quote:Originally posted by PappaJoe:
Lastly, I don't think you would be so defensive about all of this if you knew you had a quality product to offer players and teams. You've probably heard this all before I'm sure. Let the real tournament hosts run the events, those organizations do a pretty good job, better than the AAU events for sure.
Actually Pappa, I take offense because I KNOW how hard we have worked and that we have tried to do things the right way. I do feel bad that you apparently had a bad experience at one of the tournaments we've hosted. I truly believe that your experience is the exception and not the rule where most teams are concerned. The overwhelming majority of coaches and parents that I have spoken with over the past couple years have commented how hard we worked to make sure the diamonds were groomed and lined before each game or how hard we worked to combat Mother Nature when she decided to rain on our day of games or how competitive the tournament was.
As for AAU not being what you want it to be or what it once was, there is nothing I can say or do about it except to say that they are not alone. My son's 13U team, about 4 years ago, won the USSSA Nationals. There were only either 8 or 10 teams in the tournament. Most of the "Old" sanctioning bodies have taken a hit from the new players in the game. Perhaps it's just me, but I liked it the way it used to be with AAU, USSSA, etc. The competition was good and the people running the tournaments were all in it for the right reasons. Back then, a travel team could host a tournament to help offset the player fees and try to keep the cost to the parents reasonable. Any more, it seems like there is a host of professional companies that are taking that option away from the private groups and teams. They are strictly in it for the money and really provide nothing for the kids. They are not building a "Team" or a "Facility" to give kids a place to play or work out of. They are not helping to fund a "Travel" program or putting the money they make to good use. The only kids benefiting from their profit are the kids whose last names happen to be the same as theirs. They take the money, put it in their pockets and run. I do not include PG in with this group. They are a "Professional" company, but they do at least provide a valuable service to the kids by helping to get their names out there. I also don't mind "Professional" companies who actually "own" a facility. They are, in my opion, building a location for kids to play and I realize that they do have to make money to keep the doors open. The other companies, like Pastime, ETS Sports, etc. are not doing anything but taking opportunities away from some of the older established organizations like AAU, USSSA, USTOC, etc. who, again, did if for the right reasons.
In my opinion, as right or wrong as it may be, is one of many things that are wrong with youth sports today. The professionals have taken it over. It's no longer about building something for the kids, it's about how much money can we put in our pockets.
I'll get off my soap box now. Again, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with our tournament. I promise you we did do the best we could to accommodate every team that played. It will be no different with this year's tournaments. We will do the best we can because we care about the sport and the kids. We're not doing it just to line our personal pockets.
Again, good luck playing in tournaments ran by the "real tournament hosts".