Topic: 16U s fall ball

watered down? except for Team Long Island 16's.  This is a very good team. Should win more than a few tournaments. 

The Express also have some very good 16 teams,  too bad not consolidated.

A Bandit team will also be very competive.  

That Team Long Island team is actually a 14U team that plays up. They're good, for a 14U team playing against mediocre 16 teams. I'm pretty sure that's also the case of the Bandit team you're talking about. The legit 16 talent is playing at 18s, as it always does. 

The Team Long Island 16U Team that calls themselves a Gold Team is a good 16U team with some 14 and 15 year olds and they do play up. But since the defection of their # 1 Stud Ace Pitcher to New Jersey they are a VERY GOOD  local 16U TEAM playing up as they should do. Their 14U Team is a good team also playing up also and so on down the line with the Team Long Islands younger teams. But they too have become a victim of the watering down of the talent pool.

 Long Island Express has 3, 16U teams. Some one tell me what is going on here, they should have one 16U team that is a feeder to the 18U Gold Team and I use that word Gold, very loosely. The second and third 16 U teams are probably made up of girls that can't play anywhere else or are at best decent 14U's playing up. Don't you all see it is about the money.`They play for the Express and they stay in the Express system and use and pay for the lessons and facilities of the head guy.

In all fairness, I love Girls travel softball but  Long Island is the land of the dream and once these teams step out of the watered down, fantasy world, of long Island softball and play National teams it is one and done. Just Like Team Long Island Gold at the ASA National Nationals in Kentucky last year, even with their #1 Ace Stud they still went one and done.

Lets all get real and let's enjoy the game for what it is and feel good for the handful of girls that may get a chance to play D1 ball, instaed of fantasizing about National Gold Teams and the like.  Sorry to ruin he dream.

IS IT REALLY A TRYOUT IF EVERYONE THAT SHOWS UP MAKES THE TEAM?

AS FOR THE MONEY.......THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DONT FORCE THIER PLAYERS OR TEAMS TO USE THE FACILITY THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE ORGANIZATION OWNS. HOW DO YOU NOT SEE THRU THAT?

I'm pretty sure they have, without actually saying that they have. Their 16U Red team is obviously the "C" team of the girls who just didn't make any of the other teams. The 16U Blue team looks like a bunch of girls who were in the organization over the last couple of years who didn't make the 18U Elite squad, it looks like mostly 2010s with a couple of 2011s. The 16U White team looks like a first year 16U team, which for the most part will probably feed into the 18U program in the next couple of years. Do I think it's crazy for any organization to carry 3 teams at any age group? Yes, but it's the way they're doing things and honestly the Express is a good organization with good coaching, so I don't really see the harm in it. Also, the 16 teams don't seem to be attending Showcases yet, so it's really not a concern at this point. Passante has been careful with both of their 18 teams, showcasing at the correct level and I don't see any evidence that he won't continue to be so. With two teams at the 18U age bracket next summer (3 if you count the Anthem Express), these 16 teams won't even be applying to the same higher tier showcase tournaments the 18U teams will be competing in, so it's not like they're going to be able to pull a fast one on these tournaments, even if they wanted to (which I don't think is the case).

I don't see anything wrong with having several teams as it gives more girls an opportunity to play a game and develop.  Otherwise, you'd have more young girls simply hanging around and watching TV.

HOWEVER, if the purpose is to provide monetary support for a "Gold" or "Elite" or an upper age level team, then I have a problem with that unless that is fully disclosed to the players and parents.  It is totally wrong to deceive the parents and players.

AND as someone pointed out in regard to the Express, if this is a business ploy on the part of Passante to simply have "captive" students at "The Cage" to line his own pockets - then that is doubly wrong.  I was a bit alarmed to read that he requires his players to attend "The Cage" which he of course owns and which means added revenue for him.  That is not the kind of "volunteer" coaching I like to hear about.  I hope that is not true.  Does he charge these players?  Other teams have pitching equipment, etc and can teach their players outside without charge.  And when they rent a gym during the winter, the cost is somewhat minimal.  So if someone out there is saying in effect that Express has so many teams and so many players simply so that Passante can have more paying "students" at The Cage and in effect running his business off the Express organization - if that is true, then it is totally wrong.

Sorry - I don't buy that.

EVERY coach out there sacrifices income and time and some lay out monies from their own pockets for the team to make this work. Passante is not the only coach sacrificing.  So don't give me that sorry line of BS!  All coaches take vacation time and other personal days off from work to be with their teams - and they don't get compensated at all.  And many don't have any kids on the team at all - and they are not in the business of self-promotion either.  They do it out of the love of the kids and the sport.  Not to make money.

And lots of teams could have put out more teams if they wanted and felt it was needed.  I went to a few tryouts and all had more players trying out than they could use.  Those organizations also could have formed more teams.  So its not like everyone on the Island is clamoring to be a member of the Express as you make it sound!  They are good - but not that good!  There was a reason Express added more teams than the other organizations - and that is what that poster is driving at - why?  Was it simply to give more girls a place and team to play on (which is very laudable) or is it to subsidize the other better  teams in that organization and add to the business of one of the coaches as that poster said (which is deplorable)?

Now mind you, I think having more teams is good - it lets more girls play and possibly develop instead of watching TV and hanging around and getting into trouble.  My issue is whether teams are being formed simply to promote one's business, and to subsidize the older and "Golder" and more "Elite" teams.  That was what one poster said was happening with the Express.  I am not saying that Passante did that - I do not know.  But if he did - then shame on him.

Those others have not been previously discussed by this group but certainly if they are doing as Passante may be doing, then that is not right by them either.  But I have not heard anyone complain about them and frankly I don't know anything about them.

But since you brought up the LI Express, let me say this.  Kevin Sheehy is a great guy - I agree with you on that.

I did speak with several Express players, parents and two Express coaches about this issue first brought up by GoGreen (who apparently disappeared afterwards).  I was told that working out at The Cage is not mandatory HOWEVER it is built into the fees so if you don't use it, you still pay for it.  So that part I do not like.  Also doesn't it sort of squeeze outside coaches because now parents must pay twice if they don't use The Cage?

Then I observed one of the Express games and what do I see - all coaches have on identical jackets with the team logo "LI Express" in small letters on the chest and "THE CAGE" written in huge letters across the back.  That sounds like someone is advertising their business.  Do these men coach for the Express or The Cage?  I have yet to see any other team advertising a business. 

Combine that with The Cage usage built into the fee structure whether you use it or not, and the numerous teams, and I begin to think like GoGreen that the team is being run as a profitable business opportunity.

And I am not attacking the coaching quality which I am sure is fine (the teams do well and the players seem to like the coaches) - just the possibility that a team is being run as a profitable business opportunity for a coach - I don't like that aspect.

That is exactly the point raised in the earlier posts. A vehicle to promote a business with a captive audience. What choice do they have ? Could that explain why there are so many Express Teams ( 3 or 4 16U's) of different ability and no one gets cut or let go??  When you sell the dream to the parents they will pay anything until they realize the dream is nothing more than a finanical nightmare to promote someone else's personal agenda. Enough of the "give the kids a place to play crap" if that is the case than let them practice for free!!