If you go looking for the best competition, you sometimes find it. There's always someone better, but it's certainly possible for a legit "A" team to get rung up by another. We lost to a couple of teams this year we have NO business losing to, and beat some others who were a bit better.
"A" Ball
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If you go looking for the best competition, you sometimes find it. There's always someone better, but it's certainly possible for a legit "A" team to get rung up by another. We lost to a couple of teams this year we have NO business losing to, and beat some others who were a bit better.
Yep, its interesting and strange to hear others in different parts of the country say, "My DD plays on a "B" level or "C" level Travel Ball team."
My reaction and those in So. Cal is "you mean REC ball?" I can't even imagine paying $$ to play on a TB team that is "B" or "C" REC level of play. But, regions are different and options for girls to play might not be there for all.
As Eric F said, in So Cal all local REC leagues are considered either "B" or "C" level usually based on # of girls in the league or how well that league has done in REC All Stars the past few years. Huge leagues with 8-10 teams in 10u and 8u alone are "B" and then leagues that may only have say 4-5 teams in 10U or 4-5 only in 8U are small and considered "C" level. "B" level leagues usually have a Gold and Silver All Star team for each age group. Sometimes "C" level leagues only have Silver or even as Bronze level All Star team. Additional "Select" teams are also run in some leagues during the regular REC season as a mini-all star type team that plays on Sundays only.
Travel Ball is essentially "A" level, but there are HUGE differences in level of play in all the TB teams out here.
We also have teams listed as "Premiere" or "Platinum" or "Futures" or "Elite"...reasons vary all over but usually based on what division that team will play in PGF tournaments.
- Jun 8, 2016
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That team does travel out of state quite a bit and usually does very well, at least in the South/Midwest, but being a "local" team is starting to catch up with them it appears (either that or they had a bad weekend but the "eye test" told me it wasn't just that..) .
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
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Well that was the nicest words could come up with to use describing...What?? Noooo....
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
- 7,270
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....and about half of pgf teams are invites....does not mean because they qualified.
Just a list of pay to play invites. More confusion...
In my limited "East Coast" experience, A/B/C has no relation to the underlying rec league (if there even is any affiliation), and is directly related to the division they play in. For us, it's almost 100% USSSA, but I believe the few remaining USA or even NSA tournaments use similar ratings. There's still Rec/All-Stars, though not nearly as much this year with the Spring season cancelled. @ 10U, "C" level is a step above - basically a year-round RAS, 0-2 solid starting pitchers, maybe one ace. Girls are still learning the intricacies of each position. (e.g. on defense, bunts may be called out, but that doesn't translate into a 3B getting very far up the line). Still plenty of errors, IF pop-ups that fall in that 'no mans land' behind SS/3B, lots of backpedaling on said pop-ups. On offense, few bunts, very little "yes, yes, no" approach at the plate - if the pitcher has speed & is around the plate, there will be lots of late swings and little contact. There may be a few catches on balls hit to the OF, but catching a ball on the run is, IME, unheard of at this level. Better players will nearly always be moving to play the ball or backup, but there will still be players on the field "watching the play" vs. "getting in the play".
The few B-level teams we've played have position players that usually know what they're doing - you look at the SS's footwork and think "yep, she's been well-coached", defense becomes more of a team concept - bases are backed up, bunt defense becomes more solid, and fundamentals are cleaner. A throw across the diamond usually ends with a catch and tag, rather than a bounce, miss, and chase. Pitcher will have speed and accuracy, and as mentioned before, there will probably be 2 or 3 solid starters. At 10U, bunting is huge, b/c 45 mph @ 35' is no joke.
No idea what 'A' level teams are like. At our age group, maybe all early-developers? (just wait until they get to the 'big field' - oh wait, wrong forum...) USSSA has an "A" division, but for tournaments, it's mostly C, B, or Open division (which would have "A" and "Open"-level teams). I guess A-level players have individual hitting AND position coaches, and Open players have fitness coaches AND nutritionists? (Don't laugh - in the DC area, some would call that "the bare minimum".)
The few B-level teams we've played have position players that usually know what they're doing - you look at the SS's footwork and think "yep, she's been well-coached", defense becomes more of a team concept - bases are backed up, bunt defense becomes more solid, and fundamentals are cleaner. A throw across the diamond usually ends with a catch and tag, rather than a bounce, miss, and chase. Pitcher will have speed and accuracy, and as mentioned before, there will probably be 2 or 3 solid starters. At 10U, bunting is huge, b/c 45 mph @ 35' is no joke.
No idea what 'A' level teams are like. At our age group, maybe all early-developers? (just wait until they get to the 'big field' - oh wait, wrong forum...) USSSA has an "A" division, but for tournaments, it's mostly C, B, or Open division (which would have "A" and "Open"-level teams). I guess A-level players have individual hitting AND position coaches, and Open players have fitness coaches AND nutritionists? (Don't laugh - in the DC area, some would call that "the bare minimum".)
- Jun 8, 2016
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Here in OK there are rarely A tournaments. The exception at 12U and below is the USSA State Championship but typically there are barely enough teams to allow for the A division to make..
With due respect, you can say something like that about any two teams in which one is clearly better than the other. IMO, these descriptive definitions of A and B teams are like chasing our tails. If you have 100 teams, they will rank 1-100, but there's never going to be any clear place where you can divide them into A and B. The top 50 on average will have deeper batting lineups and more quality pitchers, but there's no difference between the worst A team and the best B team. It's just a continuous line from 1-100. It's like college softball. Are there 8 elite college softball teams? 16? It's arbitrary.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
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No wonder you get frustrated!
I don't think "ranking" the teams to determine A or B is feasible. Maybe the national 14U tournaments draw that many entries, but similar to what Pattar mentioned, my area only has a handful of 10U B teams across VA, MD, and DE. Tournaments with a B or Open division rarely have more than 6 teams. 12-14U divisions will of course see more, but the difference in skill level is more akin to overlapping bell curves than a straight 1-100 ranking. Yes, the top ranked C team may go .500 in a B tournament, but even the 3rd or 4th ranked C team will likely get run-ruled at least every other game. The drop off (for my area) from #1, and maybe #2, to everyone else is significant.
