My random thoughts on PGF Nationals

[JAD]

This year was my DD's first trip to CA for PGF Nationals. It was a great experience and I highly recommend everyone make the trip if they are able - especially at 16U.

1) Gotta love CA weather - 75 and sunny does not suck!
2) Field conditions were OK, nothing great, but not bad.
3) Lots of open space in the outfields for teams to warm up.
4) Plenty of parking, but it pays to know which fields you are on - it is a pretty good hike from one quad to the other.
5) It is cool seeing all of the marquee teams you hear/read about in one place. I think there was one CA team at ASA Nationals. 20+ here.
6) No gate fees!
7) No hotel kickbacks! Stay wherever you want. Plenty of hotel choices in all price ranges.
8) Not sure who designed the restrooms at the park, but I hope they were fired, and are now responsible for cleaning the restrooms daily.
9) Putting a little trash can next to a toilet in a restroom used by males is a BAD idea!
10) Because there is no gate fee or hotel kickback, PGF has no problem sending teams home early.
11) Some teams went 2-and-out the first day of bracket play. Long way to travel to be done Tuesday night.
12) Brackets are random draw, so there were some BIG match ups in the first round.
13) There are college coaches EVERYWHERE.
14) Always great to see other DFP members at a tournament. 29Dad's DD team is having a great run with some comeback wins.
15) There are no dugouts, just concrete bleachers outside the gate - easy access for psycho bucket dads who need need to have a discrete conversations with their DD between innings. You know who you are....
16) Great experience at 16U - wish my DD had gone last year as a first year 16U.
17) It is cool to play against a lot of girls who are verballed to big D1 programs.

Bonus discrete psycho softball dad conversation....
Me: What pitch was that HR you just gave up.
DD: Hung a riseball down the middle of the plate.
Me: Don't you mean "a pitch that flattens out"?
DD: Shut up dad.
Me: Who hit it?
DD: Their catcher who is verballed to Arizona State.
Me: Arizona State - that's impressive!
Me: I would recommend trying something else next time she gets up.

 

[JAD]

I would also like to add that the 3 hour time difference can be a problem. My phone would start ringing @ 4:30am and trying to go back to sleep after putting out fires at the office for an hour was fruitless....

 

[SoCal_Dad]

JAD's DD played at Huntington Beach. The other divisions were played in Fountain Valley and Irvine. The parking lots at HB and FV have signs indicating by field# where to park. For Harvard Park, I recommend looking up a field map because the numbering is irregular. HB is the only complex that normally charges for parking, however PGF pays the city so participants aren't ticketed.

Field conditions are a little worse than normal due to the drought. HB is only allowing PGF to water them a couple times a day.

Gate fees are rare in SoCal - usually just where charged by the facility (e.g. Big League Dreams parks).

PGF Nats is definitely a stay-to-play event, however there is a minimum so not everyone has to book through them.

Any teams not staying in room blocks through TRAVELING TEAMS™ will be charged a housing buyout fee of $1600.00. The eight (8) room minimum must be met for each night of your team’s stay or until you are eliminated from championship play. Any teams not utilizing the minimum of 8 rooms for the tournament will be charged a pro-rated buyout fee of $200.00 per room short of the 8 room minimum.

I was surprised PGF eliminated some teams the first day - they used to avoid it by starting the 2nd full round of winners bracket games ahead of the losers bracket. They probably stopped that to keep the #games per day to 3-4 instead of 5+.

 

[#10's Dad]

DD had a great time at PGF nationals didn't finish as high as she wanted but had a good week and got to hangout and go shopping with a very nice Pitcher that will be a sophomore at DD future college . I think it was pretty cool of her to show my DD around her home town. Good luck to Ga Impact Jeffries bring home some hardware for our state!

 

[JJS]

9) Putting a little trash can next to a toilet in a restroom used by males is a BAD idea!

No pictures please.

 

[quincy]

A specially thanks to both you and 29dad for your threads, I enjoyed reading them. 

If you are going to review the restrooms we need your DD’s review, who cares about the men’s restroom?

 

[JAD]

A specially thanks to both you and 29dad for your threads, I enjoyed reading them. 

If you are going to review the restrooms we need your DD’s review, who cares about the men’s restroom?

Restrooms were a very unique set up, Almost like a row of 10 portajohns, but concrete. 7 of the 10 were unisex and 3 were women only. There was just a toilet and small trash can in each stall. There was an outdoor sink around the corner. I am sure the women only stalls were in better condition than the unisex stalls, but I know the moms that I heard comment were NOT happy with the situation.

 

[JAD]

This year ASA did compression tests on all the bats at nationals and put stickers on the ones that passed. PGF did not do any bat testing other than umpire inspections outside the dugout.

 

[#10's Dad]

This year ASA did compression tests on all the bats at nationals and put stickers on the ones that passed. PGF did not do any bat testing other than umpire inspections outside the dugout.

The thing I noticed was there were a lot less run rule wins in PGF than ASA. I think that speaks volumes to the quality of the teams that are at PGF.

 

[MNDad]

DD had a great time at PGF nationals didn't finish as high as she wanted but had a good week and got to hangout and go shopping with a very nice Pitcher that will be a sophomore at DD future college . I think it was pretty cool of her to show my DD around her home town. Good luck to Ga Impact Jeffries bring home some hardware for our state!

When they do, be sure to remind 29Dad it could have been him if their pitcher would have stayed home