NEW ASA POLICY ON SELECTING USA SOFTBALL JUNIOR TEAM

[ontheblack]

When PGF scheduled their SoCal qualifier to conflict with ASA, they hurt a lot more girls than they can ever claim to have helped. Because of the conflicting dates, many teams won't be playing any Nationals. How do the girls benefit from that?

That is a valid point and a topic worthy of its own thread, but not relevant to this discussion. Those were choices made with FULL knowledge of the consequences. This move by ASA only hurts kids who had been given every reason to believe that they would still be considered to play on the JNT and represent the USA if they were age eligible and ASA registered.

Some can continue to argue/infer that this is the fault of PGF, but that is a red herring and the argument doesnt hold any water. Take PGF out of the picture and how does ASA justify this? They can't, as this excludes ASA registered players from consideration simply because they are not on the right team. The team association should have no bearing on anything associated with a National team.

With Hofstra we have seen players from areas where ASA isnt a big deal, but if they have the ability and are registered ASA, should they be excluded from JNT consideration because they played PONY?

ASA's biggest problem now lies with Softball Factory's position as Official Scouting Partner for ASA/USA Softball. Any age eligible ASA registered kid who paid Softball Factory, but did not play ASA Championship play now has a legit beef with both entities. ASA's move puts Softball Factory at risk for lawsuits and most certainly can argue that ASA is violating the NGB guidelines set forth by the USOC, which leads to arbitration.

[Trophy Hunter]

No one is blaming PGF for this. It's a bonehead move by ASA, the latest ploy in the ongoing tit for tat between them and PGF. What ASA has done here is harmful to the travel ball community as a whole, and the JNT process specifically. Just because they can do it, doesn't mean they should. And yet they do, to the detriment of the softball community as a whole.

That is the running theme of the divide. It has gone well past "good for the girls" or "good for the sport." Both sides are acting with little or no consideration of the players, or the sport. It is getting worse, not better, and there is no end in sight.

[AlwaysImprove]

So battleground team like TX Impact, slots on JNT can be offered up to help lock them into ASA.

A "battleground team?"

Did you get that term directly from the PGF "war room?"

Why does there have to be battleground teams? Why does PGF schedule their events in direct conflict with ASA? If this was really about the girls, as PGF claims, they would never schedule conflicting dates.

It's not about the girls at all - that claim is nothing but a lame PGF ruse. It's about control and money, two things the girls don't care about, and don't benefit from.

When PGF scheduled their SoCal qualifier to conflict with ASA, they hurt a lot more girls than they can ever claim to have helped. Because of the conflicting dates, many teams won't be playing any Nationals. How do the girls benefit from that?

ASA is on the way out because of their own actions. Their JNT stupidity will wreck out the JNT for a about three more years. JNT has been pretty poor operation for last three anyway, so really no big loss. These actions only serve to educate the softball community how self serving ASA can be. It reminds us why PGF was started in the first place.

Not saying it was a great idea for PGF to schedule for the same weekend. PGF teams have no intention of playing ASA, so they probably felt it was ok to hold their nationals whenever. 2 years ago when PGF started they worked to schedule around ASA. Not sure it is PGF's job to always work around ASA. Perhaps if ASA worked together with PGF to set a date the conflict could be avoided.

ASA seems to have a "we were here first, we have some magical dictate that says we are in charge, every must bow" attitude. You can get away with if you run things smart, but since ASA is not doing that, everyone is moving forward. The JNT bump in the road is not going to change anything.

Too bad for the 20 that should have been on the team, but since it is such a dog show, they probably not going to care very much. Besides they can kick back on their Firecrackers, Batbusters, Angels, SoCal A's, etc. comfortable they will achieve the ultimate goal of playing high level college ball, and that their select team could easily arse kick "the best team in the nation".

Perhaps PGF should put together an All Star team, fly them to play the ASA's all star team.

[Trophy Hunter]

Not saying it was a great idea for PGF to schedule for the same weekend. PGF teams have no intention of playing ASA, so they probably felt it was ok to hold their nationals whenever. 2 years ago when PGF started they worked to schedule around ASA. Not sure it is PGF's job to always work around ASA. Perhaps if ASA worked together with PGF to set a date the conflict could be avoided.

This is where your analysis breaks down and becomes invalid. What is a PGF team? The few who sit on the board? The numerous others that get invites? If PGF is in this for the good of the girls, as they and you claim they are, how does scheduling their qualifiers and tournament in conflict with ASA benefit the players? And make no mistake, the conflict is 100% intentional on the part of PGF.

Many, even most, SoCal teams tried in the past to qualify for both PGF and ASA. Those who didn't qualify PGF either qualified ASA or went to Western Nationals, the point being they were eligible to continue their season. Which, if you ask the players, is what they would want to do - play the game. Even better, play it in front of college coaches.

By your earlier post re "battleground teams" you clearly understand PGF's intent here. Maybe you could clearly explain how the players benefit by PGF's actions.

[AlwaysImprove]

Not saying it was a great idea for PGF to schedule for the same weekend. PGF teams have no intention of playing ASA, so they probably felt it was ok to hold their nationals whenever. 2 years ago when PGF started they worked to schedule around ASA. Not sure it is PGF's job to always work around ASA. Perhaps if ASA worked together with PGF to set a date the conflict could be avoided.

This is where your analysis breaks down and becomes invalid. What is a PGF team? The few who sit on the board? The numerous others that get invites? If PGF is in this for the good of the girls, as they and you claim they are, how does scheduling their qualifiers and tournament in conflict with ASA benefit the players? And make no mistake, the conflict is 100% intentional on the part of PGF.

Many, even most, SoCal teams tried in the past to qualify for both PGF and ASA. Those who didn't qualify PGF either qualified ASA or went to Western Nationals, the point being they were eligible to continue their season. Which, if you ask the players, is what they would want to do - play the game. Even better, play it in front of college coaches.

By your earlier post re "battleground teams" you clearly understand PGF's intent here. Maybe you could clearly explain how the players benefit by PGF's actions.

This is where your analysis breaks down. Let's see. ASA is all umpires and a few recreational board members. PGF is softball coaches and teams.

PGF was formed at the request of the teams, players and their parents. PGF remains run by coaches, players and their parents.

Soooo, PGF benefits players, coaches, teams and parents because PGF is doing exactly what players, coaches, teams and parents have asked PGF to do.

That is to hold nationals in a reasonable location (close to a major national airport), with a reasonable number of teams, on a reasonable timescale. All of those issues were raised repeatedly with ASA, only after being ignored did the teams, coaches, players and their parents decide that PGF was a good idea.

[jonriv]

What was the previous policy on selecting the JNT?

[Trophy Hunter]

This is where your analysis breaks down. Let's see. ASA is all umpires and a few recreational board members. PGF is softball coaches and teams.

PGF was formed at the request of the teams, players and their parents. PGF remains run by coaches, players and their parents. PGF is not run by players or parents. It is run by a very small group of coaches, who dictate to their parents and players. Their first priority appears to take care of their friends teams, and then try to buy the loyalty of others via invites, waiving tournament fees, etc. Kind of what you claim ASA is doing with the JNT and "battleground" teams. One is no better or worse than the other.

Soooo, PGF benefits players, coaches, teams and parents because PGF is doing exactly what players, coaches, teams and parents have asked PGF to do. Again, wrong, they are doing what benefits them, them being that same very small group of coaches, and their pals - not the softball community as a whole. Who asked them to schedule their qualifier in conflict with ASA? Do you believe they even considered the ramifications for the vast majority of teams that wouldn't get a berth at the SoCal qualifier? And if they did, how did they construe "not playing" at a Nationals as being what the players want? How not being seen by any colleges as being to the player's benefit?

That is to hold nationals in a reasonable location (close to a major national airport), with a reasonable number of teams, on a reasonable timescale. All of those issues were raised repeatedly with ASA, only after being ignored did the teams, coaches, players and their parents decide that PGF was a good idea.The players/parents nonsense was stale by your second paragraph. These same issues have already been raised in other parts of the country as to the expense of coming to SoCal every year, but apparently ignored by PGF. Wisely, I suppose, because if PGF moved out of SoCal participation would plummet.

As usual, nothing you posted answers the question: How do PGF's actions - particularly the intentional conflict of qualifier dates with ASA - benefit the travel ball community, i.e. the players?

But since you like to trot out the PGF "players and parents" mantra, you and they might interested to know that outside their inner circle, out here where the vast majority of softball players reside, the players aren't happy with this situation. They don't like being pawns in the game between PGF and ASA. They would much rather be playing their game.

[NumeroUno]

Trophy Hunter where do u get all your info? It's not all quite...hummmm how can I put this ....true..

PGF moved dates to go against ASA... I don't believe that is correct

got to go but I have more to follow

[AlwaysImprove]

This is where your analysis breaks down. Let's see. ASA is all umpires and a few recreational board members. PGF is softball coaches and teams.

PGF was formed at the request of the teams, players and their parents. PGF remains run by coaches, players and their parents. PGF is not run by players or parents. It is run by a very small group of coaches, who dictate to their parents and players. Their first priority appears to take care of their friends teams, and then try to buy the loyalty of others via invites, waiving tournament fees, etc. Kind of what you claim ASA is doing with the JNT and "battleground" teams. One is no better or worse than the other.

Soooo, PGF benefits players, coaches, teams and parents because PGF is doing exactly what players, coaches, teams and parents have asked PGF to do. Again, wrong, they are doing what benefits them, them being that same very small group of coaches, and their pals - not the softball community as a whole. Who asked them to schedule their qualifier in conflict with ASA? Do you believe they even considered the ramifications for the vast majority of teams that wouldn't get a berth at the SoCal qualifier? And if they did, how did they construe "not playing" at a Nationals as being what the players want? How not being seen by any colleges as being to the player's benefit?

That is to hold nationals in a reasonable location (close to a major national airport), with a reasonable number of teams, on a reasonable timescale. All of those issues were raised repeatedly with ASA, only after being ignored did the teams, coaches, players and their parents decide that PGF was a good idea.The players/parents nonsense was stale by your second paragraph. These same issues have already been raised in other parts of the country as to the expense of coming to SoCal every year, but apparently ignored by PGF. Wisely, I suppose, because if PGF moved out of SoCal participation would plummet.

As usual, nothing you posted answers the question: How do PGF's actions - particularly the intentional conflict of qualifier dates with ASA - benefit the travel ball community, i.e. the players?

But since you like to trot out the PGF "players and parents" mantra, you and they might interested to know that outside their inner circle, out here where the vast majority of softball players reside, the players aren't happy with this situation. They don't like being pawns in the game between PGF and ASA. They would much rather be playing their game.

You can call listening to coaches, listening to parents stale all you want. It is why PGF exists. It is why ASA has had to go to ground. Did ASA go to ground over AFA? NSA? any of the others?

[AlwaysImprove]

Trophy Hunter where do u get all your info? It's not all quite...hummmm how can I put this ....true..

PGF moved dates to go against ASA... I don't believe that is correct

got to go but I have more to follow

I believe you are correct. This year ASA announced their dates, PGF announced theirs, ASA moved theirs to over PGF. Not directly involved in either org, but that was how it played out in their public announcements.