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Online now: 3 members: Matty507, OG Reggie Reg, TABLE SETTER 11; 100 anonymousDiscussion: Texas State Championships turnout
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| March 28, 2018 Axemansa 17 posts | Texas State Championships turnout With that turnout, maybe you might want to reconsider central Texas for the TSC. You would double the number of teams in Austin, Georgetown, San Marcos, Harker Heights, Killeen, Dallas, etc. I know your response will be no city submitted a bid on the event but it seems odd to me that GSA/USA, SPA, ISSA, etc., can successfully put on large tourneys in Central Texas. Hell, we have teams put on one day fundraiser tourneys with better turnouts than what you have in El Paso. #bringbackthetsc, #legitmizethetexasstatechampionship Lol |
| March 28, 2018 DaveDowell Men's 70 4312 posts | Axemansa ... Since you sort of expect it, and we wouldn't want to disappoint, here's part of our response to you from your very similar post on topic earlier this month ... __________ MARCH 6, 2018 • SSUSA Staff: Until any metropolitan area (or entity) other than El Paso expresses an interest in hosting the Texas State Championships, the alternatives will be limited, or non-existent ... __________ Here's another relevant observation for your consideration ... For the first nine years (2008-2016) of the Texas State Championships, many teams from West Texas strongly supported the event at locations considerably east of them ... It's curious that your team can't find it within themselves to "go West" even one time ... Is your criteria simply that it has to be in your backyard? ... We get it that you don't like it, and that's certainly OK, but we're curious what other legitimate excuse there could be? ... |
| March 30, 2018 mad dog Men's 65 4191 posts | i think we still have more east/mdille texas teams show there than west texas comes to us for the states.....the only thing you get in el paso is the NM..AZ...and teams out there not from texas.....it is the texas state champs right.....well lets hold in a central place for all of texas where it should be easier to attend....not make it easier for other states to attend....how many teams in el paso vs the east/middle tx teams.....but hey lets have the malority of the teams go 1k miles vs a couple.....instead......and the one time we go west....hey its the worlds in vegas....guess we could stop that...... so don't pull that crap dave....... |
| March 30, 2018 DaveDowell Men's 70 4312 posts | Hey dog, nice to have your unique insights .. LOL! ... We've never restricted who may attend regional/state championship events ... And we're open to anyone with an interest in competing ... The upcoming Southwest Championships has two teams from Florida coming ... Cal Cup historically has teams from Oregon, Nevada and Arizona ... At the end of it all, there will be happy teams winning championship trophies and custom Elite uniform jerseys and T.O.C. bids, and it won't diminish their accomplishments at all in their memories ... Happy Easter! ... |
| March 30, 2018 NYTX Men's 65 55 posts | Dave - I always get a kick out of your responses. Keep them coming. I hope you also have a nice Easter. If I could be serious for one minute - is the reason why no other city, other than El Paso, is requesting they host the state championship because the cost is too high? I assume you guys ask the cities to pay for the right to host? Please correct me if I am wrong. With that being said, as the previous guys have suggested, more teams would participate if it was in Austin or DFW or even Houston. Doesn't that mean more entry fee money to the SSUSA? Wouldn't that offset taking a little less from a different city in return for hosting the tournament? If I am off here please advise. I agree with you that if we win (my team is going to El Paso) no one is going to care who else showed up. You are right about that. But it would be helpful and appreciative for us to have some understanding as to why no other city wants to host. I can only assume its money, because we know the fields are available. SPA is having a tournament in College Station the same weekend at a great complex and I think they are expecting 20-25 teams. Anyway, I'm just happy to be playing, smelling the grass, swinging the bat, kicking the dirt, and enjoying the camaraderie. Much thanks to SSUSA and the other associations for letting us do so. Happy Easter to all. |
| March 30, 2018 OZ40 549 posts | Before I rant, my only experience with TX softball was decades ago in Garland. Now, regarding this mid-state vs. El Paso. Understanding that cities have to 'offer' to host (pay up) to SSUSA how about something from both SSUSA and Axmansa to work to that end. Axmansa, get the teams you speak of to lobby the facilities and cities to at least bid to host the event. SSUSA why not poll the teams in and around central Texas as to if they would participate and base that number in increased entry fees against what you are getting now in terms of revenue and see if even a lower bid from central Texas would work out better for the bottom line due to increased entry revenues. Maybe then you could both agree to put this to bed. |
| March 30, 2018 DaveDowell Men's 70 4312 posts | Thanks for commenting guys ... But before this discussion runs completely off the rails into a full-fledged train wreck, a couple of little corrections to faulty assumptions are appropriate ... You both make inferences that the "cost is too high", and seem to presume there are "rights fees" or "appearance fees" in cash required and some cities won't "pay up" ... Here's a not-so-recent news flash ... Monetary bid fees are a historical footnote and have been for a long time! ... Municipalities simply don't have "senior softball" events very high up the food chain of priorities for cash incentives, nor should they ... Obviously, police and fire are at the top, followed by literally dozens of other priorities before you get down to us old guys ... So when we say "express an interest in hosting", that does NOT contemplate non-existent cash bid fees ... We routinely put out requests for proposal documents and also attempt to directly negotiate with independent venue owners, such as the Houston SportsPlex and Big League Dreams ... But even with those, there are other civic items that are important to allow us to offer an affordable tournament entry fee WITH a financial break-even opportunity for us ... One of those without the other simply doesn't work ... So a successful host venue will offer other non-cash incentives to make the deal work ... Securing agreement on those items are the true measure of making it work ... And since we're on the topic, another highly amusing favorite we see is any rant that starts with or contains the phrase: "..With all that money you make.." ... We are a Tax Exempt Organization under IRC §501(c)(4), and we zero-base budget ... That means we budget to break even, and some years we make it, and some years we don't! ... Carry on! ... |
| March 31, 2018 OZ40 549 posts | Points well taken, but does that preclude not letting Axemansa in on what exactly he would need to do to on his end to assist on possibly changing the venue? Likewise, would that preclude SSUSA from taking a poll to gauge player interest in a change of venue to a more centralized location? |
| March 31, 2018 DaveDowell Men's 70 4312 posts | Not at all ... But it would be a special kind of reckless to do it in this environment! ... There are dozens of different criteria in the mix, and it's a proprietary process that couldn't have a worse negotiation table than here ... All he (or anyone) has to do is contact the SSUSA Home Office and set up a conference call meeting with the SSUSA Executive Director, the relevant regional Director (in this case, TX State Director Keith Parker) and appropriate local venue (city and facility) officials and go from there ... It's normally a multi-month endeavor that requires completion by mid-November in order to meet the following calendar year schedule publication deadline in December ... Thanks ... |
| March 31, 2018 OZ40 549 posts | There ya' go Dave, the info is out there and the ball is out of your court so to speak. Quite possibly, one way or the other, the end is in sight. My impressions on Texas in my limited action there, hot weather and good beef barbeque..... |
| March 31, 2018 The Screamer5 Men's 60 69 posts | This is just one Texas Senior Team's perspective. It wasn't that the Texas Championships are being hosted by El Paso this year that drove our decision not to go. (We figure its only fair that this tournament be held in West Texas every now and then as our good brothers out that way never complain about the long drive east for most every other senior tournament here in Texas.) For us it had more to do with the scheduling. As stated earlier in this thread, SPA is holding their annual Salute to Military Veterans tournament in College Station during the same week as the Texas State Championships. Our team voted and we chose to attend SPA's tournament mainly because a lot of our team is composed of veterans. If not for the conflict, we would probably be going to El Paso next week...regardless of the long drive or the turnout. Our point is with a little forward thinking & communication, SSUSA's biggest tournament here in Texas (State Championships) and SPAs biggest tournament here in Texas (Salute to Veterans) shouldn't have been scheduled for the same week if at all possible. As a side note, it is disheartening to hear that no other city or area besides El Paso expressed an interest in hosting the State Championships this year (regardless of the process). C'mon senior players in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc., etc.,....! It's time to step it up! |
| March 31, 2018 DaveDowell Men's 70 4312 posts | TheScreamer5 • You're correct on the timing conflict issue. The fact that we published our dates first doesn't relieve us (or SPA) of at least an implied obligation to cross-check with each other. We respect SPA and want them to do well, too. Both event attendance figures suffer when it's head-2-head like this. |
| April 1, 2018 boston Men's 60 355 posts | Just a few comments on this issue. I have been reading the whining on this board about the TSC for two years now. For a place that doesn't get any snow there sure are alot of "Snowflakes" in Texas. I have driven from Las Cruces,NM to tourneys in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Bourne, and Georgetown because I enjoy playing against new competition. Maybe, SSUSA should eliminate this tourney all together. Then the Texas teams can't complain about outsiders playing in their State Championship. TheScreamer had the only rational explanation for not going to El Paso. I will also add that several Arizona and NM teams may not have entered the TSC due to scheduling conflict. The TSC is two weeks after Spring Worlds in Mesquite, Nv and St George, Ut and Two weeks before the Southwest Championships in Vegas. Safe travels to those coming to El Paso. Stay Thirsty My Friends |
| April 2, 2018 Axemansa 17 posts | As Dave mentions quite frequently, this is an economic decision. Many teams have limited resources so the selection as to which tournaments to attend is often based on several competing factors. Be that as it may, we all make decisions using various criteria and in every case, cost is a factor in the decision making. Because the Texas State Championship (TSC) is in El Paso, my two teams have concluded that our money is better spent in tournaments that are economically more practical. Of note, on this particular weekend, most of the 50 Major teams in Texas decided to play in College Station. Some comments in this thread alluded to some of us whining. This is not the case. It truly represents the Voice of the Customer (VoC). Many of us would like to compete for the TSC as it should reflect a significant achievement amongst some of the best competition in Texas and the country, for that matter. What we are actually stating is we want to play in the TSC but for many reasons choose other alternatives. Secondly, to the comments that I should figure out the agreement with the various municipalities is laughable but certainly intriguing. I still work full time but if SSUSA should offer me a position with decent compensation then I might reconsider. LOL! https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/SSUSA%20Teams?utm_source=share&utm_medium=email Good luck to all in El Paso! Dave is spot on with his comment that regardless of the teams in play, the memories of competing and hopefully winning will last a lifetime. |
