Softball Associations?

Hi, I am a new TB Coach and I was curious which associations are out there for us to play in and what the differences are? Thanks in advance!

Edited: We are in Southern IL. I do know about the main ones: USSSA, ASA, NSA....I just wasn't sure if there were more or if the level of competition tends to be different based on which one you play in.

Look at one of the bats and you will see them listed on the barrel.

Problem you have they are inconsistent across the county in organization and level of play.

You might want to provide a general location to get a better option or find a Team in your area with similar goals and ask them.

A lot will vary depending on the area of the country you're in. In So Cal, the orgs offering tournaments for travel ball teams are PGF, TCS, USSSA, AFA, and USA. PGF Nationals is generally considered the top tournament of the year, and requires qualification or invitation. TCS hosts a lot of big tournaments throughout the year, and generally draws very strong competition. The TCS Colorado Sparkler is well-attended by top teams from all over the country. USSSA is generally a step down from TCS, and the tournaments tend to be fairly small. For a new or lower-level team, they are often a good place to get experience against similar teams. USSSA is huge in other parts of the country, but not in So Cal. AFA is small, and tend to draw a similar level as USSSA. Although USA Softball is dominant with rec leagues, their draw for travel ball is minimal, and - like USSSA and AFA - tend to attract lower-level competition.

The very best competition level of any tournament is the Louisville Sluggers Independence Day tournament in Boulder, Colorado. It is usually better played than the nationals.

(The kids are pretty much worn out by nationals in August. The teams aren't sharp.)

The competition level of the national tournaments is different than the competition level of the usual weekend tournament.

The top national tournaments, in order of competition level, are:

1) PGF
2) ASA Gold
3) USSSA, AFA, NSA, ASA A Nationals.
4) All other national tournaments.

The "weekend tournaments" competition level varies dependent upon the type of tournament, but not the organization.

In general, a qualifier tournament will have better competition than a regular tournament.

There is always an off-chance that one of the super teams (Beverly Bandits, OC Batbusters, etc.) will show up at a non-qualifier tournament.

As everyone else said, it depends on region. In Northern CA, PGF is the best for large tournaments and usually attracts great competition in every tourney. USA softball does very well with showcases, but not usually with regular tourneys. We do not have any AFA or Triple Crown here, but USSSA puts together quality tourneys every week. NSA is strong in Central CA (Bakersfield to Modesto) but struggles to get enough teams to hold tourneys anywhere else. For national tournaments, the best teams want to qualify for PGF, and if they can't go there, almost all good teams go to Triple Crown (TCS). There are a few who will go to USA but their draw is small unless it's held in Roseville. NSA gets a decent number of teams from Northern CA for their World Series, and a very few teams went to a USSSA national tourney.