SQ RBASouth Legal Wrangling
Interesting developments.
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SportsQuest continues to burn all kinds of bridges in Chesterfield County. I always thought a lease was a contract that wasn't voidable unless terms of the agreement were violated. But I'm not a lawyer, and the Holiday Inn was all booked up last night. In my opinion, the smarter option would have been for SportsQuest to look to partner with RBA South considering that their focus is more on lessons and providing a comprehensive program for their guys (training, instruction, travel teams, etc). The Braves seem to be most interested in using their name and rep in order to get the most kids possible to pay to play for their travel teams only. I could be wrong about the Braves focus. Also, RBAS may not have been interested.
Regardless, SportsQuest seems to think they can bully their way into dominance. I don't see it happening, and the thoughts of this "sports university" seem like a pipe dream to me. I could be wrong about some of the Olympic sports, but I can't see folks uprooting their families to move to Richmond for a baseball school. Florida, Arizona, or SoCal? Sure. But not Richmond. Just my opinion.
Regardless, SportsQuest seems to think they can bully their way into dominance. I don't see it happening, and the thoughts of this "sports university" seem like a pipe dream to me. I could be wrong about some of the Olympic sports, but I can't see folks uprooting their families to move to Richmond for a baseball school. Florida, Arizona, or SoCal? Sure. But not Richmond. Just my opinion.
quote:But I'm not a lawyer, and the Holiday Inn was all booked up last night.
EH - Too funny! Time will tell how this sorts itself out. We'll see if SportsQuest can deliver value to its customers, and the county. I know many people who have been rubbed the wrong way with their predatory business practices. If that continues, they will not win people over to their way of doing things.
quote:....to get the most kids possible to pay to play for their travel teams only. I could be wrong about the Braves focus. Also, RBAS may not have been interested.
From what I know, your assessment of the situation is 100% correct on both counts.
This situation was resolved by an agreement reached late last week, and everyone is happy.
What is now SportsQuest Baseball Academy is pretty much the former RISE baseball facility. It's been right across a parking lot from RBA South for 4 years now. SQ is changing a lot about that program, and I'll let them speak for themselves on that score. But the parties have agreed to co-exist as business competitors, just as has pretty much been the case for some time now.
What is now SportsQuest Baseball Academy is pretty much the former RISE baseball facility. It's been right across a parking lot from RBA South for 4 years now. SQ is changing a lot about that program, and I'll let them speak for themselves on that score. But the parties have agreed to co-exist as business competitors, just as has pretty much been the case for some time now.
Apparently the business model of Fencing and Speedskating didn't prove fruitful enough?
I thought Baseball was not even in the plans for this venture. In any event, good to see rba is going to come out ok on this deal. This isn't the time for local small businesses to be going bye-bye.
I thought Baseball was not even in the plans for this venture. In any event, good to see rba is going to come out ok on this deal. This isn't the time for local small businesses to be going bye-bye.
To be honest, I'm still not clear on exactly what SportsQuest intends to offer in baseball that's new.
I know that they are taking over the RISE baseball operation. And I know that they and the Braves are each using each other's names and endorsements. Beyond that, it's really not clear to me what the plans are.
When SQ was originally announced and promoted, the emphasis was on Olympic sports, and there was no mention of their being any baseball fields or other baseball facilities involved. (Actually I was diappointed at that.) If that changes that'd be great because we could definitely use more fields in the area, esp. if they are artificial turf like the rest of the complex is. It'd make a great location for tournaments, that's for sure. So if they're expanding so as to provide new and more baseball facilities to our area, I'm all for it. Between it being much closer to home for a lot of folks and it also replacing Va. Sports Complex, the timing would be great too. I just don't know yet if that's really what they have in mind.
The Braves and SQ have put out press releases about running team-oriented training out of SportsQuest Baseball Academy f/k/a RISE, but I'm still not clear how that works when your team's players are scattered all over the state and even out of state. If this signifies a program change from the Braves to emphasize people within the SQ service area, then that makes sense. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see families driving 2 hours each way a couple nights a week and on weekends to take indoor batting practice. It's travel baseball, not training for Olympic figure skating.
My personal opinion is that travel ball players are best served by a local team at least through age 14, maybe even 15. The emphasis up through then should be on instruction and game situations, and team practices should be part of the program.
As of ages 16-17, you're in the home stretch and the emphasis, for those still in it at that point, shifts towards exposure. At that age I think the kind of team that draws from all over and only gets together for their tournaments works best. The idea is to get your roster loaded with talent so that scouts find it worthwhile to come see you play, to the benefit of all on the team. And if that requires you to recruit from all over the map, so be it.
So I'm guessing the idea is to better organize the instructional teams under the Braves banner at the younger ages, and that the 16-17 ages will pretty much have to continue more or less as they have operated. But maybe someone more in the loop could clarify things for all of us.
I know that they are taking over the RISE baseball operation. And I know that they and the Braves are each using each other's names and endorsements. Beyond that, it's really not clear to me what the plans are.
When SQ was originally announced and promoted, the emphasis was on Olympic sports, and there was no mention of their being any baseball fields or other baseball facilities involved. (Actually I was diappointed at that.) If that changes that'd be great because we could definitely use more fields in the area, esp. if they are artificial turf like the rest of the complex is. It'd make a great location for tournaments, that's for sure. So if they're expanding so as to provide new and more baseball facilities to our area, I'm all for it. Between it being much closer to home for a lot of folks and it also replacing Va. Sports Complex, the timing would be great too. I just don't know yet if that's really what they have in mind.
The Braves and SQ have put out press releases about running team-oriented training out of SportsQuest Baseball Academy f/k/a RISE, but I'm still not clear how that works when your team's players are scattered all over the state and even out of state. If this signifies a program change from the Braves to emphasize people within the SQ service area, then that makes sense. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't see families driving 2 hours each way a couple nights a week and on weekends to take indoor batting practice. It's travel baseball, not training for Olympic figure skating.
My personal opinion is that travel ball players are best served by a local team at least through age 14, maybe even 15. The emphasis up through then should be on instruction and game situations, and team practices should be part of the program.
As of ages 16-17, you're in the home stretch and the emphasis, for those still in it at that point, shifts towards exposure. At that age I think the kind of team that draws from all over and only gets together for their tournaments works best. The idea is to get your roster loaded with talent so that scouts find it worthwhile to come see you play, to the benefit of all on the team. And if that requires you to recruit from all over the map, so be it.
So I'm guessing the idea is to better organize the instructional teams under the Braves banner at the younger ages, and that the 16-17 ages will pretty much have to continue more or less as they have operated. But maybe someone more in the loop could clarify things for all of us.