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Online now: 3 members: TABLE SETTER 11, Ultra40Number11, kara4sure; 69 anonymousDiscussion: Texas State Championships - How were the fields and other Facilities?
| Posted | Discussion |
| June 30, 2013 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | Texas State Championships - How were the fields and other Facilities? For anyone who played in Houston this weekend, how were the fields and other facilities at the Houston Sportsplex? We got such bad reports after the SPA tournament there in May that we opted not to go this weekend? I know that improvements were promised: any sign of them? |
| June 30, 2013 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | T T - My team did not go because it was moved to Houston. To far from nowhere. Heard they would draw more teams. Will be interested 2 see if they did. Maybe some teams are out in the gulf of mexico swiming around. |
| July 1, 2013 DoubleL10 Men's 70 907 posts | crusher, based on a pure numbers review, there were 44 teams in Houston this year and 46 teams in Dallas last year. |
| July 1, 2013 cutty 44 posts | The feilds were better than the first time, i understand they changed the field surface. They watered between games which made it better. I played in the 50 major division, the competiton was great. The weather on saturday was as hot as i can ever remember playing this time of year. I think it was 105, but nerve the less it was a great time, and we had air condition up front in the club home between games. The tournament ran a litte long Sunday if you played in a if game, but other than that. I would say it was good over all. (4 games in on day was a challenge). |
| July 1, 2013 Capt Kirk 541 posts | The facility is old, some of the dugouts came out almost to the foul lines, overpriced food & beverages at the concession stands, $5 entry fee for fans, not all of the fields were upgraded. Kiest fields in Dallas are much better and overall a much better place to play the TX State Championship. Capt |
| July 1, 2013 Ceres 73 posts | I observed them replacing the infield dirt a few weeks before the tourney. We played Thurs and Fri. so the infields looked good but were full of small rocks which made for bad hops. The outfields were uneven which contributed to bad play out there. I played at this facility in the 1980s and the buildings look like they haven't been repaired since then. The complex was in an area all by itself when new, but now it's surrounded by a commercial slum. The heat was oppressive, but being Texans we can handle that. |
| July 1, 2013 J R 251 posts | Outfields were an adventure.The real problem was the Bracketing.Look like they threw team names against the wall what stuck was in bracket. 65 teams playing 70 and 75.The 65 team won the bracket. The 70 and 75 teams never had a chance for TOC bid.. We paid 525 dollars for a whipping.The brackets were made in California not at the park. We were a 70 AA team absolutely hammered by the 65 teams. |
| July 1, 2013 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | also will add the pitching mats were not the size they are supposed to be...when TD was ask,only comment was "well the game will go quicker"...i saw many pitchers having problems hitting,specially at the edges...the extra 2" really-makes a difference....was told by the umps that the mats were the complex mats,not from the TD....how lazy can he be not to have the regulation mats there..... |
| July 1, 2013 NYTX Men's 65 55 posts | The fields were very poor compared to Kiest Park in Dallas. What I found more insulting was they actually went through our bags as we entered the park. The concession prices were high. Yes, it was hot and that made for a difficult day on Saturday, but that complex is no where near as nice as most others that we have played on before. The outfields were bumpy in some areas. The highway noise and the trains going by made it the loudest place we have played as well. Especially on Field 1. All in all, it was a disappointing facility, especially compared to Kiest Park. |
| July 1, 2013 LP 317 posts | True the fields aren't as nice as Kiest, Kiest park is a championship style park houston sportsplex would have been ok if there was any field maintenance during the day, infields got in bad shape as the day went on, but they where bad for everyone so even out maybe, outfields were a challenge at times. the one thing i liked a lot that some parks dont have is shade over the bleacher areas. |
| July 1, 2013 Boom Boom 6 posts | Fields were terrible. Infields were in bad shape and the outfields were uneven and under watered. Located in an area that requires a prison-like guard tower to watch over the parking lot. It was manned only part time. The entry gate was manned full time to collect a $5 gate fee, and search player bags to make certain that no one brought any gatorade or bottled water in. Pitching mats were too small and it made it tough for the pitchers to throw strikes and making the innings drag on far longer than necessary...on the hottest day of the year...120 degree heat index on the fields Saturday. Really...Is it too much trouble to supply regualtion mats for a qualifier? If the Sportsplex supplied the mats, I hope they made enough money from the over priced concessions to buy some new mats. The water jugs in the dugouts always had plenty of cold water for every game. |
| July 1, 2013 southernson 280 posts | Sounds like you guys had some significant problems for this to be a Championship tournament at $500+ a pop. My question is this, what happens to the TD who used a non-SSA size mat and also failed to assure the fields were in good playing shape? Refund? Never an SSUSA TD again? Letter to the local rec department about the poor performance? ??? |
| July 1, 2013 J R 251 posts | We had the same umpire for all of our games. We never had 2 umpires. We paid 500 plus dollars.. He called balls and strikes with his right hand we never knew what the count was. .I know why we did not play many 7 innings in 70 minutes Because of all the walks.Way below SSUSA standards |
| July 1, 2013 dooker 30 posts | SSUSA and all other responsible parties should be ashamed of themselves for sanctioning a tournament of this level at such a slipshod facility (in terms of both the fields and the way guests were treated). Have never been to a tournament where non playing guests had to pay to get in ($5 a pop); have never been to a tournament where my equipment bag (and my wife's carryall) were subjected to search to insure no liquids, food or whatever other contraband they suspected were being smuggled in; have never been to a tournament where I was concerned about my vehicle being broken into or even being there when I finished. Needless to say, the TD/SSUSA got a sweet deal to hold this tournament in the ghetto. Being charged $500 plus to play seems a bit unconscionable. That on top of the take from non player admissions and overpriced concessions made for a sweet payday for those holding and running the event. I, on the other hand, don't believe I received an adequate/reasonable return on my investment. As such, hell will probably freeze over before I go back. |
| July 2, 2013 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | when i came in they wanted me to not bring in my big thermos jug(72 oz)filled with my supplements i use....i asked them if they sold the supplements i use,they said no,i said oh well i'm bringing my jug in......they even weren't gonna let me bring in my soaking cooler(for towels and such)with my ammonia spirits and ice in,till they seen i only had my cooling towel in it..... this not the first time this director has run the SSUSA tournaments poorly here in texas..... |
| July 2, 2013 SGM Men's 65 10 posts | Along with all the comments above, the awards for division winners was once again a polo shirt or a Senior Softball hat that were not representative of the entry fees or a State Championship/TOC qualifying tournament. Additionally, as a division winner the director notified us that the forms for "optional" rings were not available as well as the form for the all tournament player recognition. The tournament has been on the schedule the entire year, how hard should it be to have the complete prize package available at the tournament??? |
| July 3, 2013 PlanoPlayer Men's 65 72 posts | Terrible fields, bags searched at entry, long walk to the back fields, and...I haven't heard this complaint yet, but the players had to go through the fan area to get to the dugouts and with the teams in the seating area getting ready for the next game, and the fans, and the fact that the ailes were way to slim, made for impassable walkways. The infields of every field we played on were full of rocks, small pebbles, and dirt dunes, and contrary to a post above, they did not water/maintain the fields in between games. That only happened once that I saw in preparation of one 50 Major game getting ready to be played. Terible location, terrible complex. Kiest in Dallas wins, hands down! |
| July 3, 2013 DoubleL10 Men's 70 907 posts | We played an SPA tournament at this complex in early May and the same comments were made at that time. Pretty much exactly the same. AND the SSUSA Labor Day classic and the SPA World Series are scheduled for the same place! I hope our team votes to not go and save our bucks for the Winter Nationals in Phoenix! |
| July 3, 2013 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | larry fields were as bad as back then....all they did was bring in crushed red rock(at least that is what it looked like)and not a good clay...also no hotels within a short commute...complex is really hard to get to,no easy way into it....this complex is not a nice park to play at..... |
| July 4, 2013 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | also forgot to add,bases were at 70' instead of 65',that made running the 105 degree heat fun....and this TD wants us to go back to this complex in sept...... |
| July 4, 2013 Capt Kirk 541 posts | Here is the quote from the SSUSA WEBSITE: "The Houston Sportsplex is a top-rate facility and the perfect place for this Lone Star State classic,” said Keith Parker, Senior Softball USA Texas director. The Texas Championships is sponsored by the Sportsplex, Texas Half Century Club and Martin Midstream Partners LP. This marks the first time that Houston has hosted the tournament, which has continued to grow every year and has blossomed into one of the premier senior softball tournaments in Texas. Also, when will the results be posted? Capt |
| July 4, 2013 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | gary what can you expect from this TD....not the truth i guess..... |
