Florida Local Assn. Consolidated by ASA
 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- The Amateur Softball Association (ASA), a volunteer driven, not-for-profit organization, is seeking applicants for the position of Commissioner for the Florida ASA association. By action of the ASA Board of Directors, Central Florida, Florida First Coast, North Florida, South Florida and West Central Florida will now be a combined into one Florida ASA association.

What's it pay?

Probably the same amount you received for typing that post :rolleyes:

Does that become as huge ans association as it looks like?

I think it does and really, doesn't make any sense.

Larry, what do you think? Any affect on the umpires with this consolidation?

I'd be glad to nominate my local district commissioner - I'd be glad to have him move to a different state!:D

Mike, are you not on the mailing list of registrations from Steve Walker? I could send it to you, if you want.

Geographically, this may be large, but the fact is that none of these were really large organizations. As a point of comparison, our unified Georgia registered approx 4500 teams in 2008, where the largest of these 5 had 2300, and the newly consolidated would have about 7300. This would be the 5th largest association; still below Texas, Indiana, Pennsylvania and SoCal, just ahead of Indiana and Oklahoma.

Umpire registration for all 5 was less than 900; that places them 9th. Not a great representation for a state with 12 months playing time.

From a management standpoint, 4 less commissioners, 4 less UIC's, 4 less JO Commissioners; one added At Large Player Rep (they had two among the 5 associations, now 3 with 7300). I predict Tony Galloway would be the unified Commissioner, Carlton Benton the JO Commissioner (and a Player Rep), and Morris Uhler as another Player Rep. The smaller associations with little market presence lose out in representation, although certainly the former Commissioners would have some District or Zone title.

With the agreed consolidation of Boston into Massachusetts, and expected (by me, anyway) of Philadelphia into Pennsylvania, I think there is a clear movement that should have other associations concerned.

Schizznits! This is what I am afeared will happen with Seattle Tacoma and WA in the next year. Yikes!

Do you know something I don't? I had not heard such a thing, well since our last guy was fired ... or quit.

This happened in Nebraska. Omaha and Nebraska were two separate associations, then somehow Omaha went into some type of disarray. Nebraska absorbed Omaha, but didn't create it as a new district within the association, but rather a sub-district unto its own. Now we see no difference in how things run compared to the past.

Metro Phoenix was absorbed into Arizona ASA a couple of years ago..still going through some issues...It's starting to come around, though...the toughest part is getting the leadership of the old "metro" association to buy into the new, larger organization.

The rumblings I have heard are that ASA eventually wants to eliminate all metro associations and just have 50 state associations.

From my perspective way out here in the Panhandle, it is probably a good idea. While ASA slow pitch seems pretty strong in FL, fast pitch needs help. Too many teams play in other alphabets. Heck, Pensacola hosted "The United Southern Girls Fast Pitch 'World Series,'" featuring teams from at least 7 states (and no foreign countries, Mike). I hope the consolidation strengthens ASA fast pitch in Florida. We have a lot of good softball players and a lot of good umpires. But we need some leadership!

That may be a bit difficult with larger states such as Texas or California. Areas with high populations and a large number of registered teams will need a bit more attention than more sparsely-populated areas.

In some ways, this was what was happening in Omaha. It seemed like the fast-pitch folks wanted to have their way, while pushing the slow-pitch folks away. Created all kinds of cluster f&*ks for the teams who were trying to qualify for nationals. The absorption that I spoke of earlier resolved a lot of the issues, and now we have none of the problems we had in the past.

Tulsa Metro disbanded and joined Oklahoma ASA. Nothing but problems thus far (4 years or so). All we get is OASA coming in giving a 2 hour clinic in the spring, taking our registration fees, and see ya later! We are working on trying to get things better but it is slow going.

Hope it goes better in Florida.