Firecrackers Softball - Staggering Numbers

My dd played for Connie out of Houston. The Gold team did not pay for anything at all, including travel, hotels, etc.... This may not be the norm with the rest of teams in the org. The rest of the teams did pay, what Firecracker dues were I'm not sure, never asked. But possible the younger teams funded the top team, i know this happens with some other national/regional orgs.

slingnit said:

My dd played for Connie out of Houston. The Gold team did not pay for anything at all, including travel, hotels, etc.... This may not be the norm with the rest of teams in the org. The rest of the teams did pay, what Firecracker dues were I'm not sure, never asked. But possible the younger teams funded the top team, i know this happens with some other national/regional orgs.

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When? Before or after her split with Rico? If it was TXFC, then it was after.

Slignit is correct re: the TXFC org. We went to a tryout last year and before you step foot on the field you fill out the usual paperwork. In writing it states that the 18U team does not pay and it's sounds as though there was a sliding scale down to the younger teams. I thought it may have even said that the parental travel was covered too. That may have been a dream though. I have a friend who's DD was on that team who shared a story with me. A college coach was going to watch his DD play, but couldn't figure out which team she was on since out of the 8 teams playing on the quadplex 5 of them were Firecracker teams. You still have to tip your hat to Rico for what he and his organization has been able to accomplish across the softball nation. It seems as though Scott Smith is doing the same thing with the Bombers. Something like 44 teams across TX, LA and AZ.

Orange Socks said:

SYou still have to tip your hat to Rico for what he and his organization has been able to accomplish across the softball nation.

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What have they done across the nation that deserves a tip of the hat?

Is it to persuade dozens of people to buy franchises and make money for the home office? Or have they really created better opportunities for softball players in these faraway stats like Georgia and North Carolina? If they're helping GA and NC players realize their dreams (players who would not have do so without the Firecrackers), I'll tip my hat to that. If they've made a lot of money off desperate parents who didn't really need them, then I'm less impressed.

I don't know enough to judge the Firecrackers. Just curious what effect they are having with their national expansion.

Orange Socks said:

Slignit is correct re: the TXFC org.

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That was my point I was trying to get to. If it was TXFC, then Rico has nothing to do with it. It's all Connie (info provided by a former TXFC coach).
There isn't any association between TXFC and Rico's Firecrackers.

On another note, it's common (at least around here) for the 18U Gold team to be financially supported by the younger feeder teams in the org. The theory is the younger teams are reaping the benefits of the 18G team's status.

CoogansBluff said:

What have they done across the nation that deserves a tip of the hat?

Is it to persuade dozens of people to buy franchises and make money for the home office? Or have they really created better opportunities for softball players in these faraway stats like Georgia and North Carolina? If they're helping GA and NC players realize their dreams (players who would not have do so without the Firecrackers), I'll tip my hat to that. If they've made a lot of money off desperate parents who didn't really need them, then I'm less impressed.

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Ours is still a somewhat capitalist society. On some level, I agree with you that softball, even at competitive levels, ought to be affordable. But at the same time, I think organizations like Tony's have actually helped to grow the youth softball industry. There are many who are opposed to this new reality, but he's profiting from a culture he helped to create and I don't necessarily have a problem with that, especially since there are still so many other, non-profit opportunities available to players and their families.

The Firecrackers model is just one of many that are out there in the fastpitch world. Nearly everything they do is not uncommon and other orgs also do many of the same things.

Branching out will always lead to "weaker" teams initially, especially when you consider that the name doesn't mean nearly as much in the Southeast as it does (or did) here. But given the model and some time to become established, I wouldn't dismiss clubs carrying the Firecrackers name for very long. They usually manage to put together some of our toughest competition and if they manage to do that elsewhere, then it is definitely a good thing for softball.

If folks are afraid of the fees or the profit thing or having younger teams help fund showcase teams, they are free to go to other orgs that charge less, are non-profit or have a different business model. It's not like the Firecrackers org is secretive ..... what they do is well-known and they don't (nor should they) hide much of anything.

Momo'sDad said:

Ours is still a somewhat capitalist society. On some level, I agree with you that softball, even at competitive levels, ought to be affordable. But at the same time, I think organizations like Tony's have actually helped to grow the youth softball industry. There are many who are opposed to this new reality, but he's profiting from a culture he helped to create and I don't necessarily have a problem with that, especially since there are still so many other, non-profit opportunities available to players and their families.

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I'm not opposed to people making money off travel ball, nor criticizing it. Just saying I'm not impressed by it.

It's like hitting coaches. Not impressed by who's the most famous or who finds a way to make the most money. More interested in the value they bring, how they affect lives in a positive way.

Is Firecracker expansion adding value, or just making money? I don't know the answer. Just wanted to put out the question.

CoogansBluff said:

I'm not opposed to people making money off travel ball, nor criticizing it. Just saying I'm not impressed by it.

It's like hitting coaches. Not impressed by who's the most famous or who finds a way to make the most money. More interested in the value they bring, how they affect lives in a positive way.

Is Firecracker expansion adding value, or just making money? I don't know the answer. Just wanted to put out the question.

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Couldn't you argue that by expanding out and creating more teams, they potentially raise more awareness to the sport, which extends the value of the sport? Of course the flip side of that is....how much is too much and where is the thin line to watering down the sport due to overpopulated (C or D level) travel teams.

dadofadirtlover said:

Couldn't you argue that by expanding out and creating more teams, they potentially raise more awareness to the sport, which extends the value of the sport? Of course the flip side of that is....how much is too much and where is the thin line to watering down the sport due to overpopulated (C or D level) travel teams.

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They are not adding to the number of teams that exist. They are rebranding existing teams, or starting new teams that are formed from existing travel players. So you don't have more players or more teams. You just have more Firecracker teams.

In N.C., for example, there are some half-dozen or more Firecracker teams now that did not exist over a year ago. Have those players been helped by the existence of these Firecracker teams? Has the quality of play in N.C. gone up? Will more players get scholarships from N.C. had those teams not formed? Time will tell.