Getting Down!

[Dakota]

Originally posted by SamNVa
Some would say that ASA is to softball what Little League is to baseball. Basically it's one of the, if not the, largest sponsor of "recreational" softball in the country.

I would say, Sam, that your characterization of ASA vastly understates its influence, and and the same time is a bit perjorative.

ASA is the "official" USA softball body. By that I mean ASA is the umbrella organization for USA Softball, the sponsor of the USA Olympic team, and the official body for the other USA international play teams.

The comparison between ASA and LL baseball is only valid with respect to number of participants. Otherwise, there are vast differences. ASA uses professional umpires, LL does not (for example). ASA does not allow co-ed teams to play against single-gender teams, or boys teams to play against girls teams. LL does. This latter issue, BTW, turned the LL fastpitch softball championship into a complete farce in 2000.

ASA does have a large "recreational" program (in ASA-speak "recreational" means less competitive, and includes slowpitch as well as fastpitch), but I would venture to say that the traveling teams / leagues and associated ASA Championship play is by far the most competitive youth softball in the country. There is no doubt in my mind that the any of the top ten 16U / 18U ASA traveling teams in the last nationals would demolish most high school state championship teams. This is because the top ASA traveling teams are recruited teams, more like college teams. They are not town or school teams, and the top teams draw the best players from a wide geographic area.