[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

The complaint about college players is legit.

If you were referring to a showcase, you are correct. Otherwise, I don't think so.

College softball is a professional level sport. Most players are shocked when they get there. The regimen is NOTHING like high school, NOTHING like travel ball.

The players do NOT receive legal tender. They cannot spend, barter or trade their scholarship for goods or services of any type. They are offered the opportunity to attend a particular school for a particular period of time in exchange for their services as a recruiting tool.

True, many players at Gold Nats are committed, signed, etc. But then why do so many college coaches attend Gold Nats? They are there to see players. They want to see them on a level playing field; not against the hired guns that come back that are head and shoulders above the AMATEUR players. After all, it is the Amateur Softball Association.

And, again, they are not being paid. If they were, they would not qualify to to play in the NCAA. Yes, they are already in the NCAA, but eligibility requirements do not cease once in school. If anything, requirements and restrictions are more stringent.

Coaches go to see players on a predetermined list at a high level of competition. If teams having college players is such a bad thing, then you have to ask yourself why the coaches continue to come? Are they that stupid? I don't think so, but as I have noted previously, the coaches with whom I have spoken prefer to see their prospects under stress and where else can you get a more stressful and competitive situation for a player than at an ASA National tournament against the best.

And why does ASA charge them $100 for the book?

Oh, I don't know, to cover the cost?

There are coaches bring in the hired guns so that they can WIN a Nationals for the purpose of recruiting players in subsequent seasons. Why? Because ASA has declared them as eligible.

Not true, ASA makes no such declaration. The player simply enjoys the same eligibility afforded EVERY female in the country who meets the specific requirments set forth in the code and AFA JO ball, none refer to any particular instituion, educational or otherwise.

Some argue that by keeping the college players as eligible allows college coaches to see these players actually play against college players. The flaw in this thinking is that the college players are evenly distributed across all the teams, and that all players are equally challenged. Bull hockey!

College coaches want to see these players in their own element and how these players stack up against the rest of the field, not against college players.

So if the college coaches are against this, why do they allow their players to participate?

To use the "straw man" that ASA exists ONLY to be the NGB, and that college recruiting is not a concern of the ASA, is a weak excuse to ignore significant issues that detract from the integrity of the JO program.

Hey, Mr. Pot, ever meet Mr. Kettle?

To say that these coaches are "whining" clearly demonstrates the unwillingness of the ASA to listen to its registered members. Like the CEO's of many failed companies who said, "To hell with what the customers are saying, they don't know anything about what they REALLY want in a product. They'll be back, heh, heh." I worked for a company like that once and yes the customers did come back and they said, "All right, where do I sign this damned thing?" It worked for a while, but one day, POOF they were gone.

This is almost as absurd as some of your arguments guised as an umpire.

Again, ASA's job is to promote the game of softball to ALL, not just those hoping for an education which is so far from free AAA couldn't get you there.. It is also to provide a path for determining a national champion, developing and assembling a national team to represent the USA.

But, as usual, no one is willing to own up to the fact that the people in control of the entire situation are................ready.................think you can handle this Tony?............................................. ............the coaches!

If the college coaches don't want them to play in the 18U anything, all they have to do is say the word. Period! How many college players are going to participate at any level after their coaches instructed them to not and well aware that the coach WILL find out and pull the scholarship?

Sorry, Tony, but Straw Man is on your roster.