NSA World Series in Chattanooga

[southpaw coach]

Today I am posting not as a coach but a dad of a younger player on a team I don't coach. We arrived for our 8am game at Camp Jordan for our first world series game at the NSA Nationals in Chattanooga, TN to pristine, absolutely beautiful diamonds.

However, when we arrived later in the day I was dismayed to discover NO field maintenance was being done between games - at the freakin world series! In our late game there was no semblence of a batter's box at all. Our pitcher was throwing hard and girls on the opposing team were so far back (and had there been a box would have been way out of it) that the umpire was up against the backstop! Coach said something but the umpire would not enforce a batter's box because there was none.

As a softball community can we hold NSA to a higher standard? When we played states this wasn't an issue at all - I expected BETTER for the WS. (Don't even get started about Tealtown!)

Let's hope day two brings better work!

 

[Country Boy]

Do they have safety bases this year? They didn't last year and I was amazed. Quite new facility still playing in the dark ages!

 

[Cannonball]

My daughter's team placed 2nd last year in the 18U A held at The Summit in Chattanooga. Well, acutally a small town just east of Chattanooga called Oothalwa. (sp) I can't imaging better diamonds anywhere. It was the perfect place to wrap up a season. Why aren't they using those fields?

 

[PEPPERS]

Daughter played at the NSA World Series at the Summit last year. I was recovering from an illness and she played with a team close to home. I did not make many of the games and did not make the World Series. I remember the daughter and wife saying the fields were nice at the Summit. She was 15 at the time “North Georgia Raiders” I don’t remember if they played 18 U or 16 U at the World Series.

IMO NSA could at times been a little better in our area.

 

[southpaw coach]

They are using six parks I think to get all age groups in. I am hearing that the 14u staff is doing a great job between games, not sure what park they are at. The new one I keep hearing about is Warner Park? Supposedly a wealthy investor sunk millions into the place. Camp Jordan is still very nice but day two still no between game field maint.

I did ask a tourney staff member about it and he said "which field?" I said "all of them". Then he said "well we just don't get too excited about it down here". WOW. Well word is that they get more excited around the semi-finals. Hopefully we get that far!

 

[southpaw coach]

Do they have safety bases this year? They didn't last year and I was amazed. Quite new facility still playing in the dark ages!

Negative on the safety bases. Honestly I don't like them anyway. Teach our kids how to play 1B properly and run the bases and you don't need them. Somehow I made it through 30 years of ball and only got stapled once playing 1B.

 

[Lozza]

Negative on the safety bases. Honestly I don't like them anyway. Teach our kids how to play 1B properly and run the bases and you don't need them. Somehow I made it through 30 years of ball and only got stapled once playing 1B.

Except that softball from 6U right up till international play has them. If you want your daughters to play baseball, have them play baseball. Don't complain that a different sport has different equipment.

I'd be raising holy heck over them not maintaining the diamonds. How much money did you pay?

 

[MTR]

Do they have safety bases this year? They didn't last year and I was amazed. Quite new facility still playing in the dark ages!

That probably isn't the facility at fault here. It isn't their tournament.

 

[southpaw coach]

Except that softball from 6U right up till international play has them. If you want your daughters to play baseball, have them play baseball. Don't complain that a different sport has different equipment.

I'd be raising holy heck over them not maintaining the diamonds. How much money did you pay?

I am not sure but I do know they bundled $350 in gate fees with the entry fee so I am guessing $700 - $900. Add to that gas to drive 8 hours and hotel etc. Game wise we are getting our money's worth in terms of the competition and the fact that the format is 2 pool plus TRIPLE elimination brackets.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Ouch. I can't stand unprepared fields. All fields need drug and lined, in between games. The girls deserve that much.

If they aren't prepared to maintain the fields, they better hope that they don't get any rain.