I am in NW Ohio....so I can help with some of the "local stuff". Pastime tourneys have really gotten to be good, competitive tourneys over the past couple of years. We played in several at 14U-16U. Of course you'll run into a weaker team or two, but most of the teams are good. Playing at the tourneys at bigger venues (U of M /Ohio State / ND) seems to draw the best competition as the lure of playing at the big stadiums is a huge draw. I'd also strongly consider Rick Goff's Michigan Major Elite. He kind of got shafted by the USSSA guys, but his tourney continues to bring in big names from all over the midwest. Any of the Cincy Flames events are good as far as competiton and field...but be prepared to drive as much as an hour from your hotel....sometimes twice a day...lol. You'll hear a lot about the Black Swamp tourney in NW Ohio...skip it..the competition isn't nearly as good as the other tourneys I've mentioned. When you get to 16U if you really want to play the best and not have to go too far from home, look into the Midwest Prospect League, run by the Indiana Bulls I believe....and the All Prospect WS run by the Midwest Pelicans from Cleveland.