Glad to see that [MENTION=3322]BB875[/MENTION] deleted their post as it was way off the mark and perpetuates one of the biggest myths in softball. Many kids at big D1 schools, including my DD and many of her friends were first seen on TB teams your have never heard of before. Only once they verbaled did some make a jump to the mythical big name teams. If you have the goods and properly work the process, who you play for is of little consequence.
I agree that one does not have to play for one of the big name organizations to be successfully recruited, especially if you are a lights out player. However, an average player on an average team that is just starting to play showcases has little to no realistic shot. I think you would agree that the softball world is full of daddy coaches who have convinced their players to "stay with them up through the Gold (now National) level" and they will get recruited. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only one out of every 11 HS players make it onto a college roster at any level. You can absolutely get recruited off a local travel team if you are really, really "special" player. But if you are not, sometimes the cache of a big organization will help get you on the radar if you are putting in the individual work to get a coach's interest and you can get on the field where the college coaches actually show up.