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Online now: 2 members: TimMcElroy, pitch6; 11 anonymousDiscussion: What wrong with using and consulting us?
| Posted | Discussion |
| Jan. 20 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | The way I see it SSUSA could become the be all and end all of Senior Softball. And as/if they are interested in becoming the Major League of Senior Ball they should poll, seek out, try out, listen and learn from us, all of us, who play and love this game. The game changes dramatically from AA to Major plus. You would need to learn from and listen to the best players in Major plus for example if you wanted to learn what's going on, needs to change or needs to remain the same. You guys have a fantastic vehicle in the Message board which should be used for polls, teaching, listening and learning. What's the problem? Loss of control? Conflicts of interest? Old fashioned myopia, ignorance and greed? Youi could be all the we could ask for in an association and more. Why not. And we will support or create whatever associations that show they want and support us. Won't we. |
| Jan. 21 tattooball 774 posts | Joe, Not to be a wise a$% but if I am reading this right you want the association to ask the major plus players to advise the association? Why would they want the insight from the smallest percentage of players in the association? I think the players at a lesser level would give them a more accurate opinion of the game. McDonalds does all of there new product testing in the midwest, places like Champainge il would get the food first. Cities like NY, San Fran, etc would be last. They believe average america is the place to get demographics from. Hope all is well good luck this year. |
| Jan. 21 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | Hey Kevin, The best to you and yours. No, that's not what I meant but I didn't say what I meant clearly enough. Major plus knows more about major plus. Double AA knows more about Doublle AA and so on down the line. SSUSA is a private organization and can do, by law, whatever they want irrespective of consulting with anyone else but that doesn't make them relevant to senior softball needs/wants at any time, past, present or future. We've had too many self interested folks in this community/society telling us what to do from softball to the mid east to how to live our personal lives behind closed doors and as this may relate to senior softball, something I care and know something about, well, the buck stops here. I've been hearing a lot of grumbling about the latest decrees from SSUSA and that managers are already scrambling looking for more meaningful alternatives for their softball investment. And I personally don't like to play a game that's become increasingly more costly and dangerous incurring more cost and danger than is necessary. Again, as I stated earlier, SSUSA has a great opportunity to serve the Senior Softball Community and as most of us know, true service to others is the highest form of human behavior and the powers that be need to know that there will be meaningful support, and resistance to making mistakes or trying to ignore what makes the most sense at any given time/level in Senior ball. SSUSA should encourage and welcome feedback that is well intentioned, serious and often correct regarding it's decisions and policies. It should want to be the BEST Association in America for Softball Seniors. That's what we want. And that's what we deserve. Give the best, get the best. What's wrong with that, Kev? |
| Jan. 21 tattooball 774 posts | I agree that the customer should have say in the product they buy, in this case it is a service that is being supplied. I do believe that ssusa is doing a great job of trying to please many, many people. Not an easy job, glad I don't do it. Often people overlook the effort and only see the end result, constuctive crititsizm is always useful when presented in the right forum. I do think you have much to offer along with many others and maybe you can try to put together an open forum for discussions with team representatives for the next world championship. I am sure Terry would help you in this but timing would be very critical. You really would have to come up with some planning and contacting coaches to ensure their partisipation. If someone could do it you would be the one, you know what it's like to have 50 people trying to be right in 50 different directions. |
| Jan. 21 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | Kevin, It's easier than that. If/as SSUSA is sincerely interested in what is best for us than they could build into/onto this website easily things like: polls, columns, Q & A showcasing pertinent info transparently, gathered and cultivated while keeping the community informed and involved. Stuff like "Ask Terry" or "Frannie Says" or "New Rules" along with audio and/or video taped forums and discussions with guys like you, Clatterbaugh, and Mike Kelly regarding any and all relevant topics, services, products and improvements going forward. I am Einstein but it's not that hard to figure out how to be relevant if that's what you WANT and MEAN to be. It's the wanting and meaning that needs to come first and drives it all. |
| Jan. 21 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | Hey Kevin, Let's talk turkey so neither one of will look like some sort of freak with an ax to grind. I don't know one Senior Softball player, in the know, who believes that SSUSA is other than primarily self interested in most if not all its affairs relating to senior softball. It follows it's own thinking, interests and sense of timing regarding it's matters and it's common knowledge for most to all of us. Now, how much more relevant and popular and worthy of support and devotion would it be if the common perception of its constituents was that SSUSA was for, from and with us all who contribute and make it, what it is. How much more could we together do, how many more people could we draw, interest and enlist in performing activities related to the betterment of the Senior Softball Community, which again, mind you, is us and not SSUSA, per se. How much more business, Kevin, could we stimulate and support from to such an organization? Activities, related activities; selling, related selling; And the tournaments could go big time toward becoming a "big show" with all sorts of community based activities, shows, sales, promotions and events. Kevin, your a business man and I know you see dollar signs in any organization that would be recognized, believed in and supported by the majority of the senior community and quite frankly, right now, that's not the current perception. But with the perception that SSUSA is what it's moniker suggests, Senior Softball of the United States of America, than the sky is the limit as to what could be done and what good could be done, for all of us. Tthe present EARNED perception would have to change. And that would have to be EARNED, too. |
| Jan. 21 audieh Men's 60 249 posts | Joe, why have you not applied to get on the senior advisory board? I think it would be good for you to be on the board. As on all boards though be prepared for compromise. I totally agree that we are the customers and the retailers should at least try and give us the product that we want. ASA refused to do that and now they are history in senior ball and from what I have been told will try to earn there way back in. That is the way capitalism works. Now, SSUSA has taken the lead and perhaps things have been going too well and perhaps they are getting out of touch with their base. The limits in major plus on homeruns and runs per inning is an example. Nothing wrong with pointing this out and voting with your softball dollars to play other venues. Organizations that refuse to allow the Ultra have seen their tournaments drop in attendance. Again the market forces at work. If Combat or Miken start producing a inferior bat you can bet that seniors will put the word out and their sales will suffer to the point that they will change or others will take their market share. Discussions are good. Both you and kevin keep up the good work. I would love to hear from a SSUSA representative on this board for their input. |
| Jan. 21 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | audieh, Your right about ASA. I gave them the foot in the door for senior ball in CA. Had a big disagreement on bat use, so it eventually was turned over to another counterpart who does tourneys on the coast now. The are gaining more strength, but treat us right. Wasn't that way at first. I think I'm still listed as being on their council, but they do not inform me of meetings any longer. Reason, I was a voice for seniors, not youngsters. |
| Jan. 22 tattooball 774 posts | Guy's, Like everything in life a good idea is only as good as it's delivery. I deal with over 200 employees on a daily basis and for those who know me I can offend people in a second with the truth. Saying that it is difficult to handle matters in a fair and impartial way with this many DIFFERENT people. What works well for one will not work well for another. So imagine SSUSA having to be impartial with thousands upon thousands of participants.(not an easy task) I witnessed a gentilman in Reno last year ask Terry if he could play this year, he was turnig 49 on jan 1-08 his theory was if he was born in hawaii it would still be dec 31 when he was born. He is not playing this year. Now back to the topic. What is good for one class will not be good for others. The system now is set up to move teams up. Imagine if the major plus was unlimited, do you think you would be able to get teams to move up from lower divisions? Hell you can't get them to move up now, and the rules really don't differ much between the 2 classes. You would create a class that only a few teams could really compete, then teams would drop in class and so on. This is what is killing softball at the younger level now. You have 2 major teams that the rest of the nation can't compete with. It is the ripple effect all of the way through softball. Guys my size playing class D ball hitting the middle because they are not allowed to hit home runs. Alot of thought has to be put into this because a rule that is good for one division may eliminate that same division in the future. |
| Jan. 22 taits Men's 65 4548 posts | trumpball Well said. Personalities, opinions, likes & dislikes differ between folk almost as much as a bat does between one person using it and someone else using it. Far too many factors to bring about an all is equal here.... But one thing I think we can agree on, is we love playing. (Leaving out the rest of the whole ball of wax.) |
| Jan. 22 einstein Men's 50 3112 posts | Kevin, you monster. You don't know how much it irks me that not only are you bigger than me, can hit a ball farther than me, make more money than me but now I have to congratulate you on being so rich, thoughtful and articulate a speaker. How good are you at checkers? I'll be brief and spare the horses. If you, SSUSA, want us, the Senior Softball community to BELIEVE you really care about and with us regarding the present and future of Senior Softball it's not hard to demonstrate your intentions. Because if and as we did believe with you in our mutual well being the sky's the limit for the good that could be done. |
| Jan. 22 tattooball 774 posts | Joe, you are going to want to see me play at your age, I doubt I will be anything like you. Anyway, I have nothing to do with the game and or rules of SSUSA but I do feel your pain in being fustrated. Contact them, like I said I am swamped and needed to hire someone to help me more this year. They SSUSA are probably in the same position. I am sure they would welcome any help you or anyone could offer. |
