Reply to "Best 15/16u Team this summer"

I will add my personal opinion for what it is worth....

Teams that have played in BBI at ages under 15 seem to have had a better shot at getting the votes as opposed to teams that were unfamiliar to the BBI Premier teams. As it has been said here and I have recommended to teams wanting to get into the 18U BBI Premier Divisions:

• Get to know the teams/coaches.
  
• Play in the BBI Select Division for one season.
  
• Play in similar tournaments that the better 16 and 18 teams play in. AABC Qualifiers are open tournaments and it's not too difficult to make the AABC post season if you're in a AABC league. The Metro Elite tourneys, PG and other local tourneys are venues that many of the Premier teams frequent. The buy-in national tourneys such as Triple Crown, USSSA, etc are just not attractive or considered quality by the better teams at ages 16-18.

I'm familiar with the teams of the BBI Premier Divisions and can tell you that those teams want to add more teams and openly discuss it at meetings. The challenge seems to be teams wanting to add other teams that are similarly oriented as far as summer goals. At the 18U level that would be high-profile players and tournaments. And let's face it....these days, someone's word that they are a deserving team is a far cry from the team that proves it.

I am not speaking here as a rep of our team or the division - it's just my $.02. Take it for what it's worth and don't give up on playng in the BBI Premier Division as it has become a fantastic avenue for competition and exposure.

It doesn't help your team's position to bash teams or call them a 'good old boys' group. That's pretty funny to most of us that know the main reason that the BBI Premier Divisions were created in the first place was to avoid that exact thing.

As the kids used to say....."Don't hate the player - hate the game."