USSSA World Series

Our 02 team is planning a trip to the USSSA World Series in Orlando next summer. I know some will scoff at this because of competition level, or whatever, but we are going for the vacation and to enjoy the experience. We are going just this once and in the future will be looking for more serious tournaments to cap our season.
I am looking for any feedback others might have on attending a tournament like this in Orlando. Particularly in the area of coordinating activities other than softball and lodging. Are there any type of travel agents for things like this.
We definitely want the families to enjoy the experience as a vacation as well as a tournament.

Search the site for "USSSA World Series Orlando," and you'll find a few threads less than a couple years old. A lot of good info, but you can start here: http://www.discussfastpitch.com/softball-discussions/19772-usssa-world-series-orlando.html

Check out Westgate Towers...They have amazing team discounts and you have access to their hotel next for also. Lots of pools,etc... And really close to ESPN Wide World of sports.

Orlando in July is not my idea of a vacation. Too hot, too humid, too crowded, too expensive. If you are planning to do the theme parks, they are WAY overcrowded in July.

Only person I have talked to that went said never again. They said there were not many teams. The tourney could have been played in 2 days. Instead it was a week. Usually only 1 or 2 games a day. Almost $20 per person gate fees daily! Extremely hot mornings, 2-3 hours of thunderstorms every afternoon (and delays), followed by ungodly hot and humid evenings.

undergroundga said:

Our 02 team is planning a trip to the USSSA World Series in Orlando next summer. I know some will scoff at this because of competition level, or whatever, but we are going for the vacation and to enjoy the experience. We are going just this once and in the future will be looking for more serious tournaments to cap our season.
I am looking for any feedback others might have on attending a tournament like this in Orlando. Particularly in the area of coordinating activities other than softball and lodging. Are there any type of travel agents for things like this.
We definitely want the families to enjoy the experience as a vacation as well as a tournament.

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Nothing to scoff at - there will be some real competition there. It isn't ASA Nationals but there will teams from all over and there are plenty of high level 14U teams local to the area that will be there (and by local I mean most of Florida and Georgia) so it a serious place to be. Make sure you set your goals there because if you go with the vacation mindset you will get your butt kicked by the teams there to win and you will be done quickly and it will really end up a vacation only with very little softball. There is nothing wrong with that, but it can cause issues if some think you are there to win, while some are OK with being done early.

The only downside of the tournament is that it is expensive (for spectators especially) and the WideWorld ofSports fields are a major hike from the entry (I actually prefer the other parks they use especially during pool play). This is high season as well, so nothing will be cheap and everything will be crowded. Our team may go if we don't qualify for ASA, but we are thinking USFA this coming summer.

During pool play you will get one day off to go to the park or whatever. Group rates are available and at this age Universal is more fun (and slightly cheaper) than Disney and you have the two parks in one space. Do a group trip there (and those who want to do Disney can add on before and after). Think about renting a few holiday houses (there are some sites you can find that do that) for the whole team rather than a hotel which is cheaper and you buy groceries for breakfast/snacks etc which will also save some money.

redhotcoach said:

Only person I have talked to that went said never again. They said there were not many teams. The tourney could have been played in 2 days. Instead it was a week. Usually only 1 or 2 games a day.

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Team numbers does depend on the age divisions - for the main age divisions (so 10U/12U/14U) there were 40+ teams in 'B' and 20 in 'A'. 16U and 18U divisions plus strange age divisions (13U/11U/9U) there were 20 or so. Like all double elim tournaments, yeah it is only 1 or 2 games a day if you lose because they want you to stay multiple days, but there is generally 20+ fields going all day and night and there is no realistic way they could possibly get this done in 2 days without teams playing 8 games a day to win even if they had the fields. One of the great things at nationals is that 2 games or so per day means you can generally have non-tired pitchers pitch most games. Last time we went we did play 5 games in a day because of a rain out day and because we went on a winning streak. The USSSA website is the best out there of all the orgs so it is easy to see what has happened in recent years and who has attended year over year.

Almost $20 per person gate fees daily! Extremely hot mornings, 2-3 hours of thunderstorms every afternoon (and delays), followed by ungodly hot and humid evenings.

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This bit is somewhat true. Weather wise you take your risks at this time of year in central Florida. Gate fees are expensive for spectators...

$18/day to get in, but there are ways around that if you get creative and/or sneaky. Marriard is correct, the competition will be stiffer than you might be expecting. Many teams go because winning a USSSA qualifier is easier in their area than other sanctions, but some of the teams that show up may be much better than what you'll see in your local area.

Florida in the summertime...no thank you. Do it once, but I would bet you won't be anxious to return.

I took a 12U team there 3 years ago and had fun with it. No regrets. Competition was very good. I've heard it gets a little weaker after 12U because that's when some players start leaving their local teams and start thinking bigger, but I don't know that first-hand. We found some condos that were pretty inexpensive. I don't recall thinking it was too hot. I grew up in the South, so maybe I have a different idea of what's hot and humid.

USSSA in Orlando and USFA in PCB are great world series trips and I highly recommend either for teams 12U and younger. They are a lot more fun that ASA Nationals and at the younger age groups it should be about having fun.