USSSA/NSA/USA/etc. How to choose?

[mfun]

Can one of the old pros around here give a little guidance? My daughter's 14U team has a new coaching staff this year, and I offered to help with the administrative end of things, including selecting tournaments. Our team is solidly C (maybe low-B).

Our old coach believed in always playing up and avoided C level competition altogether. We played almost exclusively in open events stacked with A and B teams, which as you can imagine didn't always go terribly well. The girls held their own and didn't give up, but I still think we lost 75% of our games last year. While we don't want to shy away from competition, we also want the girls get a fair shake and have more fun.

Our organization usually sticks to USSSA and NSA events, but I'm discovering more options and I'm having some trouble discerning which might suit us best. Can someone tell me the difference, or maybe the "order" of USSSA, NSA, USA, ASA, USFA, PGF, etc? What is good, what to avoid? And then what is GameDay USA? They have a pretty website, but I can't decide if they are a real sanction? Anyone have any suggestions on how to choose events to play in? For the past few years, we always played in the same tournaments, against the same teams and we want to maybe mix it up a little.

We are in Northwest Indiana, if anyone has any specific recommendations. Thanks in advance!

 

[Strike2]

Interesting question. I'm not sure any one person has experience with all of these, or if it would even be possible to choose unless you were ready for some substantial travel. Most teams register for sanctions where it's geographically feasible to play.

USSSA is probably the most ubiquitous, and the tournaments are generally well run and reasonable in cost. Their rules allow roster batting during pool and up to 11 in bracket play. You'll find lots of "average" teams at these tournaments, and often some good ones choosing to play local that weekend. There is a premium offshoot USA Elite Select (USAES) which hosts tournaments with good competition, at least in the mid-west. The supporting website technology is probably the best in terms of usability and visibility on other teams.

ASA (now Tournament USA) is more old school, and their website is rooted deeply in the 1990s. Roster batting is usually offered in pool, but you can only bat 9 in any qualifier or championship tournament. They run some higher-level tournaments in the older age groups, and with the cancellation of the PGF Championships in California this year, their 16U/18U Gold Nationals in Tulsa and Oklahoma City drew some good teams from both coasts.

I don't have any direct experience with PGF, but I believe that most here will contend that it's at the top of the heap right now in terms of the highest quality "nationals" play. PGF appears more expensive generally than the others.

The rest of them...don't have any idea. It seems that unless an area is heavily populated, you won't see more than one or two sanctions operating. I've seen some new ones try to gain a foothold where I live, but it doesn't work out well.

If you're a "solid C", then play some "C" tournaments. I don't understand coaches who want to do nothing other than get their teams hammered week after week. Play some "C", have some success, and then play up on occasion. DD's team used to be a "C", and is now a high "B" / low "A". We don't play in "B" tournaments, but we don't avoid "B" teams playing in "A" or open tournaments. Occasionally, we try our hand with the best competition we can find. If we play reasonably well, we're competitive. If we don't play well, it can get ugly. The point is that we're not looking to get our butts kicked every weekend. It's demoralizing AND expensive!

 

[mfun]

Thanks - I appreciate the thoughtful response. I do notice that USSSA and NSA seem to be the prominent sanctions here, and they are both easy to play pretty locally, along with a few hotel stays for the bigger events.

 

[marriard]

Regional differences across sanctions are very high so while I have been involved in all those sanctioning bodies in my area, in yours it could be very different levels of play or how they are run. PGF will be the A teams though - they don't run a lot of B stuff and no C level.

In my opinion, it is the people running the tournaments - the local Tournament Directors and State Directors that will probably determine where you play most of your games. When they are good, the sanctioned tournaments in their areas are good. Getting to know them and their reputation is worth your time.

Also the USSSA website is outstanding compared to NSA or USA/ASA or anything else out there. Night and day.

 

[Orange Socks]

At that age division, I would look at where everyone else is playing. I imagine there are usually 2 tourneys offered each weekend in any given area. Look at the competition that you feel is a good fit. Sign up for that tourney.

 

[ang2bmd]

In northwest Indiana stay far far away from pgf if you are a 14u C team. This is where the top level teams play both from the local area and from the surrounding if its a Bandits event or national qualifier. USSSA isn't very high level in nwi but in central indiana USSSA is higher level competition than USFA which is better than NSA. ASA/USA can draw similar teams to pgf in NWI but not always. Triple crown has a qualifier that PGF teams play. You're probably better off looking at who is signed up for what and who you think you can hang with than picking a sanction.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Rick M]

Our team is solidly C (maybe low-B).

We played almost exclusively in open events stacked with A and B teams... I still think we lost 75% of our games last year.

If you won 25% of your games playing open tournaments, you are not a C-level team. Keep playing open, it will only make you better. Mix in some B-level just to have a chance to play deep into the bracket.

In PA/NJ, the most important thing to look at is the locations. If you’re familiar with the facilities in your area, look for tournaments that are being held on well-maintained fields, with covered dugouts, good parking and real bathrooms. Some of the rule differences were covered above. In my area, USSSA use two umpires for all of the games, which is better than the single umpire we’ve had in USA events.

At that age division, I would look at where everyone else is playing. I imagine there are usually 2 tourneys offered each weekend in any given area. Look at the competition that you feel is a good fit. Sign up for that tourney.

This is great advice as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ksphenom]

We can play USSSA local or travel 45 minutes and play USA.


We have some good TD's and some terrible in USSSA. The TD's who pays good and gets great umpire's are always the tournaments we want to play.

I'll travel an hour to play USA ball over the greedy TD with bad umpire's. Umpiring is usually better in USA tournaments in my opinion.

As stated before the online website stuff is great for USSSA. If USA could find a website designer to even get half the platform I'd never play USSSA again.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[mfun]

Thanks all for the advice! Very helpful.

 

[Gymtansmush]

In LA, we have played a lot of FASA tournaments, but are leaning getting more into USSSA tourneys. FASA tourneys seem to be hit and miss with the amount of teams entered, while USSSA always seem to have full slates of teams.