Need Input from SB world

[FC#3]

Fellas,
What do you think about this? I would love to put together a mini-series for Iowa Softball. There would be 4-6 dates and try to play in different locations around the state. For example; April-Early Bird @ Walker, May-Nevada, June-Cedar Rapids, July-Waterloo, August-Des Moines and have a finale type tournament at the end. Almost like a tour event.

Each tournament would give you points for the mini series and each one would be NSS qualifying as well. The final tournament we could have an all-star game east/west before the tournament starts. Would charge the same for every tournament and a portion would go to the tournament champion. This would just be a way to assure a tournament every month that would be worth playing. I would also work with some tournament directors who already have tournaments to see if they would like to participate.

To qualify for finale, you would have to play in at least 3 mini series tournaments.

This is obviously a work in action. I just want to know what you guys think? I am basically tired of trying to find a tournament to play in each month. This would allow at least 5-6 tournaments to be posted at the beginning of the year so everyone knows about them.

[MWS12]

IMO this is a GREAT idea! but you may need to figure out something with some of the tournament directors who have tournaments going on. but if it could fit with no major conflicts i think it would be a great idea.

[FC#3]

Yeah, the last thing I want to do is compete with other tournaments. That would defeat the purpose of this series. If there was not a tournament on a particular weekend, I would like to add one some place. This would also attempt to get DSM teams to go to the east and west side of the state and for those teams to come to DSM.

[Dan Pfeffer]

I think what Rex would like to do is get the existing tournaments in the Iowa Series and just get weekends lined up so everyone has a chance to play throughout the summer. It sounds like it got pretty tough after June for teams to get games in.

[CPR96]

Its hard for teams to get games in when they wont travel outside there own FN area code!!! Before teams start chiming in, we all know what teams we see at different places and the teams we see at one tourney outside of their backyard!!!

Hoff

[davies#9]

I have to agree with Hoff, a lot a teams in Iowa don't like to travel more then a few times a year. Softball in Iowa is dying. I am not sure why, not many young people are taking up the game, some say that all the young people want to do is play video games at home. I don't know the reason. Every now and then, teams picks up one young player and then a other team picks up another young player but that is about it in Iowa. You hardly ever see a team of young guys that stay together enough to get good. In the past ten years i think I have seen two teams of young players in my area. Young Bucks (out of Mason City) and Young Money (out of Grafton) and one of those teams don't play a lot of ball outside of Grafton, there are a few guys on that team that play on other teams but not the whole team. Mason City use to be able to have 5 or 6 tourny a year, plus Clear Lake use to have like 2-3, Charles City use to have 1-2. But now Mason City has like one other small tourny other then districts. In Minnesota softball is fine and maybe growing, just look at the number of hits on the Minneosta board compared to the Iowa board. I guess I don't have point to make other then softball in Iowa is in trouble.

[Dan Pfeffer]

Don't let the hits on the board determine Iowa Softball interest. They are all on waterloosoftball.com.

And if you put together a series of tournaments and get some more interest in something more organized, maybe we can get new interest in the sport.

dp

[pd 15]

I think the big question in regards to this, and I see no mention of it, is would you allow all classes to play? THAT is the problem in Iowa. No one lets any higher class teams in their tourney's. That is why Iowa Ball is dying. Up in MN, they pretty much welcome any teams into any tourneys. Even their "carney tourneys" as they call them.

[Dan Pfeffer]

I think the big question in regards to this, and I see no mention of it, is would you allow all classes to play? THAT is the problem in Iowa. No one lets any higher class teams in their tourney's. That is why Iowa Ball is dying. Up in MN, they pretty much welcome any teams into any tourneys. Even their "carney tourneys" as they call them.

Bingo!

[davies#9]

Waterloo does have a go number of people playing softball much more then in my area, but the Waterloo board can go weeks without have any new post.

As far a allowing any class of teams in tourny. I think you are right a lot of tournys shy away from anything above C and most tournys don't even want C teams. With that being said, I welcome all classes to my "Top of Iowa Early Bird" in Grafton, but I only get interest from class C, D, E teams. This is just me thinking out loud and maybe wrong but it seems that the higher teams only want to play tournys with high payouts.