Does anyone have experience with this organization in the NY/NJ/CT area?
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My son played on the one of the 14U teams that they took to Jupiter, FL this past summer for the USA Baseball tryouts. It was a great experience.
PM me if you have more specific questions.
PM me if you have more specific questions.
The tournaments they hold in the PA/NJ area are not the greatest. Some fields can be pretty bad. A few years ago they were better than they are now.
The last time I looked they were having trouble filling up tournaments.
Go to ectb.org to check out upcoming tournaments.
The last time I looked they were having trouble filling up tournaments.
Go to ectb.org to check out upcoming tournaments.
My understanding is ECTB is expanding into Connecticut. I've had teams involved in ECTB for five years. Our team of fifteen year olds played 16U last year.
At 11U and 12U we played in the Sunday doubleheader league as a sidebar to LL. The fields were as good as each team could secure as a home field.
At 13U and 14U there are a lot of teams. This is before kids and parents have figured out if the kid can really play. By 15U and 16U there are a lot less teams as kids drop out of the game.
Some of the tournament fields are terrible. Amazingly, many of these are high school baseball fields. In 14U and 15U we were fortunate to play a lot of games at the Bicentennial West complex and ECTB Stadium. The reason many of the fields are poor is ECTB gets their use free. What high school with nice fields would let tournament ball chew their field up all summer at no cost?
Two years ago, The Hit Doctor/Tri-State Aresenal started running their own ECTB tournaments in the Cherry Hill, NJ area. This took away much of the New Jersey competition from Pennsylvania, except for major tournaments.
Cust Academy (Jack Cust) in Flemington, NJ is building a tournament complex. It will be first class. Flemington isn't that far from Allentown, NJ. I expect this complex to be a dagger in the heart to ECTB.
In the fall the better teams play Berkshire Wood Bat Baseball in the Reading area. The fields are better. Tournaments guarantee one more game for a lower charge.
The team my son is on this year is only playing three ECTB tournaments (Memorial Day, 16U Super NIT and one other). These tournaments draw competition from all over. They'll play three other tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic area and a 17U WWBA in Georgia. They'll also play in an 18U scout league.
If you have any questions regarding ECTB, just ask either on the board or in a PM.
Update: I just checked the three tournaments. I'm not impressed with the overall competition. It looks like a downward spiral. I can't feel sorry for Shadler. He's made a lot of money over the past few years.
At 11U and 12U we played in the Sunday doubleheader league as a sidebar to LL. The fields were as good as each team could secure as a home field.
At 13U and 14U there are a lot of teams. This is before kids and parents have figured out if the kid can really play. By 15U and 16U there are a lot less teams as kids drop out of the game.
Some of the tournament fields are terrible. Amazingly, many of these are high school baseball fields. In 14U and 15U we were fortunate to play a lot of games at the Bicentennial West complex and ECTB Stadium. The reason many of the fields are poor is ECTB gets their use free. What high school with nice fields would let tournament ball chew their field up all summer at no cost?
Two years ago, The Hit Doctor/Tri-State Aresenal started running their own ECTB tournaments in the Cherry Hill, NJ area. This took away much of the New Jersey competition from Pennsylvania, except for major tournaments.
Cust Academy (Jack Cust) in Flemington, NJ is building a tournament complex. It will be first class. Flemington isn't that far from Allentown, NJ. I expect this complex to be a dagger in the heart to ECTB.
In the fall the better teams play Berkshire Wood Bat Baseball in the Reading area. The fields are better. Tournaments guarantee one more game for a lower charge.
The team my son is on this year is only playing three ECTB tournaments (Memorial Day, 16U Super NIT and one other). These tournaments draw competition from all over. They'll play three other tournaments in the Mid-Atlantic area and a 17U WWBA in Georgia. They'll also play in an 18U scout league.
If you have any questions regarding ECTB, just ask either on the board or in a PM.
Update: I just checked the three tournaments. I'm not impressed with the overall competition. It looks like a downward spiral. I can't feel sorry for Shadler. He's made a lot of money over the past few years.