I have a question for some of you that have maybe dealt with Usssa baseball longer than I have. I am asking for some input as to how some of you might handle this and if any of you have had similar situations with Usssa Baseball. Long post so beware LOL.
Usssa just implemented a new rule this fall that wasnt published or in written form and very vague that stated any player who has AAA or Major classification history could not play for a AA team. This rule plays in to the issue I am writing about.
My son was asked this last weekend to play with a AA team the night before the tournament. The team he was asked to play on only had 8 kids because two of them called the coach that night and couldnt play because they were sick.
The coach of this AA team told me that if my son couldnt play they would have to add an 8 year old to their 11u roster. We agree to guest play with them just to help out a friend.
So this coach called the tournament director here in Orlando and told him he had added my son to the roster and told him his teams situation.
The tournament director told this coach that my son could not play because he has Major classification history. Now my son is 10 years old, he is not a homerun hitter or a pitcher. He is just a solid ball player.
Well this coach asked the tournament director why my son couldnt play because of his major history since over half of the teams in this tournament had multiple kids with major classification history on their rosters.
One of the teams even had 4 of my sons 10u Major team kids on it from last year. This team was one of the top 10u major teams in Florida last year. Another team had a active kid on their roster that was also on a 12u Major roster. It goes on and on.
Well this upset me and got me to asking myself why would this tournament director single out my son to apply these new rules to but not to anyone else.
SIDE NOTE: This tournament Direct and I have a history.
So I decided to file a complaint with USSSA for discrimination and Unfair Practices against this tournament director. This was on Saturday.
So since we were not playing on Sunday my son wanted to go out and see some of his buddies who were playing that day. Just like some of you we are a baseball family and would rather spend time at the ball park then go to Disney or the beach. This is where all of our friends go as well.
Well while we were there at the tournament talking with our friends. The tournament director comes up to us in front of my wifes friends and my 10 year old sons and tells us.
To get out of his ball park that this was a private function and if we didnt leave in 2 mins he would have us arrested for trespassing and that he didnt care if I filed a complaint with the President of the United States.
I have spoken to some members of Usssa but it seems based on what has transpired that nothing is being done. I feel maybe they believe I will just drop this if its ignored.
So my question to most of you is how would you handle this.
Do you just let it go and allow them to apply the rules only to a certain few?
Would you pursue this legally?
Do you try to rally media, friends and peers to combat this?
What do you tell your kid?
Thanks for the advice.
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