JMU31

I am sure anything can happen but would it be a huge upset for anyone to beat NDA?

So what your saying is HHS got favorable calls this game? 5-1 vs 0-0 is a big difference I doubt the refs made that much of a difference unless Beechwood got robbed yesterday.

Prayers to his family and his team.

I think it has more to do with they usually come to see certain players or certain teams and in pool play barring any rain they know when and where those teams are playing. If they get to catch some games in between that's great but most just don't sit down at a game and find their next great player. I am sure it happens but not very often.

She's been better, banged her knee up pretty good when a girl landed on her doing some type of ROTC some conditioning drill, been out about a month so missed about half the fall games and practices. She's feeling better know and they think its ok but coach is making her get an MRI thursday just in case before returning to conditioning and individuals. She's busy!!

Yeah that sucks for you guys, wasn't much better at the main complex but it was better. When I read your post all I could think about was the line from Dirty Dancing "nobody sticks baby in the corner!!"

I wish he would to that way he may learn something to help those girls out...could be a rough year for the fish eaters..

You are probably correct but at least my car didn't get broken into!! If anyone has an extra pair of spikes FBD will take them off your hands!! We have several visits set up do this past weekend so maybe I shouldnt complain

The top 50 Showcase was held in Indy this past week and I got to see several NKY kids play. Several local girls played with the Cincy static north team and played against my team. (sorry don't know all their names) All I can say is good coaching beats good teams, sorry girls!!! The tourney wasn't great in my mind as far as good teams and there wasn't a great turn out as far as coaches go. Midwest sucks in my mind, I believe they charge parents $8 a day to get in and the food sucks and the prices are high, and most of all there wasn't enough coaches there!!

This appears to be a huge let down for NCC, what seems to be the problem?

I have a feeling your report is not going to be positive!

11HR in the summer is big time, congrats to her. Hopefully she gets the looks she needs.

I play to win every game in a showcase, we just do it in a different way. I expect to score the runner from first but I want my girls to hit her in not bunt her in. I think its just a mind set, I have two pitchers one is clearly ahead of the other but they split pitching time, I don't expect to lose when my number 2 comes in the game. You can still play to win and play hard and showcase your kids with out bunting every chance you get.

From my exp in a big tourney with a lot of coaches present you will see a ton a coaches early in a tourney during pool play and when bracket play starts either late sat or sunday its a ghost town as far as college coaches goes.

Well my team gets the best of both worlds bc they get to hit and every other team bunts like crazy so they get to show the skills you are talking about!!

I would agree but wasn't it so much fun!

[QUOTE=EasyG;4807499]My reply isn't meant to be a universal answer that applies to all games/schools/etc., but I think lower skill level and diverse athletic ability create an environment ripe for increased physical and/or dangerous play. The kids want to be competitive and they are cheered when they offer 100% effort, so if they lack in some skill or athletic ability, they'll resort to fouling to maintain some level of competitiveness. There is nothing wrong with physical play that falls within the rules, but that can be a wavy line for some. There's little doubt that dangerous play can escalate quickly and it helps to have a strong officiating crew to get it turned around but I think there are two very important groups missing from the list of "who to blame": coaches & players. Coaches are the leaders, they set the example, they guide their players. Secondly, I think players have a responsibility to avoid dangerous play. And I put the referees third. They are left to judge and apply the rules. If the first two do their job ... it never gets to the third. It may sound idealistic, but I think the responsibility and professionalism that coaches and players maintain at higher levels of play is the reason you've noticed a safer environment at the college level. I know I missed the role of the parents in this discussion, but I think sports should be one of those activities that parents should take a back seat. Sports should be an opportunity to let your kids learn from others. Maybe the most important role of the parent is to remove their kids from the activity when coaches, players, and refs aren't holding up their end of the bargain. Or at least have open discussions with their kids about these instances when they occur. I would tend to disagree with this first part, having a daughter that played the previous 4 years I would say the skilled players were by far the most physical of them all. Sure a couple of girls that maybe were not as skilled my get a cheap shot in when they could but so did the skilled players. My daughter played with Sam Bradford from HC when she was a senior, she kicked the crap out of everyone and she went D1 to UAB. Most of NDA's players are always skilled but they are also very physical. They send a lot of kids to college. Libby Leedom was probably the best player to come out of NKY in years and even though she is very skilled she got her hands dirty when she needed to. My daughter was a very physical player actually breaking a goalies nose her freshman year, she didn't recieve a card or anything it was just one of those tough plays. She scored upwards of 40 goals in a little under 3 years, wasn't the most skilled player but had to be doing something right to put those numbers up.

Over the last couple of weeks we have played in several college showcases. Remember college showcases mean nothing as far as wins and loses we don't even turn in final scores. Half the time we don't even keep a book for the other team and its usually free substitutions and unlimited free runners and bat your whole lineup. That being said every time we play a team as soon as they get a runner on they are trying to sacrifice bunt her to the next base with college coaches in attendence. Does anyone think a college coach who may get lucky to see a couple of bats for each kid a weekend or for that matter in a whole season wants to watch a young lady square around to bunt. Is there any chance in hell a coach is going to recruit a kid to sacrifice bunt. If its in the girls DNA to bunt and she is trying to bunt for a hit that's one thing but I just don't get it they are doing a real inservice to their kids. I know I have a big name team and most travel ball teams would love to beat us but really would you rather beat us or give your player the best chance to show off her skills in front of a college coach. This past weekend against a very good team in Ohio a coach bunted every chance they could and on 3 different times had a runner stike out trying to bunt. UK was there to watch one of his girls she bunted 2 of her 3 times at bat. I can tell you for a fact Rachel Lawson almost never wants to see a kid sacrifice bunt in a showcase type game. We have played almost 20 games so far this fall and I am pretty certain I haven't called for a sacrifice bunt. In some cases I wounder if it may hurt us down the line bc we have almost no game practice doing it but we only have 3 times when we need to win in the next year so if it cost us one of those times I think I will be ok bc I know we let the girls get as many ab's as they could in the process.

Well FBD is all things Sluggers so I tend to side with him.

Was his kid the only Slugger on Mercy's team?

Congrats to NCC exp Sam B, glad to see her doing well.

And since your unnecessay, mean and nasty attacks about the Big Green Horse's stat taking ran him off, there is not a lot of people to pick on!!

Just an easy target!! Sorry I will move on to more important people...

Come on we know ambulance chasing attorney's due well, at least that is what Lawnboy tells me!! Like I always say I may be broke but I always have money for softball and beer, and gold star cheese choney's!!

We have been to Midwest sports a bunch over the years, played their 3 times already this fall. Umpires suck everywhere.