USSSA, USFA, ASA, etc...: Help a girl out!

As you may know from my previous posts, DD is new to TB this year. I'm immersing myself here so that I can have a clue what's going on. Coach is discussing the team playing at either the USFA Softball World Series in Panama City, FL or the USSSA World Series in Orlando, FL next July. I know that there is also the ASA Nationals in Salem, VA (for 12U).

It's all alphabet soup to me at this point. Can someone please explain the various organizations to me, pretty please? Which are the most highly regarded, most competitive, etc...? Just trying to get my bearings.

ASA nationals- you must earn a berth to attend and it is the top A teams. USFA PCB- I am pretty sure anyone can enter this as A or B level. USSSA Orlando- I believe you also must qualify in order to attend this but you would have to check on that one. If you go to the web site for USSSA, USFA, ASA, it will tell you what you need to do to qualify, etc. Also going to the website for each org is a good way to figure out where everyone else is playing.

CMMom1740 said:

As you may know from my previous posts, DD is new to TB this year. I'm immersing myself here so that I can have a clue what's going on. Coach is discussing the team playing at either the USFA Softball World Series in Panama City, FL or the USSSA World Series in Orlando, FL next July. I know that there is also the ASA Nationals in Salem, VA (for 12U).

It's all alphabet soup to me at this point. Can someone please explain the various organizations to me, pretty please? Which are the most highly regarded, most competitive, etc...? Just trying to get my bearings.

Click to expand...

Ill give you my opionions on associations, but please qualify my opinion that in various regions certain organizations are more successful than others which results in better competition of those levels.

ASA- Is historically the oldest association out there. We play in Indiana, and they have a very minimal presence at 12U and under. But their older levels gradually becomes more competitive. There 14u nationals are solid, and it gets better up to 16U and 18U.

PGF- Really big in western states and has made large gains nationally among the most competitive teams. In the midwest, their college exposure tournaments draw the most college coaches. I think fair to say its well past the ASA as the most competitive association

USSSA- They have a nice national tournament in Orlando. It dominates some regions, but not very large in others. I know they are trying to make some inroads in newer markets. I would say at 10u to 12U, their nationals is probably close to being competitive as other orgs. Again at the older levels, the good teams seem to migrate to ASA and PGF. In our state, the directors just switched from USFA to USSSA, and now will go from a very small existance to a major presence.

USFA- I think its mostly present in the South and has made some inroads in some midwest states. They have a great national tournament at a good location. They are competitive at lower levels and the 12u tournament is very competitive. We played in it a few years ago. But just like other orgs, they lose their goood teams to ASA and PGF when they hit 14u and 16U.

NSA- Again an organization that does well in certain regions and competitive at younger levels. They have a few World Series tournaments around the country but again cant keep the better teams when they age up.


Triple Crown Sports- I dont see these as regional levels. I believe its much bigger in Western US. But they hold some very high level national tournaments that is as good as PGF and probably better that ASA nationals.

At 12U I think USFA or USSSA are great options. I have never been to the USSSA WS in Orlando, but I know others who have and they enjoyed the experience. I would not worry about playing PGF, Triple Crown, or ASA Nationals until second year 14U. Until then make it about fun. My DD's team went to the USFA WS in PCB and we had a blast. Great combination of softball and vacation. We rented a condo on the beach and the entire family - including grandparents and cousins all came and had a great time. After that DD's team went to ASA Nationals in Normal, IL, Salem, VA and Chattanooga, TN and none of the other family members wanted to go....it was just me an my DD.

CMMom1740 said:

As you may know from my previous posts, DD is new to TB this year. I'm immersing myself here so that I can have a clue what's going on. Coach is discussing the team playing at either the USFA Softball World Series in Panama City, FL or the USSSA World Series in Orlando, FL next July. I know that there is also the ASA Nationals in Salem, VA (for 12U).

It's all alphabet soup to me at this point. Can someone please explain the various organizations to me, pretty please? Which are the most highly regarded, most competitive, etc...? Just trying to get my bearings.

Click to expand...

Both those tournaments are good and although you technically need to qualify for them, as long as your check clears you will be fine. We have formed teams a couple of weeks before and entered both tournaments with out a game played as a team.
12U - enjoy, play whoever locally is going to give you the best competition and unless you have a national quality team (like a team full of dominant early matured players) pick a world series that will be a good experience for the team.
USFA: Less to do outside softball, but nice beaches, nice place to be, solid competition
USSSA in Orlando: It's Orlando. No shortage of things to do, more expensive than USFA because it is Orlando and because they play at ESPN WWSports which is expensive for spectators.


The actual orgs are all over the place and it does depend on where you are, and what age divisions. My take from where we sit in Florida is as follows (others will differ from where they are located on who is best locally or even their ASA/PGF opinion):

ASA: Oldest, nationally recognized. Associated with USA Softball and National team which they use as leverage. Nationwide still the top org but being challenged for the first time. Incumbent but not used to competition. In general doesn't have a great presence in 12U and younger, but 14U and up it is where teams head to find the best competition (with exception of California and local states where PGF is 'higher' or is on even footing).

PGF: Californian grown out of people who were fighting with ASA. Hasn't been around long but puts on elite events for the elite teams. Over the past couple of years they are trying to expand because: 1) ASA is starting to take them seriously 2) They realize that JUST dealing with elite West Coast teams isn't going to be sustainable. Trying to expand from the top down. Started trying to get qualifiers in eastern states last year with some success. Will be trying to build on it this year.

USSSA: Locally dominant in some areas. Others not so much. When they dominate it tends to be in younger age groups (12U and below) and local tournaments. Expanding heavily from the bottom up and with a great big mountain of cash because USSSA organizes 15+ travel sports nationwide. Having cash resources gives them options the other orgs don't have - like owning a NPF team or experimenting with concepts such as USA Elite/Elite WS on a national basis. They have started to dabble in elite softball beyond 12U which should scare PGF in particular. The USSSA website is REALLY good, which make all the other orgs look like amateurs (which in web terms they really are).

USFA: Locally dominant in a corridor in the south from the Florida PanHandle all the way over towards Texas and maybe some other areas. Their WS event is well run and well attended.

NSA: Some small local domination areas. But been around forever. Being bypassed by almost everyone. Locally focused for the most part.

Triple Crown Sports: Primarily college showcase events and some tournaments which are very college showcase focused. Different model than the rest as they run fewer, larger events.

Please know that at 12U I'd just be looking to do whatever is fairly local so my families could get a taste of "Nationals" and not have to spend a great deal of money. You do want good competition, though!

Here's my decidedly Western thoughts on these:

ASA: Oldest, nationally recognized. Has the greatest presence in the younger ages and is still a dominant presence in 14U - 18U. It is of great importance simply because of the number of tournaments that are put on under this sanction. Their national tourneys are not as important now as others, and many West Coast teams stay home and do the "Western Nationals" version if they are unable to qualify for better tourneys. We just won't go all the way to Virginia or South Dakota when we can stay home and play better competition.

PGF: The best of the best. The most difficult to qualify for and by far the most difficult to win. You will certainly face the best teams in the country at PGF Premier. If you win, you have unchallenged bragging rights as the best team in the country at your age division.

USSSA: Not really much of a presence here but I hear they play some in the Bay Area. I know nothing about their Orlando tourney but I was able to attend some of what they called the "USSSA National Championship" 12U tournament held in So Cal this past July/August. It was well-run at a very nice facility and there were a few excellent teams there from So Cal and Arizona and a very polished and well-coached team from Washington. I kept thinking that this was a very nice consolation prize for local teams that didn't qualify for PGF and didn't want to make the trip to Sacramento for ASA Nationals. It believe this tourney required a qualification but I don't think many of the teams played USSSA much, if at all, so I'm not sure how that worked.

USFA: I don't even know what this is.

NSA: I think they might play some of this in Modesto?

Triple Crown Sports: Primarily college showcase events and some tournaments which are very college showcase focused. Different model than the rest as they run fewer, larger events. While they don't put on standard tournaments in the normal sense, their "World Series" events are very worthy tournaments with top-notch competition. However, probably not what you'd be looking for at 12U, but something to really think about at second-year 14U.

NSA has the strongest fields in North Carolina at the younger ages (10/12/14). For 16/18, the best is ASA.

USSSA and TopGun have the largest tournaments and most participants. Their tournaments are flighted (especially TopGun), and the higher levels are pretty respectable, but these organizations also provide the much-needed entry levels.

ok, you're in Georgia. Far from me, and there are huge regional differences. But here in the southwest and Pacific coast, it's PGF, TCS, USSSA, and ASA.






















'

With regards to A level teams in 12u:

I would be surprised to see west coast or Texas teams on the field at 12U ASA nationals this year due to PGF. Last year ASA was in California, as is PGF. No matter what you wanted to play, you had to travel to Cali anyways (or stay in Cali if that's where you were from).

This year ASA is in Virginia and I would be shocked to see west coast teams pass up PGF and travel to Virginia. And the Texas teams are going to have to travel anyway so they will probably pick PGF due to what they perceive a stronger field. Now if they don't qualify for PGF, maybe they might consider going to VA, but 99% of the teams west of the Mississippi are going to look at PGF first.

Just my thoughts on it as our team is having the same discussion right now.

Have to give credit to PGF as without it West Coast Softball would be irrelevant.