SOFTBALL TRAVEL TEAMS - WHOS THE OLDEST?

[mchsballer]

WHEN I FIRST READ THE THREAD TITLE,BEFORE EVEN OPENING IT UP-MY FIRST REACTIOIN WAS...MOST DEF THE NIGHTHAWKS.

I would say that the Nighthawks are the oldest,most dominant,and best put together fastpitch ball clubs in the middle tennessee area.they have alot of competiton,and from what ive seen,they always try and dominate,people are scared of them,and consider it a big feat if they beat,or even come close to beating them,i know i have.they have 12U teams that could kick a 14 or 16U ball teams bootys!

 

Baller(who is not in any way affiliated with the nighthawk ball club,but a person whos played against them,and beat them once or twice,which was VERY cool)

[Edited by mchsballer on 11-14-02 8:00P]

 

[FPFanatic]

dropball,

I think you hit the nail on the head about the talent level.

Ten years ago it was all concentrated in just the two or so

teams mentioned earlier. Now it is spread out all over on

at least a dozen teams in 18U anyway. Also, with the advent

of the improved bats and balls, overall knowledge of the game, and just better pitchers and catchers, due to all this, it is pretty much a better game than 10 years ago on

average, JMHO.

By the way, if you don't mind, give me a hint about what

18U team you were with last year.

[Indian]

Are we talking about which organization was formed first, regardless of what ages groups came and went, which players went from 12's to 18's to college graduations? I think I still have an old T-shirt somewhere that says Frost Falcons, 1987 state champions, I think it was for a 14-under group, so they've been around at least 15 years. I don't know how that compares with the Nashville groups. The Chattanooga softball games used to be like Alabama-Tennessee football, things are have calemd down now . Or is the question on which current group of girls has been together since they were 10 or 12?

[Edited by Indian on 11-14-02 8:06P]

[std]

Watching the game in Tennessee for about as long as any body I see it like this:

 

Chattanooga area: Longest run has to be the Parker Eagles. From Frank Reid to Chris Williams to the current 16U coach, is probably the most consistent high level team in the state year in and year out. Chris has gotten some middle TN help on his last three years in the form of a good pitcher each year. Next would have to be the Frost Falcons for longevity. There have been other good Teams in the Energizers for two to three year run and the Cruisers were a short term good program when Mickie Smith was around. The Thunder of Steve Chatin were possibley the most talented team for a two year span and had the highest gold finish at ninth 2000. They also had two middle TN Pitchers in Wright and Hawkins and two middle Tn catchers in Wright and Denton. The 1997 Frost Falcons of Chatin with Nashville pitcher Amanda Fine made the 32 Team Gold field and finished middle of the pack. I am not so familiar with the teams Amy Robinson played on as this was a little before my travel ball years. The Chat. Heat always field a competetive team.

 

Knoxville area Knoxville Thunder and Lady Eagles are the top teams but go NSA or just stop playing after ASA regional

 

Middle TN By far the Nashville Eagles have been the most dominate team in Middle TN. Don Lockridge and David Mitchell had the talent and the know how to win at all levels taking the ASA 18A in 1998 with Seibel and Dunlap on the mound. Mike Wright's younger Eagles teams were great teams from 12U through 14U but went global and split to Chattanooga to play with the screamer (Chatin). This years Eagles totally unrelated to the above did win the 16U NSA East World but several teams in TN have made the finals - 14U Firebirds in 2000 - 14U Parker in 1998 - just to name a few. T.E. Elite has had a decent run from 1997 through 2002 with a best finish of 13 in the 18 gold but a good number of NSA and ASA state championships per team and a few region championships. The current 16U had top twenty finishes as 12U and 14U in the ASA Nationals and are currently under construction but will be back as top contenders. The Nighthawks win the longevity and lifetime achievement award. The current 16U Nighthawks are young but will be very talented. As 12U and 14U have had top 10 finishes in ASA National. Jeff White consistently provides good opportunities for a large number of girls I just hope he tries to go ASA route from now on. Brentwood Blues had a high ASA 18U finish this year at 9th with help from Rhodes. Should be a force this year. The Firebirds have been together 4 years and getting better. The single most talented team was the Sothern Attack a one year flash in the pan with too much talant and too many chiefs.

 

West TN Do they play fastpitch there? Just Kidding. They are the home of the formerly Nationally ranked St Benedict. Just Kidding. Since they play in a different State/Metro ASA district and are in the Region with Arkansas and Oklahoma we don't see much of them in the summer run. Someone help me out or dog me out on this.

[Edited by std on 11-14-02 8:36P]

 

[Indian]

Robertson played in 1994, her last year with Parker out of Chattanooga, 18s. I think just about everyone on that team signed Division I, UTC got a few of them. They team wasn't great but was solid, most of the girls were rising seniors. I think three of the players, at least, are coaches now, all 3 in Chattanooga. The year before, maybe years prior to that too she played with Falcons, didn't get to play in the nationals because she hurt her ankle (I think) in a tournament in Nashville. I thought the Parker teams were better in those 2 or 3 years, one year 5 or 6 seniors from the team went to Tennessee Tech and all really did well there (Candice Clark, Stacy Hughes, Tammy Lambert, some more).

[dropball]

Dang Steve(std), you a walkin' cyclopedia. Here I am having trouble figurin' out what I did this morning! Good recap of TN travel softball history! Thanks.

 

Be careful. Jack Kinney over at St. B is looking to change things for the Western part of the state. With the Spring Fling in their backyard, the Red devils...uh I mean St. B. will be hard to beat this year in HS ball.

[mchsballer]

... levels taking the ASA 18A in 1998 with Seibel and Dunlap on the mound.........

 

would you happen to be refering to Kim Dunlap?

[mchsballer]

Posted by dropball:

Dang Steve(std), you a walkin' cyclopedia. Here I am having trouble figurin' out what I did this morning! Good recap of TN travel softball history! Thanks.

 

Be careful. Jack Kinney over at St. B is looking to change things for the Western part of the state. With the Spring Fling in their backyard, the Red devils...uh I mean St. B. will be hard to beat this year in HS ball.

 

if your talkin about St.B in clarksville,how are they lookin?Elrod?

[dropball]

mchsballer, No. St. B. I was referring to is Saint Benedict in Germantown. A private school that should be very good this year.

 

Rossview (St. Bethlehem area/Clarksville), should do well this year as a second year team. They surprised several teams last year. Will they win their district? Maybe, but I don't think so. Dickson is still a big barrier to them. I think they will be a close second once again.

 

No doubt, the Elrod girl is a very good pitcher. She has done well and will be very successful. However, Dickson has depth. They have four pitchers, anyone of which could start on almost any other team in their district.

[Edited by dropball on 11-15-02 9:07A]

[Edited by dropball on 11-15-02 12:28P]

 

[cpss]

i am talking about claiming to be the oldest organization. i do know elite had other teams behind the original group.i think that the last group of the elite organization is in 16 this year. there are a lot of players out there that have played at one time or another with the nighthawks. so what is wrong with that picture? i am talking about teams that have for the most part players that have stayed together . elite had leslie baron, lindsey howard, carissa lowery, courtney boynton, jessica seymore, ashley dickerson, kristen stanfill, shelly floyd that stayed together to work as a team base for years. i believe steve dickerson and frankie matthews have jeff beat by a couple of years as far as being together as an organization. yes, we do have numbers that show a decline in teams. yes, it is in asa. in a meeting approx. 1 month ago asa in this region showed us the figures.

[FPFanatic]

cpss,

Although ASA itself may be down in numbers, it is probably

because there are about 14 dozen organizations having

tournaments that were not in existence here 10 years ago.

Then, there was not as much NSA, AFA, IFA, ISA, SEAA, etc.

not to mention USSSA, Dixie, Little League as well.

So it is more split up now which further dilutes the talent

by spreading it around among these different teams and

associations.

On the other hand, the NFCA shows that there has been in

increase in high school participation for each year, which

makes sense, since there are several more high schools in

existence now than ten years ago.

Overall, a lot more kids are playing now, they just may not

be playing ASA.

Also, due to problems, such as not having enough umpires,

like at one of the Chattanooga tournaments last summer,

may be as to why less teams may be playing ASA.

[Edited by FPFanatic on 11-15-02 11:43A]

 

[strikethree]

How many age groups did Elite have? I assumed organization to mean more than one team....