified" for nationals any way you want to define it.

[play4fun]

I see your point and a berth is a berth. At least the team is attending ASA instead of going USFA,USSSA, etc.

[Whizzer86]

No, "qulifying" for a birth and being given a birth are two separate things. Again, it is a great honor and accomplishment to be in the ASA National Tournament but the question was who has qualified. I am not trying to belittle anyone, just trying to see who actually qualified -vs- who actually attended. The question is legitimate and shouldn't threaten anyone.

[fastpitchrocks99]

AF received a handed down bid 2 years ago at State. They probably would have qualified at Regionals anyway.

[TXfastpitchsoftball]

No, "qulifying" for a birth and being given a birth are two separate things. Again, it is a great honor and accomplishment to be in the ASA National Tournament but the question was who has qualified. I am not trying to belittle anyone, just trying to see who actually qualified -vs- who actually attended. The question is legitimate and shouldn't threaten anyone.

I don't think anyone is debating teams that are "given" berths because they were local association teams, etc. But lumping in teams that play a 20-team metro tournament, 30-team state tournament, or 20-team regional tournament and receive a berth because one team that finished higher chose not to attend a national tournament seems like you want to diminish these teams. Under no circumstances can you argue these teams were "given" a berth. Additionally, some of these teams likely could have advance to the next round of qualifying tournaments and again "qualified," but they didn't need to after receiving their berth.

It's not uncommon for some of the top California teams to travel all the way to South Dakota to play a two-team national qualifier against a local team to "earn" their berths. Some of these California teams likely could have received a berth if they had chosen to pursue it through their local association, state, metro, etc. qualifier. Some go on to place very high at the National Championship. Are you including these teams as teams that didn't "qualify."

[TRAVELBALLFAN]

TT (Splash) qualified 3 years in a row. No hand me downs for this team.

2006 12U State Champs
2007 14U Regional Champs
2008 14U State Champs

[TXfastpitchsoftball]

TT (Splash) qualified 3 years in a row. No hand me downs for this team.

2006 12U State Champs
2007 14U Regional Champs
2008 14U State Champs

Kudos to the Traveler's for refusing a hand-me-down berth at 2007 States and chosing to earn it the hard way at Regionals. I've never heard of a team refusing a berth that was passed down. Way to go TT.