T$$AA Money Fling

[Escape17]

Lets peal the ole onion back here and use a little good ole common horse sense! Someone has well said "if you want to find the motivation behind most things that happen in this old world, follow the money." Anyone who has been around this game (fastpitch) in the modern travel ball era for any period of time (for me about 12 yrs now) knows that. Just like any travel ball tournament you play at, Spring Fling is nothing more than a Fundraiser for TSSAA. They just happen to be the sanctioning body of TN HS Sports. No different from ASA - USFA - NSA - Etc in summer ball. This tournament, like most tournaments is a fundraiser. If it was just for the LOVE of the GAME the admission cost, entry fees, etc would be just for covering expenses (umpires etc). They've got to pay ole Ronnie & Bernard's salary! As long as we're crazy enought to pay it, they'll ask for it! They whine almost every year about how they're not making enough money at Spring Fling. Maybe we should donate a little cheese to go with that whine!

It's also about the money with respect to get girls getting to the next level. Most (not all) of us who are involved in this sport past the U14 level are in it for the money. Even though I absolutely LOVE this GAME. My wife says a little too much sometimes. I wouldn't invest the time and energy I do now if my kid didn't have the potential and desire to play at the next level. The letters & calls were getting now from coaches at next level does provide some additional motivation.

 

Having Said all that!

 

What did you expect!

 

Follow the Money!

[dubc]

Lets peal the ole onion back here and use a little good ole common horse sense! Someone has well said "if you want to find the motivation behind most things that happen in this old world, follow the money." Anyone who has been around this game (fastpitch) in the modern travel ball era for any period of time (for me about 12 yrs now) knows that. Just like any travel ball tournament you play at, Spring Fling is nothing more than a Fundraiser for TSSAA. They just happen to be the sanctioning body of TN HS Sports. No different from ASA - USFA - NSA - Etc in summer ball. This tournament, like most tournaments is a fundraisers. If it was just for the LOVE of the GAME the admission cost, entry fees, etc would be just for covering expenses (umpires etc). They've got to pay ole Ronnie & Bernard's salary! As long as we're crazy enought to pay it, they'll ask for it! They whine almost every year about how they're not making enough money at Spring Fling. Maybe we should donate a little cheese to go with that whine!

It's also about the money with respect to get girls getting to the next level. Most (not all) of us who are involved in this sport past the U14 level are in it for the money. Even though I absolutely LOVE this GAME. My wife says a little too much sometimes. I wouldn't invest the time and energy I do now if my kid didn't have the potential and desire to play at the next level. The letters & calls were getting from coaches at next level also helps too.

 

Having Said all that!

 

What did you expect!

 

Follow the Money!

 

 

And now they want to guarantee their payoffs and require a minimum bid by cities about $ 225,000.00....

I belive thats the right figure....I will be submitting my resume' after this weeks over!

[lovethissport]

Ok....but please bottom line me.....how much will a tournament pass, not daily, cost me?

[5-Sport Dad]

Ok....but please bottom line me.....how much will a tournament pass, not daily, cost me?

 

You don't understand... It's obviously a secret. Contact T$$AA...if anyone's working this week (615.889.6740 or www.tssaa.org).

 

(just between you and me, I think it's $8/man, woman or child/'session' plus $5 to park...maybe /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> ; but don't leave the kids at the hotel just to save a dollar; that's neglect, in addition to being just plain stupid...and you could be/should be arrested, which will/should cost you way more; hope you get to go!)

[stlbrd]

Lets peal the ole onion back here and use a little good ole common horse sense! Someone has well said "if you want to find the motivation behind most things that happen in this old world, follow the money." Anyone who has been around this game (fastpitch) in the modern travel ball era for any period of time (for me about 12 yrs now) knows that. Just like any travel ball tournament you play at, Spring Fling is nothing more than a Fundraiser for TSSAA. They just happen to be the sanctioning body of TN HS Sports. No different from ASA - USFA - NSA - Etc in summer ball. This tournament, like most tournaments is a fundraisers. If it was just for the LOVE of the GAME the admission cost, entry fees, etc would be just for covering expenses (umpires etc). They've got to pay ole Ronnie & Bernard's salary! As long as we're crazy enought to pay it, they'll ask for it! They whine almost every year about how they're not making enough money at Spring Fling. Maybe we should donate a little cheese to go with that whine!

It's also about the money with respect to get girls getting to the next level. Most (not all) of us who are involved in this sport past the U14 level are in it for the money. Even though I absolutely LOVE this GAME. My wife says a little too much sometimes. I wouldn't invest the time and energy I do now if my kid didn't have the potential and desire to play at the next level. The letters & calls were getting from coaches at next level also helps too.

 

Having Said all that!

 

What did you expect!

 

Follow the Money!

 

I understand your point and I have been to MANY travel tournaments over the years, but never saw one charge $8.00 PER GAME.................!

[dubc]

I understand your point and I have been to MANY travel tournaments over the years, but never saw one charge $8.00 PER GAME.................!

 

 

Not for 1 game, but I was bored late last summer and knew there was a tourny at Mt Juliet(Lebanon rd) on a Sunday and I needed to find a couple of players for our fall team....they was a chargin $8 for 1 day.....

Needless to say I kept on truckin.....couldnt believe my eyes.....just for a local tourny......

[Escape17]

I understand your point and I have been to MANY travel tournaments over the years, but never saw one charge $8.00 PER GAME.................!

 

 

 

It's not $8 per game, it's $8 per session.

 

Do the math! Several days this week are two sessions per day = $16 per day!

[RespectallFearnone]

This is not entirely on the topic, but it would make a difference in how much a tournament costs a fan. Someone enlighten me as to why baseball and softball are double elimination in the state tournament and other sports are not??? Football, basketball, soccerand tennis are all one and done. Whats's the difference?

[dore83]

This is not entirely on the topic, but it would make a difference in how much a tournament costs a fan. Someone enlighten me as to why baseball and softball are double elimination in the state tournament and other sports are not??? Football, basketball, soccerand tennis are all one and done. Whats's the difference?

 

Not that baseball or softball are any easier to play than the other sports, but there is far less physical beating and fatigue than experienced in football, basketball, and soccer. I've never played tennis, and know very little about the sport or about the ability to play multiple matches in a day.

 

Baseball has long been a double header sport from rec ball through the Major Leagues. Softball is the same. It's not uncommon for travel teams to play upwards of 4 games in a day on a weekly basis during tournament play. It takes a week for football players to recover from the beating they receive on Friday nights. Basketball teams only play on back to back nights a few times during the season. Three games in three days is already a very difficult task. There is so much running that no amount of conditioning could prepare them for that. Doing double elimination would turn the 16 week football season into a 30 week season (probably hyperbole - I didn't actually do the math, but it would stretch it out significantly).

 

A double elimination tournament is one of the best ways to determine a true champion - and the region and sectional should be double elimination or best 2 of 3 series instead of one game do or die as it is. But, it is less that baseball and softball do it differently than they do it in the best way, but it really isn't feasible in some other sports.

[5-Sport Dad]

Just to correct some misunderstandings...I did not have to pay to park yesterday. /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

[RespectallFearnone]

Not that baseball or softball are any easier to play than the other sports, but there is far less physical beating and fatigue than experienced in football, basketball, and soccer. I've never played tennis, and know very little about the sport or about the ability to play multiple matches in a day.

 

Baseball has long been a double header sport from rec ball through the Major Leagues. Softball is the same. It's not uncommon for travel teams to play upwards of 4 games in a day on a weekly basis during tournament play. It takes a week for football players to recover from the beating they receive on Friday nights. Basketball teams only play on back to back nights a few times during the season. Three games in three days is already a very difficult task. There is so much running that no amount of conditioning could prepare them for that. Doing double elimination would turn the 16 week football season into a 30 week season (probably hyperbole - I didn't actually do the math, but it would stretch it out significantly).

 

A double elimination tournament is one of the best ways to determine a true champion - and the region and sectional should be double elimination or best 2 of 3 series instead of one game do or die as it is. But, it is less that baseball and softball do it differently than they do it in the best way, but it really isn't feasible in some other sports.

 

I see your points, but still not buying into it. I know in travel basketball and soccer, both very physically challenging sports, multiple games in one day is the norm. These are often the best conditioned athletes. They would be able to play more than one game a day and certainly one game a day for a few days. I would think that game time would be a factor but that favors the other sports. For example, a soccer game has no timeouts. Games don't generally last much longer than the clock on the scoreboard. And basketball and football are timed as well. I've been to softball and baseball games that lasted forever. Just seems like the fair way to do it would be across the board the same, all single or all double. Once you get into post season play, you just can't have an "off" game. IMO thats what separates the champions from the runners up.

[ksgovols]

There ARE elements of the baseball/softball post season that are single elimination. The first round of regions is and the substate is. Then it's double elimination at state.

 

It's mostly tradition and rotator cuffs. Baseball in particular has a different pitcher in tournament games. Football and basketball have their best player playing every game. Baseball does not have the best pitcher on the mound every game. Single elimination would be unfair, in my opinion, to the team concept in favor of one stud pitcher. Softball is different in that regard, but they play the same format as baseball. Football is single elimination at every level from high school up to the NFL. I don't know what double elimination would do for you in football. Basketball is double elimination at the district level and could be at the state level I guess, but the dang season is already too long.

 

I see the logic for baseball being double elimination and the other sports single.