TB skill levels

[GOINGDEEP]

committed to the game them go A.

Unfortunately just being "committed" doesnt mean you can compete at the A level. Not nationally anyway.

Every organization out there should get rid of B championship play

B, probably has more teams than any class nation wide. It should be no different than weight classes in boxing or wrestling, you wouldnt want to box a 250 pound man if you weigh 150. But it's much easier for the orgs to sit back and wait until someone files a complaint or re-class form.

This is last years USFA A/B list to show the team entered difference in numbers. WS Florida

10u had 17 in A and 65 in B

12u had 25 in A and 97 in B

14u had 13 in A and 65 in B

My question is how many "should" have played in A, but chose to slide down to B.

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

Unfortunately just being "committed" doesnt mean you can compete at the A level. Not nationally anyway.



B, probably has more teams than any class nation wide. It should be no different than weight classes in boxing or wrestling, you wouldnt want to box a 250 pound man if you weigh 150. But it's much easier for the orgs to sit back and wait until someone files a complaint or re-class form.

This is last years USFA A/B list to show the team entered difference in numbers. WS Florida

10u had 17 in A and 65 in B

12u had 25 in A and 97 in B

14u had 13 in A and 65 in B

My question is how many "should" have played in A, but chose to slide down to B.

This is probably how the numbers should look. The "A" class should be a limited / elite class with most all other falling into the "B" category. Most good "B" teams probably have individual players that could play "A" , but the team as a whole is a "B" team.

 

[Mylil32]

What was their record when they played A ball? There are a lot of teams that are high B/low A - they usually win playing in B tournaments, but do not fair well in ASA qualifiers (true A tournaments). They are caught in a softball 'catch 22'.

I just went and looked, they have actually not played ASA (as far as I'm aware) but in the A class of USSSA they are 12-5. To me, if you are winning a lot in B, wouldn't you want to play up? It's my thoughts that you will only get better, by playing better competition.

 

[CoogansBluff]

I find that a large part of this problem is that there are so many teams that have 2-3 really good players, and the rest are average. Then you have a small handful that are VERY good teams. The rest are just glorified rec teams. The only teams that really know what they have are the very good ones. There are so many teams that think they are "A" level teams because they can beat the teams that "everyone should beat". That doesn't make you good. What makes you good is being able to beat the very good teams 50%+ of the time.

I think it's great that so many girls want to play high level ball. The problem is that not necessarily all of them have the skill level to do so.

Fair description, but why is this a problem?

 

[crystlemc]

It's a problem because the 2-3 good players on an average team get frustrated and either leave the team or quit ball all together. If teams would realistically follow the class designations, then everyone would be playing where they should be. And if the coaches would take only kids who are "like talented" or "like minded", then it would be much easier. Around here, a lot of teams will get 7-8 girls who SHOULD play travel, then fill the rest with bodies. Then the next year, some of the good ones leave, and they fill with more bodies. And so on and so on. Then, rather than face facts, they just continue on with a team that is playing where they shouldn't be.

 

[CoogansBluff]

B World Series? isnt that an oxy moron? B ball is supposed to be a developmental program isnt it? Why in the hell is there a Developmental World Series? This isnt a dig toward any B players at all i just think it yuor going to spend the money to go away for a week and your that committed to the game them go A. Every organization out there should get rid of B Championship play (State Regionals, World Series, Nationals) if there are trophies to win some people will attempt to win them.

I think you're misunderstanding the point of B divisions at nationals. Teams that enter those are not doing it to win trophies. They're doing it because it helps ensure more closely contested games. It's not about sand-bagging. I just got back from the USSSA world series. We played B. We played 6 games, 5 that could've gone either way. Finished 4-2. Great experience for everyone involved. But you're saying that these events shouldn't exist? That this should be reserved for A-level teams? Or that A and B should've been merged?

 

[CoogansBluff]

It's a problem because the 2-3 good players on an average team get frustrated and either leave the team or quit ball all together. If teams would realistically follow the class designations, then everyone would be playing where they should be. And if the coaches would take only kids who are "like talented" or "like minded", then it would be much easier. Around here, a lot of teams will get 7-8 girls who SHOULD play travel, then fill the rest with bodies. Then the next year, some of the good ones leave, and they fill with more bodies. And so on and so on. Then, rather than face facts, they just continue on with a team that is playing where they shouldn't be.

Still don’t see that as a problem. Maybe I just haven’t experienced it. But the way I see it, kids and parents have a choice. They can play for any team they want. I don’t see many kids who resent or become frustrated because they’re better than everybody else.

The team that I just coached had 3 girls who carried our team offensively. They love the team and want to come back. If they ever get ‘frustrated’ or decide they want to play for a better team, I’d support that and help them find what they’re looking for. There would be many better teams eager to have them.

If the best 50 players in the state played on the same five teams, I guess that would help their development as players, but I think more than half of those 50 are happy with the way it is. They’d rather stick with their current teams that have 2-3 girls hitting .150. I think girls value other things more than playing on the best team possible, or the team that is even across the board. IMO, of course.


It's the choice of the players and parents to pick their own teams. So if they get frustrated

 

[Mylil32]

B World Series? isnt that an oxy moron? B ball is supposed to be a developmental program isnt it? Why in the hell is there a Developmental World Series? This isnt a dig toward any B players at all i just think it yuor going to spend the money to go away for a week and your that committed to the game them go A. Every organization out there should get rid of B Championship play (State Regionals, World Series, Nationals) if there are trophies to win some people will attempt to win them.

In the same respect, why would a B caliber team want to "spend all that money to go away for a week" and get their butts kicked? Just because you're a B team you shouldn't get to play on a national level and get that experiance?

 

[GOINGDEEP]

In the same respect, why would a B caliber team want to "spend all that money to go away for a week" and get their butts kicked? Just because you're a B team you shouldn't get to play on a national level and get that experiance?

Most B teams are spending all that money for the family experience. To them watching their kids play ball is just as important as parents of A teams. That's why USFA Florida WS is so successful, families get to play ball, go to the beach, great places to eat, etc. For some families it may be their only vacation of the year.

I know some orgs that have 2 teams in the same age group. Like a Blast Red ( A ) Blast Blue ( B ). Both teams put in the same amount of time, just the A takes the more advanced and the B takes on more instructional kids. Some families with 2 siblings close enough may have one on each team.

A and B class : to make a better understanding it's close to that of AAA to minor to major league baseball. Some are good enough to go straight to MLB, some need some fine tuning in the lower leagues to get the call up.

Cut off the B team and you will see this sport die. I'd say more than half the current A team players at one time were B team players.

 

[Mylil32]

True, it was our only vacation and we had a great family experiance. We are a B team, working to become an A team, but while we are a B team, we'd like to play other B teams on a national level and I'm glad USSSA and USFA both provide that, even if they did allow an A team or two in, it was a good experiance for the girls.