Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 2 members: Bossy, G-Man27; 97 anonymousDiscussion: Senior age limit
| Posted | Discussion |
| April 25, 2019 Heater40 7 posts | Senior age limit What is everyone's thought on SSUSA letting a 40 year old team play in senior tournament agains 50 & 55 year olds and they also get to swing senior bats? Yes according to the bracket for the TOC in Dallas May3-4-5 it is happening and there are some unhappy teams. Only one 40 year old team in tournament and instead of telling them they can not play they paired them up against 50 & 55 year old teams. |
| April 25, 2019 TimMcElroy 942 posts | Heater40- Similar scenarios occurred in a handful of eastern tournaments (2015-2017) while the 40s program was in the launch phase. SSUSA received a number of pre-tournament complaints from the older teams about young kids using senior bats. I'm speaking from experience here when I say that it was much ado about nothing. The 40s guys coming in showed respect for the middle (which was the primary concern) and the 50 & 55 Major Plus teams were quite regularly able to beat the 40s teams. One of the other assumptions that older guys make is that the 40s teams consist of players aged 39 1/ 2 playing against guys that are all 59 1/2. Again- it is not normally the case. Most of the "new" 40s teams- particularly those in areas where the 40s program is just getting started- tend to be mid, to upper 40s in age. Some will probably disagree, but that was my experience. |
| April 25, 2019 DonPresley40 11 posts | I think I would just have to say I'm not going to play against them. I don't know that the Texas guys will try to keep it off the pitcher. Sounds like a liability on SSUSA because they are not truely senior teams if you ask me. (Just my opinion) I would think they would just tell the 40 year old team that they had nobody for them to play since it is only one team. Crazy thing is there is actually a 40 year old tournament going on that weekend so why wouldn't they just go play against their own age group. |
| April 26, 2019 DonPresley40 11 posts | TimMcElroy Sounds like this is something that SSUSA does quiet a bit. I guess if that is the way they do it we just have to accept it and deal with it. Hope nobody gets hurt playing against 40 year olds. I think that just takes away from the true meaning of senior softball. |
| April 26, 2019 coop3636 514 posts | This happened in a SPA tourney last month Each team had the option of using a screen in front of the pitcher. Some used it, some did not. I don't agree to have the 40s playing, but it worked out in the end. BTW, the 50 yr old team KILLED the 40 yr old team. Just my 2 cents coop3636 |
| April 26, 2019 TimMcElroy 942 posts | DonPresley40- Here's the way I see it. There were other 40s teams in the TX State Championships last year. These guys probably saw that and decided to give this old man softball thing a try. They gathered a team, paid the player card fees and jumped through all of the required hoops (financial and otherwise). It isn't their fault that no other teams got in this year- If the shoe were on the other foot, and your team paid the entry fee and $300- $400 for player cards, bought uniforms and made travel plans- How mad would you be if the Association took a "sorry about your luck" approach and handed your check back? The 40s program is in it's infancy. There will be some growing pains but it will take off. Before you know it there will be enough teams for stand-alone 40s divisions. So far, SSUSA has had no problems mixing the 40s and 50s teams (particularly with the Major Plus group). As coop3636 mentioned in his post the 50s are more than holding their own vs the young bucks. Tim |
| April 27, 2019 Kmac16 4 posts | I play for the 40 team in question as well as one of the 50 Major + teams in the same tournament. The 40 team wasn’t happy about not having any other teams in their classification but are just playing the cards they were dealt. For the record most of the team is 45 or older. |
| May 2, 2019 Ihitbdingers1 2 posts | We signed up fully expecting to play other 40 teams. We are in Dallas so we wanted to play local. This is our 3rd tourney ever guys. We aren't even playing 50 majors teams we are only allowed to play major plus teams and have to spot them runs or give them an extra player. We signed up 2 tournaments ago as a double A team. There's nothing to be afraid of...Matter of fact our first tournament at bld Escobar beat us and they are 50s. We are out to have a good time. We aren't sponsored.. just an old league team wanting to have fun. |
| May 2, 2019 TimMcElroy 942 posts | Welcome to the senior game, sir. Hang in there. Once we get more 40s teams out there your team will really enjoy it. |
| May 11, 2019 Softballjuny23 Men's 40 11 posts | I was out of town this weekend and my team was going to play at the Bud fest in College station. At the same time of the SSUSA Texas Championship there was an GSA/USA seinors scheduled of Ceader Hill,Tx. If I am not Mistaken that is where most of the 40's teams were signed up for. Most of the teams donot like play SSUSA in Texas due to the tournament director. they will play a qualifier for worlds and then its GSA/USA or USSSA Lonstare tournaments. |
| May 15, 2019 gman67 Men's 55 16 posts | I played against the 40 team in Dallas. I play for a 55 Major Plus team. I don't think 40 year old's should be swinging senior bats. We all had to wait until we were 50 to swing them. I got drilled while pitching and had a couple other ones up the middle. So, maybe Tim should get on the mound and face some 40"s hitting at him. |
