2010 ASA Nationals: August 1-8

The Amateur Softball Association will be holding age-group championships next week and the sad development is that no Southern Arizona team will be attending the 10U, 12U, 14U or 18 Gold championships this year.

Can this be good for the future for one of the hottest softball regions in the world?

The success and the exposure of softball in our region has caused an explosion in the number of teams that has not coincided with an explosion of talent to some degree. What was once a handful of dominating teams only a few years ago has turned into dozens of watered down clubs at the younger ages.

Many of those new teams are run by coaches who have no idea about the ASA structure and the importance of Nationals.

My older daughter Brittney (CDO) attended ASA nationals from age 9 to 16, beginning with a trip to 10U nationals on a team that had Megan Morrison (Foothills/North Carolina), Emily Pohl (Cienega/Colorado State), Bailey Wigness (Casa Grande/ASU), Mattie Fowler (CDO/Nebraska), Nicole Rascon (Salpointe/Yavapai), Noelle Devlin (Foothills) and a little-known dominating pitcher named Kenzie Fowler (CDO/Arizona).

The message for young coaches is that you never know what the future holds. Stick with it, there may be a future star on your roster right now and it may be the one sitting at the end of the bench.

18 Gold? Most players at that level have already been signed. It was so bad that the ASA decided that teams can no longer have college players on their roster if they wish to attend the highest level of competition.

The reason for attending 18 Gold had gradually shifted from college exposure for unsigned players to team exposure. It became a showcase where the top clubs in the nation attended much like the top names in any industry attend their conventions. It was a place to get your team seen. The emphasis became winning the tournament over giving unsigned players on a team a chance to be seen by coaches.

Teams would throw out their dominating full-scholarship pitcher while others sat the bench.

The removal of college players at the 18 Gold level may once again offer college coaches a last chance to see top talent that had gone unseen at the 14-16 ages.

But, the 18 Gold championship used to take place a week after the other age-groups had theirs. Now, a college coach will have to choose between snatching a top talent at the highly regarded 16U nationals or picking through unsigned seniors and graduates.

Where would you spend your recruiting budget? If you need immediate help then 18 Gold and 18U would be logical but if you wanted to sustain a program then the 16U nationals is where you need to be. 14U? No, this isn’t boys basketball. 8th graders aren’t ranked (only by dads on message boards).

Tucson to host 10U B Western Nationals

Tucson has a tremendous opportunity in that we will be hosting the 10U B Western Nationals next week starting August 3rd. Games are scheduled for Lincoln Park, Golf Links, Udall Memorial and Jesse Owens.

Teams from around the country will be arriving on Sunday and Monday in order to take part in drawing their team’s name for Pool Play, Skills Contests, Opening Ceremonies and Pin Trading. Much of that will take place at the Children’s Outdoor Performance Area behind Lincoln Park.

With a big hint to other local media, there will be a parade of teams at 4:30 pm on Monday, August 2.

Pool Play begins on Tuesday, August 3.

Thursday night features a special Fun Night at Golf n’ Stuff for all the teams. The place will be closed to the general public.

Elimination Brackets begin on Wednesday and conclude on Sunday.

There will be a charge to attend the games and tournament passes can be purchased for $30 for the week if you are an adult or for $15 if you are a senior or youth. Kids under five get in free. Daily passes are available for $8 and $4.

There are 40 teams registered to date. If you are one of the local 10U teams listed below then please email me your roster.

Local Teams & Connections:

10U B Western
Tucson (August 3-8)

2000 AZ Cats
Desert Cobras
El Rio Aftershock
Las Ninas Heat
Oro Valley Blue Thunder
Sierra Vista Diamonds
Tucson Impulse 99
Safford Suncats
Blue Angels

14U
Moline, Illinois

Scottsdale Fever 95
Ashlen Vega, Sabino

16U
College Station

AZ Desert Thunder
Kayla Henry, CDO
Mattie Fowler, CDO (Nebraska)
Sammi Noland, CDO (Nebraska)
Hannah Sullivan, CDO
Val Mendoza, CDO
Danielle Colwill, Ridge
Mariah Rodriguez, Mt. View
Chelsea Dohrwardt, Tucson (New Mexico State)
Kaitlin Wilson, Buena
Morgan McKeever, Sahuaro
Betsy Erickson, Sahuaro
Nikki Dunlap, Willcox
Kayla Laguna, Salpointe

AZ Hotshots Creed (Phoenix)
Dana Hughes, Salpointe

Tucson Team Velocity
Adriana Rosthenhausler, Sunnyside
Celina Martinez, Cienega
Lauren Robinson, Ridge
Sarah Andrews, Cienega
Stephanie Tatham, Cienega
Liz Mata, Flowing Wells
Katelin Vaughn, CDO
Danielle Stensby, Buena
Jenna Bodman, Marana
Ashley Curtis, Salpointe
Kristal Whiteside, Seton
Sarah Rodriguez, Ridge
Ali Curtis

18U
Hemet, California

Team Force
Briana Dohogne, CDO
Allison Hervey, Cienega
Rebecca Mullin, Sahuaro (Pima)
Chelsea Gourdin, Marana (Pima)
Emily McSherry, CDO
Veronica Tartaglia, Douglas
Alexa Cash, Cienega (Colorado State)
Katherine Peters, CDO
MJ Lawson, Foothills (Belmont)
Hailey Oesterling, Marana
Kaitie Morgan, Salpointe
Kristi Shepherd, Marana (Pima)
Kiley Raica, CDO
Kimberly Johnson, Cienega (Belmont)
Alex Steinmehl, Marana

Tucson Elite Gold
Gemma Contreras, Salpointe
Noelle Devlin, Foothills
Abriel Hernandez, Salpointe
Monet Medina, Cholla (College of So. Nevada)
Noelle Medina, San Manuel
Miraya Montiel, Salpointe (Yavapai)
Alejandra Ortiz, Tucson
Paige Peterson, Salpointe
Estela Pinon, Sunnyside (Yavapai)
Nicole Rascon, Salpointe (Yavapai)
Marissa Spangler, CDO
Amanda Spradling, Sunnyside
Desaray Akins, Sunnyside

Tucson Pure Lightning
Gabi Ruiz, Salpointe
Taylor Riesgo, Sabino
Shawna Comeaux, Sabino
Aubre Carpenter, Sabino
Kelsie Lundgren, Sabino
Amber Calvillo, Tucson
AJ DeVeny, Mountain View
Robin Landrith, Ridge
Val Luera, Cienega
Alyssa Fletcher, Sabino

Tucson Scramblers

This entry was posted on Friday, July 30th, 2010 at 8:55 am and is filed under Sports. Tags for this post: Amateur Softball Association, Kenzie Fowler. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.