Topic: Best Travel Teams, Part 2.

Time to start afresh. The last post was getting a bit too pointed.  I believe there is a NJ tournament this weekend? Sept. 13, 14.

Who's going from the Island?

My 2 cents - I just reviewed some of the new 18u rosters,  and pitching wise, I see alot of quantity but not alot of quality.  Teams are going 5-6 pitchers deep - and on most of the teams the true prospects are limited to the first two pitchers.  Really, how many teams are going to showcase more than 3 or maybe 4 pitchers every weekend?  The backend pitchers are kidding themselves if they think the value of being on Team X, an "elite, gold, or whatever brand name", is worth the effort if they're not going to pitch much.  Much better off being on less than household name team and pitching 1-2-3 IMHO.

Gold, Elite, Snob whatever.  It doesn't seem to make much of a difference because a quick glance of Long Island schedules seems that every team seems to be entered in the NewtonApplesBreakersBrookhavenOutlawHavoc ShowcasePennesburyTNT etc. showcase before heading to Florida in late Oct.

One would hope that the backend pitchers have excelled at other positions, at this stage they should know the deal or see the writing on the wall -   there are very FEW pitchers that we have mentioned in these forums that will be recruited as a "Pitcher"

I agree, I would rather attend the same showcases and be on a less than household name team and get some playing time- problem is, that sometimes the Colleges know the "names" and those are the games they target - unfortunately.  

I agree with you UofArizonabound and Softballmom.  "Gold" is overwrought.  Much better to play on a somewhat lesser (bot not a weak) team than sit on a "Gold".  Many of the team go into the same tournaments anyway.

The fact that "Gold" teams may be better known works for and against players trying to get into clleges. Coleges which ae not the softball powerhouses might feel they don't have much chance to gt those players and may instead concentrate their efforts on the lesser known teams hoping to pick up a gem that way.

But I also think that colleges do not look at "Gold" teams and then just inundate players with unsoliited offers either.   The player's interest for that college must be there first and the player must let the college know first that the player is interested and THEN the college will come to take a look. 

Since the vast majority of the players will attend small and medium sized colleges in the NorthEast and MidAtlantic, it only makes sense to play games and tournaments in the NorthEast and MidAtlantic where it is easy for those colleges to attend.

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS

 bingo. if your kid has talent, no worries.  if not, then you're fooling yourself about "gold" status. thank you for your donation.