TB Rankings and Levels- Can I get some help for a friend.

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Mar 14, 2017
453
43
Michigan
Are there national rankings for TB?

Are there state rankings for TB?

Is there some listing in the tournament literature or somewhere that names if a tournament is level Elite, AA, A, B, C, D, Z?

The TB coaches in my area are selling the parents on the fact that their daughters are nearly guaranteed a scholarship if they play on their team. One Dad was told there were going to be at least 60 colleges scouting at some tournament I've never heard of. How many NCAA college programs are there? They all just decided to show up in Tawas, Michigan to watch your glorified rec ball team play?

One or two girls a year have signed with community colleges, and a couple have signed with Local D2 schools. The kids who have signed likely weren't recruited from some tournament in the middle of nowhere, and I think only one is on scholarship.

I live in a rural area, but went to college and understand how college athletics works. Many of the parents around here aren't college educated and don't understand that just because you are a really good HS player doesn't mean you will get scholarship offers. (I am good friends with a guy who was certain his 5'8" power forward who averaged 8 points a game for her career was going to get offers because she played on a TB team.)

Two of my family members were involved in prominent NCAA programs with multiple HOF coaches (multiple sports) including softball. I'm trying to find a way to get info to my friends without coming out and saying these coaches are selling you a line of bulls@#t, and the likelihood of anyone on this team ever being seen by a college coach, much less getting a scholarship is slim.

So are there rankings or groupings, so that he could see that his daughter's team doesn't play against the top teams and maybe that would clue him in politely?

Anyone have advice?
 
Jul 9, 2016
240
28
Can point you to an A Team with Organizational History on their web page.

Scroll down to 2016 and you can see some of the tournaments they have entered.

Organizational History

Midwest

Not sure why link turned up as unsafe on my computer, but clicked on it and I am still here,
 
Last edited:
Feb 4, 2015
641
28
Massachusetts
Although the coaches may be misguided in guaranteeing a scholarship for anyone who attends, there is certainly value in attending local showcases. It partially depends on which colleges and coaches are attending. It's an opportunity to play in front of midwest college coaches who are looking for more local talent.

It's also a good opportunity to see how they measure up against other girls with similar aspirations, it may motivate them to work harder or even to reassess their college goals.

Unless they're a total stand-out stud, getting "discovered" will have more to do with whether their DD has been writing to coaches to get on their radar. Are they sending their schedule, stats, videos and other communications. Does their DD play for a respected program and coaches that are known to the colleges? These help coaches to know who to look for in a sea of girls.

FloSoftball does rankings, but you have to have a membership. Here is another ranking website. USClubRankings - Choose Ranking Type. It not only shows you the rankings, but the events which are considered to create the rankings. But remember, these are the "best of the best. You don't have to play for one of these programs to play in college. The majority of collegiate sports opportunities are not at the D1 level and the camp your talking about may have more D2/D3 opportunities that could be a good fit.

While I agree the coaches are overstating the guarantee, it could be a good opportunity for some of the kids who don't get to go to CA or CO showcases. If nothing else, it should be a fun learning experience. By getting in the middle of it, you might stir up ill feelings even though your intentions are in the right place. Remember, everyone has their own journey.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Are there national rankings for TB?

Are there state rankings for TB?

Is there some listing in the tournament literature or somewhere that names if a tournament is level Elite, AA, A, B, C, D, Z?

So are there rankings or groupings, so that he could see that his daughter's team doesn't play against the top teams and maybe that would clue him in politely?

I've helped start a website in North Carolina that ranks every team in the state in every age division. Uses scores from all tournament organizations and computer ranks the teams. You can see pretty well how good your team really is. I don't think there's another state that does it, however. Different tournament org's might have state rankings, but they don't use results from other org's, and typically their ranking system is primitive and gives too many points for quantity and not enough for quality.

There are some national rankings, and while they are not spot on, they do identify many of the top teams and programs that have college prospects.

Probably the only weapon you have here is your credibility and the quality of your argument. That might be enough.

Beast and Destroy
 
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
So are there rankings or groupings, so that he could see that his daughter's team doesn't play against the top teams and maybe that would clue him in politely?

Anyone have advice?

Ask them how many college coaches they have contacted with information about their daughter. Are the using a recruiting service or web site? Have any coaches contacted them? Have they read Cathi Aradi's book? Have they looked at any schools for academics, not softball?

If they answer no to any of these questions let them know they need to learn more about the recruiting process. There are no coaches looking to stumble upon a player. They go to tournaments to view players who've contacted them and they are interested in. They have a limited number of days to recruit and they just got smaller after the last meeting.
 
Jun 19, 2014
846
43
Raleigh,NC
I've helped start a website in North Carolina that ranks every team in the state in every age division. Uses scores from all tournament organizations and computer ranks the teams. You can see pretty well how good your team really is. I don't think there's another state that does it, however. Different tournament org's might have state rankings, but they don't use results from other org's, and typically their ranking system is primitive and gives too many points for quantity and not enough for quality.

There are some national rankings, and while they are not spot on, they do identify many of the top teams and programs that have college prospects.

Probably the only weapon you have here is your credibility and the quality of your argument. That might be enough.

Beast and Destroy
Pretty good website ..This is the one I check to see opponents DD team is playing in the weekend. It helps because a lot of teams play different organization so you get the total record for all games played.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk
 
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JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
My $0.02...
Showcase tournaments are a HUGE money makers and have become watered down.
Any team with enough $$$ can get into a showcase with college coaches.
Going to a showcase tournament does not guarantee college coaches will see your DD play.
Showcases are now full of no-name teams playing on EBF fields against other no-name teams.
Attending a showcase tournament does not guarantee interest from a college coach.
Interest from a college coach does not guarantee a scholarship offer.
If a players wants to play in college, there is a team somewhere that wants her.
Player may have to travel a long distance to find that team and there may be no money
There are some really bad college teams...
 
May 30, 2013
1,442
83
Binghamton, NY
My $0.02...
Any team with enough $$$ can get into a showcase with college coaches.

we are new to the "showcase" landscape (16U),
but my experiences so far differ from this.

As a reasonably talented, but newer organization,
we've had to scratch and claw to gain admittance to some of the better showcases,
and have even been turned down for a few.

Every "showcase" we have pursued, requires some sort of evaluation before registration is granted.
So, the criteria is definitely more than simply paying the $$$ to register.

This is in the northeast, so not even a hotbed of talented clubs.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
As a reasonably talented, but newer organization,
we've had to scratch and claw to gain admittance to some of the better showcases,
and have even been turned down for a few.

This is true for many "Unknown" and known organizations. From my experience, the showcase directors of nicer tourneys will invite the known teams/organizations so that they can play against each other. I know of team locally after attending Colorado Sparkler last year said that they weren't going back. This particular team mopped up most of the teams that they faced last summer and into the fall. During the fall they were playing on the remote fields against inferior competition in various tourneys(Ronald McDonald, Texas Gold Cup, etc). They have 3 committed players. I heard the parents were getting restless as they wanted to play better teams and on the "better" fields. This year they got an invite to the supplemental power pool at the Sparkler. They are going back. I guess what I am saying, it takes time and you have to win to get some of those invites. Even if you are in an known organization your team may not be the "showcase" team in that age group. Even then you may be playing in the right tourney, but on the remote fields.

This is the reason that many teams fold into a larger organization thinking they will get preferential treatment. As you get to the 16U/18U age groups you tend to play the same teams over and over.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
we are new to the "showcase" landscape (16U),
but my experiences so far differ from this.

As a reasonably talented, but newer organization,
we've had to scratch and claw to gain admittance to some of the better showcases,
and have even been turned down for a few.

Every "showcase" we have pursued, requires some sort of evaluation before registration is granted.
So, the criteria is definitely more than simply paying the $$$ to register.

This is in the northeast, so not even a hotbed of talented clubs.

If you are new "unproven" organization you will have problems getting into the better showcases because even though tournament directors are expanding as fast as they can find fields, they still have waiting lists of teams wanting in. Have your coach call the TD and offer 2X the normal entry fee and see what happens...the "good ol'boy network" is alive and well in travel softball.
 

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