Post by Homer Hawks Site Administrator on Nov 11, 2008 23:18:44 GMT -5
11/12 ASA NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS
Written by Rayburn Hesse
Tuesday, 11 November 2008 14:57
ASA NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS
November 12 2008
The ASA Council at its annual meeting today in Okahoma City awarded bids for 2010 fastpitch nationala championships to the following cities:
10U Chattanooga, TN
12U Bloomington, IN
14U Moline, IL
16U College Station TX
18U Hemet-Menifee, CA
Gold Nationals will continue to be held at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
SPY has received favorable comments over time about the facilities for the 10, 12, and 14U tournament hosts, but recalls considerable criticism about the driving time between sites used at the last national championship in College Station.
The Hemet-Menifee choice is notable on several counts. The bid brings an ASA nationals to California which has the largest number of Junior Olympic teams, but few sites capable of accommodating the larger ASA tournaments (Salem and Salinas have hosted Gold which is limited to 64 teams). More, the bidder was the Southern California ASA in conjunction with Larry Miinor’s (Minor’s Gold) organization. SoCal ASA will conduct the 2010 tournament which the Minors will host.
The Minors are building a new, eight field complex, which will include five fields in a circular pattern, and will be ready for competition in May 2009.
The bid comes at a pivotal time for SoCal ASA which has recently adopted a new formula for qualifying Gold teams. Only 54 So Cal ASA teams will be allowed to compete inn next year’s Region 14 Gold tournament to win berths for 2009 Gold Nationals. Fourteen teams are automatically qualified from 2008 Gold Nationals. Teams will compete for ademission at the Region 14 qualifier through two new classification tournaments.
The anticipation is that SoCal ASA teams which are not classified as Gold (who cannot enter other Gold territorial tournaments) will play 18A – now at Las Vegas and 2010 at Menifee. The further anticipation is that college coaches will recruit 18A more heavily than in recent years, when the college coach attendance has generally been disappointing. This prospect hinges on a premise that players who are rostered on teams which are not classified Gold will remain with their teams, eg, at the 18A classification, rather than jumping to the Gold teams which do qualify – a premise which some in Southern California question.
That premise will be tested in 2009. National championships for 2009 will be held July 26 to August 2 (for all but Gold)
10U Johnson City
12U Normal IL
14U Marietta GA
16U Sioux Falls
18U Las Vegas
Attendance at Las Vegas in 2009 by both travel ball teams as well as college coaches will be a significant and well-monitored factor.
SoCal ASA will have to promote this tournament, with JO teams and colleges. The further conflict is that, in recent years, the 18U tournament has been held the same week as 16U – and the 16U has drawn increasing numbers of college coaches pursuing early verbals.
Written by Rayburn Hesse
Tuesday, 11 November 2008 14:57
ASA NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS
November 12 2008
The ASA Council at its annual meeting today in Okahoma City awarded bids for 2010 fastpitch nationala championships to the following cities:
10U Chattanooga, TN
12U Bloomington, IN
14U Moline, IL
16U College Station TX
18U Hemet-Menifee, CA
Gold Nationals will continue to be held at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
SPY has received favorable comments over time about the facilities for the 10, 12, and 14U tournament hosts, but recalls considerable criticism about the driving time between sites used at the last national championship in College Station.
The Hemet-Menifee choice is notable on several counts. The bid brings an ASA nationals to California which has the largest number of Junior Olympic teams, but few sites capable of accommodating the larger ASA tournaments (Salem and Salinas have hosted Gold which is limited to 64 teams). More, the bidder was the Southern California ASA in conjunction with Larry Miinor’s (Minor’s Gold) organization. SoCal ASA will conduct the 2010 tournament which the Minors will host.
The Minors are building a new, eight field complex, which will include five fields in a circular pattern, and will be ready for competition in May 2009.
The bid comes at a pivotal time for SoCal ASA which has recently adopted a new formula for qualifying Gold teams. Only 54 So Cal ASA teams will be allowed to compete inn next year’s Region 14 Gold tournament to win berths for 2009 Gold Nationals. Fourteen teams are automatically qualified from 2008 Gold Nationals. Teams will compete for ademission at the Region 14 qualifier through two new classification tournaments.
The anticipation is that SoCal ASA teams which are not classified as Gold (who cannot enter other Gold territorial tournaments) will play 18A – now at Las Vegas and 2010 at Menifee. The further anticipation is that college coaches will recruit 18A more heavily than in recent years, when the college coach attendance has generally been disappointing. This prospect hinges on a premise that players who are rostered on teams which are not classified Gold will remain with their teams, eg, at the 18A classification, rather than jumping to the Gold teams which do qualify – a premise which some in Southern California question.
That premise will be tested in 2009. National championships for 2009 will be held July 26 to August 2 (for all but Gold)
10U Johnson City
12U Normal IL
14U Marietta GA
16U Sioux Falls
18U Las Vegas
Attendance at Las Vegas in 2009 by both travel ball teams as well as college coaches will be a significant and well-monitored factor.
SoCal ASA will have to promote this tournament, with JO teams and colleges. The further conflict is that, in recent years, the 18U tournament has been held the same week as 16U – and the 16U has drawn increasing numbers of college coaches pursuing early verbals.