SOFTBALL TRAVEL TEAMS - WHOS THE OLDEST?

[cpss]

O.K. I GUESS I AM A LITTLE CONFUSED. LOOKING AT TEAM WEB PAGES I NOTICED THAT THE NIGHTHAWKS CLAIM TO BE "THE OLDEST" TRAVEL TEAM ORGANIZATION. I DO NOT THINK THIS IS EXACTLY TRUE. IF PEOPLE REMEMBER "WAY BACK WHEN" ( SOUNDS STRANGE TO USE THAT TERM ) STEVE DICKERSON AND FRANKIE MATTHEWS FORMED THE T.E. ELITE TRAVEL TEAM APPROX. 2 YRS. BEFORE THE NIGHTHAWKS STARTED. I THINK THESE TWO DID A LOT

TO HELP THESE OTHERS GET STARTED ALONG THE CORRECT PATHS. THE ORIGINAL T.E. ELITE GIRLS WERE A SPECIAL GROUP OF TALENTED YOUNG LADIES. I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE IT IS DUE.

[SluggerMom]

What about the Blitz Express?

[SluggerMom]

What about the Blitz Express?

[cpss]

i am talking about an original group of girls that are in their 20's now. an organization that had teams set up behind them ( the original group). they started back in '91( approx.) and qualified every year for asa nationals. winning a hugh amount of tournaments along the way.a ball club where every girl that played signed early november their senior year. it don't get much better than that.

[cpss]

i am talking about an original group of girls that are in their 20's now. an organization that had teams set up behind them ( the original group). they started back in '91( approx.) and qualified every year for asa nationals. winning a hugh amount of tournaments along the way.a ball club where every girl that played signed early november their senior year. it don't get much better than that.

[changeup]

They no doubt must be the oldest organized team in Tennessee because with the competition out there, that doesn't happen any more (every girl that played signed early November in their senior year)!!!!

Has anyone in the coacht board signed already? I'll bet there's not but a couple - it's tough out there with all the colleges (even the smallest) traveling to Colorado and Oklahoma to recruit players from California, Arizona and Texas to come to Tennessee. Then the Tennessee players who are just as good have to travel to "foreign" states to play ball. Besides that, you've got to have a lot of money to afford to play in the tournaments to prepare you for that level much less going to that level - if you've got that much el dinero, then why not just pay for college and let the girls concentrate on their education??? But, unfortunately it's gotten to be that if you don't travel to play on that level, you don't have a good selection of colleges recruiting local players. Our tax dollars at work again --- paying taxes for colleges to give athletic scholarships to non-residents and then paying more money to pay out-of-state tuition!!!!

Whassup with dat?????

[FPFanatic]

"mymy", you make some good points, go to the thread on "Signees" to see who has signed early from the mid-state, there have been a few, and at least one more that

has not been listed there yet.

 

you are right though, now there are thousands more kids

playing than 10 years ago, its a totally different game,

not to take anything away from the pioneers of the sport

ten years ago, they led the way

[sbcoach]

This team was started out of the Crieve Hall league, Don Lockridge coached them to the 18-U ASA Nationals a couple of years ago, everyone of them signed to play college, several of them at a high level. Also, The Nashville Eagles won the 16-U NSA World Series (Eastern) in Chattanooga this past summer. I don't think in the Nashville area, there has been a team that has played for so long.

[cpss]

HEY, THEIR COMPETITON WAS VERY TOUGH. THEY PLAYED THE ORIGINAL PARKER EAGLES FROM CHATTANOOGA, VIPERS (ATLANTA ) DAVIE POWERS TEAM, TUCKER ELITE. THEY PLAYED THE OLDER GROUP OF NASHVILLE EAGLES IN LEAGUE BALL ( COURTNEY MITCHELL, TYREE, SIEBEL ( EXCUSE THE SPELLING ) AND COULD HOLD THEIR OWN WHEN ELITE WAS JUST 16. THEY ALMOST ALWAYS PLAYED UP IN AGE. TO BE HONEST I DO NOT FEEL THE COMPETITION IN THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN NEAR AS TOUGH AS SOME OF THE ABOVE GIRLS HAVE SEEN WHEN THEY PLAYED. ATLANTA ( AND SURROUNDING ) ALWAYS PRODUCED SEVERAL SOLID TEAMS IN EACH AGE GROUP. THAT HAS NOT BEEN TRUE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SAME FOR CHATTANOOGA. THERE ARE STILL GOOD TEAMS THERE , JUST NOT AS MANY PER EACH AGE GROUP. THERE SEEMS TO BE A BIG GAP IN 16'S.

[cpss]

ACTUALLY IF YOU CHECK YOUR NUMBERS THE GIRLS PLAYING IN ASA

12-16-18 IS WAY DOWN. THE NUMBER OF TEAMS ENROLLED IS WAY DOWN. AS WELL AS A RECENT MEETING IT WAS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE LEVEL OF COMPETITON HAS BEEN DOWN. NOT THAT THERE IS NOT GOOD TEAMS OUT THERE - JUST NOT AS MANY IN EACH AGE GROUP AS THERE WAS YEARS PAST.

[cpss]

THE ORIGINAL T.E. ELITE GIRLS WERE PART OF THE YOUNGER CREIVE HALL BUNCH AND GOODLETTSVILLE MIX.

[dropball]

Talking Middle Tennessee here....

 

There are some interesting comments in the messages of this thread. The Nashville Eagles are probably older in name, however it would be hard to say they would beat the Nighthawks as a consistent, viable, organization. If my memory serves me, I think the Eagles "faltered" for a couple of years. Jeff White has been the N'Hawks the entire time. A couple of years ago, you could not hardly find a travel player who had not played at least one season as a Nighthawk!

 

Now about the number of travel players and teams. Do the ones making the statements regarding the number of players and teams have any numbers to back up their statements? I did not see a drop in the number of teams this year. I was mainly involved with 18U. However, just a quick count and I can come up with 8-9 18U mid-TN teams. For this age group, I think that's quite a few. 16U also seemed to have quite a few teams. What I did notice is that not all the teams were tied to ASA, which I think is how the earlier post was stated.

 

IMO, it is too bad there are so many teams each built around a couple of pitchers and catchers. The local pitching and catching coaches are doing a very good job. Most of the pitchers and catchers are very capable, but the fielders and hitters are stretched way too thin, thus everyone is looking to entice the best hitters and fielders to their teams. The ones who succeed in drafting the fielders and hitters, have the best teams.

 

Again, JMO, the local travel coaches need to organize and work together. There is no doubt the mid-TN area could have National Championship teams year end and year out if the players could be consolidated. The traning, experience, and talent are here.

 

So much for "the impossible dream!"