April 10, 2012- Odds and Ends

I haven't written in a few weeks and wanted to catch you up on a few things as we approach our first NIT of the season.

First and most importantly on my mind is the benefit tournament we're running for Michele Armbruster on the 28th and 29th in Longmont. We've finalized plans for this event and will be running men's on Saturday and into Sunday if needed along with mixed on Sunday. My staff and the umpires are donating their time. We've received concessions from the field owners, now it's time for you to help one of your own. We can handle about 40 teams for the weekend and it would be great if we could sell this event out to help Michele as much as possible as she battles cancer.

Our bat tester has arrived and we will start using it this weekend. I invite you to visit our message board where you will find details on our process on the Policy and Procedure page. The system we've put in place won't be perfect and we won't catch every bat but it's a step in the right direction and I hope it helps to clean up the game from both the altered and out of spec bats making the game less safe than it could be. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions on how it's going to work.

The first NIT is right around the corner and this is a good time to remind you that we have some new PNP's in place regarding berths. Not much about my job frustrates me but asking teams in the championship game if they're prepared to accept the berth should they win and being met with 'well what is it?' is second only to having berths available and teams not using them after accepting.

This is looking like a big tourney, we're over 20 teams already and while I'm thankful for the support our NIT program receives, please take the time to educate yourself on what you're playing for on the 21st and 22nd. If I ask you if you are prepared to accept the berth should you earn it and you answer with anything other than yes, the answer will be recorded as no. If you have questions, again, please don't hesitate to contact me.

We've always required that you declare you intent prior to the start of the berth game, usually the championship game. We've also always required that you sign a berth form accepting the berth. The major change this year is that we'll also require you to sign a financial commitment form. NIT's cost us a ton of money and it's money we never see again if you accept a berth and then fail to attend. I don't mind spending the money on teams but I do mind when that money doesn't get used and just goes into the USSSA coffers at HQ. The commitment form will state that you have accepted a berth and any related travel and that you have 30 days to 'decommit'. If you fail to do so you and your team will be responsible for repayment of the berth and any related travel. That will range from 350.00 to 950.00 and the team will not be able to play till it's repaid. I will hold the berth paperwork for 30 days and on day 31 send it in at which time you are fully responsible to show up at Worlds or repay Co USSSA.

I've been at the fields a ton already this year and complaints regarding umpires are endemic. I don't believe our umpires suddenly got bad over the winter but please remember that it's early in the season for them as well. Unlike you, they're paid and so expected to be close to perfect with every call. I'm reminded of the old addage that an umpire is the only one on the field expected to be perfect at the start of the season and get better from there. Give them a break please. We have some of the finest in the country and that's proved out every year when they're asked to work the finals of World Tourneys. We strive to get better as an organization every day and that includes our umpires. If you have a legitimate concern with an umpire, again, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Finally, related to the last matter about some of the disrespect I've seen thrown umpires way so far this year. Let's remember this is a recreational sport. That means we need to respect each other as well, practice good sportsmanship and follow USSSA and park rules. Managers, you're not only responsible for the conduct of your team on the field but off and that includes your families and fans while at the ballpark.

We have a great softball community and big events like The Omelette and the upcoming NIT are awesome to be a part of. Let's keep doing the things that make Colorado softball so great!

February 22, 2012- Policy and Procedure

The 2012 Policy and Procedure thread has been completed and is now available on our message board. Managers and players please familiarize yourself with the PNP for this season by visiting here

We've made minor adjustments in areas and some major changes in others. As always, if you have questions feel free to contact me at scott.cameron@usssa.com

February 7, 2012- Updates

Just a few updates for this weeks installment. First, we've canceled for the 11th-12th as old man winter reminded us that we live in Colorado. I know Tory made an effort to run a 'snowball' last week before conditions got just plain silly, but I'm going to stick to the original plan for these early season events....high temps reaching at least the 40's and dry ground to play on.

Just got back from the Divisional meeting. Once again some changes to things I've already reported to you previously....seems the stuff we come home from the convention with every year in November can't be considered reliable information and so I think it's just better if I wait till mid-February to make any substantial announcements.

First, they've further modified the no double points thing. You already knew you wouldn't be receiving double points for qualifiers. They've now made that a standard practice for all events...qualifiers, NITs, States and Nationals. I'm of the opinion you haven't heard the last on this matter but for now move forward with the assumption that the words 'double points' no longer exist in the USSSA nomenclature and that all tournaments will be for the point value listed whether you're playing up or not. NITs, States, Nationals will still be worth more (150, 300, 600 respectively), you just won't get double points playing up in them now.

We also got word that we will once again be required to offer Nationals. At this time I don't know if they will be mandatory or not. This of course i s in direct contradiction to what I previously reported despite the fact I had confirmed it with my USSSA boss. I CAN confirm that if it's required, we'll have one here for men's C, D and E at the ASP on August 25-26 and that you will not be required to travel for a National. I have the date reserved and it's listed as a Super NIT on the schedule right now.

Whatever we do with that date, it WILL NOT be a Super NIT as listed on the website- I found out over the weekend that Super NITs can only be run till August 4th or 5th. I don't really see the value in them other than they have the same point value as the State Tournament. Basically they're sort of like the CUSSSA tourney...everybody plays together from B to E. I like running seperate classifications as much as possible.

We've updated the schedule, a couple of date changes and a director change. Make sure you have the latest version dated 1/26/2012.

January 23, 2012- Cold Hard Cash III

Thanks to everybody who came out and supported Colorado USSSA on our opening weekend for the 2012 season. Despite the fact I'm certain there were a lot of sore bodies Sunday morning, it looked like everybody had a great time shaking off the rust and getting some early season swings in.

A big thank you to the City of Longmont who came thru with fields and a hearty congratulations to Filthy Softball who battled thru an opening loss to double dip Shenanigans for the championship.

We do as good a job policing rosters as anybody in the nation, but without fail we seem to have some hiccups in the early season and in the late fall. Despite my addressing it with each team in advance, we still have teams that either don't understand the concept or are intentionally or willfully violating the spirit of our 'Open' tournament concept.

An 'Open' tournament means that all teams registered with the association are eligible to participate. It doesn't mean that rosters are open and that you can load up what is going to be your regular season D or E team with C players in hopes of winning some cash and getting a jump on the points race.

I've explained the 'Open' concept time and again. One more time here: an open tournament does not mean an open roster. While rosters clearly are not frozen, I expect you to play with some semblance of your 2012 roster and not to load up.

So, moving forward. There is no perfect system. I can't address every eventuality here and won't be able to in the future, but I believe that the system has to have some integrity. Any D or E teams that show up with unannounced C players will be reclassified to the C division that day and remain in the C division until I am ready to reclassify them. That will be at minimum four tournaments and after the first NIT.

I said 'unannounced' and that's what I meant. Anybody who has actually dealt with me one on one versus just buying in to the internet fodder will tell you that I'm really quite reasonable. I take the time to talk to every team signing up this time of year and to new teams throughout the year. It's an interview of sorts that goes beyond manager name, team name, address, email and phone. I want to know what you're bringing and where you'll fit in our classification structure long term.

This time of year, there are players without teams...though few really good ones. There are good players who's season won't start till March and they just want to play. There are teams still looking for players and giving guys a look. I get that, I said I'm reasonable and I am. But only if you are. If you're up front with me I'm likely to say yes to letting a C guy play on your D or E roster for the weekend. I might even let several based on the quality of team asking. If you're not, even if you want to claim the 'I didn't know' thing come Saturday morning, I'm going to handle you as described above.

There's an old saying, it's better to ask permission than forgiveness. I'm not looking to stop guys from playing. I want everybody to play. I am looking to stop guys from gaming the system. If you think you need to pick up a guy, let's have a conversation about it and more times than not we'll figure it out in your favor. I won't always give you the answer you're seeking, but you're a whole lot more likely to get it if we talk in advance.

I'm running the majority of these tournaments that COULD be an issue. I've also been around long enough, since 1982, to know who's an impact guy and who isn't. Tory and Bill are running one each I think. My job as State Director is to decide who plays where and so if you have questions about a player or your team, you come to me in advance of the tourney, not them. Tory or Bill said it's ok will not be an acceptable Saturday morning excuse. Talk to me please and I'll give them a heads up on who's cool and who's not. If I get a call from them on a given Saturday when I'm not there, we'll handle it as always on a case by case but expect that I'm going to be pretty firm if we haven't had the conversation in advance.

Last on this open tournament thing. A few of you also believe that it means you don't have to turn one in. EVERYBODY WHO PLAYS on a given weekend with you MUST BE ON YOUR ROSTER. I'd prefer that if they are subbing you not add them online and just have them come sign the paper roster. NOBODY plays a USSSA tournament without being on a roster.

Hate to be a stick in the mud but I believe in being proactive because top flight organizations have structure and rules, that's how they got to the top. I believe we have the best organization in the nation and I want to keep it that way. There are organizations out there where you can show up, do whatever you want and just play softball. This isn't one of them and I am glad that most of you appreciate that fact.

The weather is overall decent this week, a little sketchy Tuesday and Friday I think. We'll be at Ulysses if the fields are ready, in Longmont if they're not. I'll make the decision on that Wednesday and then we'll hope we don't get any real precipitation Friday. Think I have one spot left in men's and of course plenty in mixed for Sunday if anybody is interested.

December 12, 2011- The 2012 schedule is now available.

2012 Colorado USSSA Schedule

As a reminder, we frequently go through several iterations of the schedule each year and to be sure you're looking at the latest, we put the date in the lower right hand corner. This first version will be dated 12/12/2011. As is customary, if we make any changes, I'll notify you here and on the message board.... then all you have to do is print off the latest and greatest version.

All of our fields are confirmed, I may make some tweaks to directors and divisions after I've had a chance to look at it longer. I still have to come up with names for a few events as well. It's a comprehensive effort to meet all of your needs while balancing that with the commitments we've made to different field owners. Having been up to my nose in it for several weeks now, I feel like it has nice balance and gives all you a chance to play close to home while spending some time in other parts of the state as well.

I'll be out of the country till the 21st and I'm sure some of you will have questions or comments on the schedule, please hold them till then and I'll answer them as quickly as possible when I get back as well as making some exciting announcements about 2012 prize packages and opportunities to win berths outside of the traditional NIT format!

December 1, 2011- Convention Highlights/ News

Before we get to some of the important changes for 2012, take a peek at our Colorado USSSA HOF page which is now updated with a little information on the Hall as well as a list of who's been inducted. I have pictures up for many of them and will be adding more as they become available.

Some significant changes for 2012 although not many on the playing front. They've eliminated double points for everything but NIT's and States. That means if you play up a level for most of our events, you'll no longer receive double points. It's designed to eliminate a lot of the point whoring that goes on around the country and I support it. You're not likely to see a D team who played in a 'C Tuesday night tourney' every week leading the country with astronomical points. In theory it should level the playing field a little.

A big one for those of you attending Worlds. You won't have to attend a National this year! That means no expensive travel less than a month before you go to Worlds. You CAN go to a National but it's not required. Nationals will now offer 600 points to the winner and so there is some incentive to go if you can afford it. Instead, you men's teams will get to play in a Super NIT on August 25-26 at the ASP. It'll be an open one class event, have the same 300 point value as state (no double points) and I'm going to require it if you want to go to Worlds. More details down the line but I'll be giving prizes to the top finishing C, D and E teams in the event rather than the overall top three.

All the World Tournaments you expect to be at Disney will be again, I don't have dates yet but they rarely change. Men's E West will be in Arizona September 28-30, probably the Phoenix area I'm guessing. Mixed will once again be at BLD in Vegas on October 19-21- there's talk of this becoming it's permanent venue dependent on support so let's get some teams there. Hispanic will once again be returning to South Texas, I don't have an exact location yet.

National has adopted our 'team on the hill' rule and you'll now be home team when you travel as well if you're in that position.

They've added some language about altering balls, basically it says don't mess with them and they're going to treat it the same way they do altered bats. They've stiffened the altered bat penalties, it now carries up to a five year ban and they've given us some tools to try and eliminate them.

They've also codified your right to wear protective equipment. In the past, the rule book said only a catcher could wear equipment. It now says anybody can wear any protective gear they deem appropriate unless deemed unsafe or as providing a competitive advantage. I'm going to read that in our state to say masks, chest protectors and soccer style shin guards are cool, catcher style shin guards aren't. If you have a question on that front, hit me up before you spend your money.

They've codified and expanded the list of things we can get rid of you for. When the 2012 rule book is available online, I suggest you take a moment and familarize yourself with Article XVII as it greatly expands our ability to get rid of problem players. I don't come to the fields looking for issues, in fact the opposite is true, I hope that everybody finishes their tournament and has a great time; but you all know where I stand on certain aspects of our game and I'm hopeful that last years shot across the bow is a sufficient reminder. We're playing a recreational game for fun, no matter how much money you're spending on it, and it needs to be treated as such.

Beyond that, I'm in the finishing stages on the schedule and looking forward to kicking off the 2012 season in January....weather permitting!

October 31, 2011: Bumps/ Announcements

I hope you all had an enjoyable Halloween weekend. I'll be addressing the men's bumps in this post, but first a few announcements. I'd like to thank Janet Dooley for her past service as we're making some changes on the director front. She did a heck of a job for us as a director and I expect she will continue to do so for USSSA as an umpire. I'll be running the women's program for the time being and I'm happy to announce that Patty Harsch will be joining us as a tournament director and she'll be assisting me with the women's program until her playing days are over at which time I'll ask her to take over as our Women's Program Director. She'll be running Women's State for us in 2012 as well as the Steamboat event which we'll be adding as a fully sanctioned USSSA NIT next year on June 29- July 1.

Jayson and Kate had intended to retire after 10 years directing and with their kids at that age where their practices and games take priority, but with Fall State being lost to weather, Jayson wants to run one last Sluggers event. Look for a Sluggers farewell event in Erie come next April! Over the last ten years, they've been instrumental in improving the quality of tournaments you see state wide and they'll missed. Thanks Jayson and Kate!

Tory Flores will also be rejoining us on a limited basis after taking a year off. I've had a few requests to bring Hispanic State and possibly the Cinco De Mayo tournament back and have had several offers of help from the community on that front. I'll be relying on Tory to spearhead that project in 2012.

I'm going to eliminate CC in 2012. It's served it's purpose and I consider the experiment a great success. It helped populate our upper level of men's softball when it needed the help most and in most cases better prepared our traveling D teams for what they were going to see on the road. With the C division now sufficiently populated, I want to get away from the two division format of CC/ Lower or Upper/ Lower and move back to the traditional formatting we've used in NIT"s, C/ D/ E for more of our events.

On the classification front, this is where I give you the speech you're all expecting. Yes I hear the few anonymous self-interested yahoos who won't stop screaming about competing on a national level. They have a different definition of 'compete' than I do and what they really mean is that they can't dominate on a national level. Some of our teams won't win at the national level, some will go .500 and still others will post a winning record. Unless we're traveling and continually getting rolled, I believe I'm doing my job. We're not continually getting rolled and the fact I have yet to hear from my boss on a misclassified team or have a classification overturned on appeal to the NCC supports that fact.

Unlike what you're likely to see in some states, I'm a very active director. Though I've chosen to give up playing for the most part, you're still as likely to see me at the ballpark as not and I've got 30 years of experience on both the local and national front. I know what a C, D and E team should look like today, I know our players and I classify you as such.

Here's the part you knew was coming....

I understand that some states don't share my view. I understand that some directors are just collecting fees. I understand that on those rare occassions where we have a team travel, that it MAY put you at a competitive disadvantage. I say 'may' because there's supporting evidence both ways. We've had teams come in here and do well, we've had teams come here and get rolled. We've sent teams on the road and they've won tournaments, we've sent teams on the road to go 0-2. My job is to grow the program here in the state and provide a competitive environment where you play the majority of your softball. Allowing a couple of teams who want to win nationally to roll locally and dominate a given division doesn't serve the greater good and will never be my goal for our program. Having the outcome of a given tournament more or less decided beforehand doesn't support that goal either. Divisions will sort themselves out, it's inevitable, and every division will have a top, middle and bottom. Everybody having a reasonable chance for success at the start of the tournament is what grows a program. The varied roster of winners in D and E this year supports that fact.

On to the bumps. First, nobody is being reclassified down. I helped a couple teams late in the 'silly' season with travel and I paid a small price on that front nationally with reputation. Mile High, Big Ten and Redrum, congratulations on your efforts at the The Whole Enchilada but you guys remain C teams in our state. In a relatable. I sent two teams to Hispanics this weekend in Comp but due to the poor turnout, they left it to me to decide if they'd be allowed to play Rec. Given their financial investment, I decided to allow them to play Rec with the approval of the TD and National Hispanic Chair, despite the very clearly written rule that no C players are allowed to play Rec. I guess my advice is, don't plan on that in the future as I believe in the rule book. I also believe in what's doing right by my teams. Good luck to Mile High, Big Ten, Unleashed and Dukes at Hispanics this weekend.

As I we continue to build the C program, I don't yet see a reason to have B teams despite some clear evidence that we have a couple of teams ahead of the pack. I'm going to leave Peak and Stars in C for the time being, but they are going to play as B teams in state and spot three runs to our other C teams in all events with the exception of the RMSO. In open events, we'll treat them as B teams and they'll spot three runs per division. We'll do it like last year, and divide the runs over the first three innings and flip for home.

I'll hear early appeals from January 1 to February 1 but don't expect success in the early period unless you have compelling reasons for your appeal. A compelling reason might be a complete reworking of your roster but certainly won't be 'we can't compete'.

I treat all local bumps as autobumps and as such use the same roster requirements. Any combination of four or more from the bumped team or a higher classified team means you play the new level. There will be exceptions both ways where I may allow a team with four or more to play down or where I require a team with less than four to play up. USSSA Bylaws say I make all decisions on classification where the team is not reclassified by the Bylaws and so I'll be your first appeal should you seek to change classifications. The official appeal period is June 1 to July 1 and you'll need to have played a minimum of four tourneys by that time to have your appeal heard. I generally won't hear appeals between February 1 and June 1 but may move teams where I believe I just plain missed (in either direction)

Bumps were generally decided on overall in class record, power rating, run differential, competitiveness and input from our directing team where necessary. I tend to support the empirical data when considering a team to bump and discount any 'gut' feeling I may have about the move.

One last word on classification. There exists a belief out there I'd like to clear up. Some believe that once you do your time 'up' for a year, you have a 'right' to go back down. No such 'right' exists. You have a right of appeal but an automatic move back down does not exist. As always I'm happy to talk softball anytime at scott.cameron@usssa.com.

To Men's Class C

Smoke
Unleashed
Colorado Mush
Colorado Crush
The Situation
Flyers
Funbunch
Addiction
Mafia*

* Based on their State Tournament roster

To Men's Class D

Forget About It
Prime Time
Hard NoX
Mares Metals

October 10, 2011: Bats and Balls

By now, you've probably heard that USSSA has a new bat standard on the horizon. The new standard, which will take effect on January 1, 2013, will make all your current bats obsolete and require that you purchase a new bat that meets the 2013 USSSA BPF standard. There's a lot of rumor and innuendo out there and I wanted to take a moment as State Director to tell you what I know about the change and why USSSA went this direction.

First, all the legal bats you are currently swinging will be legal thru the 2012 season. All NEW 2012 bats available for purchase SHOULD have the new USSSA stamp on them and be legal beyond 2012 under the new standard. I've heard talk that they may extend the grandfather period at the National Convention next month but I'd chalk that up to talk at this point and plan accordingly. I won't be able to attend the convention this year due to a work conflict but you can be sure that if they extend the grandfather period beyond 2012, I'll let you know as soon as possible.

I next want to discuss why the new standard is coming into play. Many have suggested it's a cash grab by the manufacturers and by USSSA who license the bats they deem legal. Nothing could be further from the truth although I do understand the manufacturers need to recoup the cost of retooling and technology. This is a safety measure and that really is the impetus of the change. This change is taking place because there are people out there, even people here in our state who insist on cheating and endangering others. Shaving, rolling, vicing, polling....you name it, they're all illegal. USSSA first tried to address the issue by pursuing bat doctors in the courts but the doctors are just too numerous. They next tried to develop a reliable tester but a tester can only tell if a bat is out of spec, not if it has been altered.

An aside on testers, they finally made one available for purchase by directors this year and I purchased one at a cost of 800.00. Delivery was scheduled for July, then August, then September at which time I canceled my order. The tester is apparently reliable and I don't know what the hold up is but I didn't need to be sitting on an 800.00 paperweight all winter especially given the fact I don't believe testers will be necessary in 2013 if the new standard is all they tell me it will be. If they grandfather beyond 2013 and can deliver the tester in a timely fashion, I'll purchase one early in the 2012 season.

Anyway, back to bats.....next USSSA moved to balls figuring that if they could develop a ball that was less effected by temperature, both hot and cold, it would also be less effected by altered bats. While the Classic M and Plus ball are steps in the right direction, the way I read the new bat standard is to convey that USSSA has thrown up the white flag and that only nuking the whole bat program and starting from scratch was going to address the problem with cheating.

On to the bats themselves. There's gobs of info out there both good and bad and I can only add to that. I don't know if my information will ultimately prove out or not but what I can tell you is that unlike much of what you read on the internet, I have sat in the room with the principals at USSSA and the bat manufacturers and peppered them with questions. First, the new bats will not have a rolled end cap and they won't have an endcap that when removed will destroy the bat. A rolled end cap in a composite bat while technologically feasible is not feasible while maintaining performance. I'm not sure why they can't make an end cap that if removed would destroy the product other than the fact they probably realize the doctors will find a way no matter what....it's been an arms race since performance composite bats came on the market.

Another aside on how bats become hot. Composite bats get hotter as the glue breaks between the layers of composite and the bat becomes softer. Softer bats have more of a trampoline effect and that's why the log you buy new becomes a sick stick right before it breaks. A thinner wall will become softer in less time but it will also limit durability. A thinner wall and hotter stick is the reason aluminum bats got put on the lathe in the old days and the reason doctors are shaving and rolling bats today. Of the two, in my mind, shaving is the worse offense. Rolling merely speeds up what is going to take place anyway but is still illegal. Shaving alters what the manufacturer intended from their product and is an affront to anybody who believes in the integrity of the game.

Back to the bats themselves. Having an engineering background, I was dubious on the technology itself once it was explained to me by our lawyer and so was at the front of the class with questions when I was able to ask questions of manufacturers from Worth, Easton and Miken. At present our testing standard measures the force it takes to deflect a given point on the bat a certain distance and measures that number in PQI, that's pounds per quarter inch. You can expect a brand new bat to test around 275-300 pqi. Our standard allows the bat to go to about 200 pqi before it's deemed illegal, whether it's worn out or altered. Two years ago we tested my unaltered five year old CNT+ and it tested at 135, the lowest the guys running the test had ever seen....and you guys all thought I could hit?!? I just had a really good bat I guess! Anyway, that's the way composites work. Some might break right after they cross the limit. Some may not soften up as well as others. Some, like mine, might last an eternity of tournament level play and become dangerous even when used legally.

The new bats are supposed to get hotter right up to the limit and then degrade in performance. In otherwords, they may start out at 275-300, they'll approach 200 (or some such number) and then they'll die. They'll either stay there or actually degrade in performance....in otherwords become LESS hot and it'll be time for you to buy a new stick. I'm a little dubious on that front because I'm not sure how you manage the technology with the variables involved. I asked all the reps the same question....'Is the technology in place now or is it something you're still developing?' Each hedged at first and then said they had the technology in place already. However they're going to do it, if they in fact have it in place and working, in conjunction with the next thing I'm going to tell you (and one I'm even more dubious of), it will all but end the altering of bats.

You all have probably heard of the Easton Reveal. It was Easton's first attempt to make a bat that had been altered easily identifiable. The new technology will have something like a 'wear' indicator down one side of the bat. If the bat is shaved, it will show up immediately making the bat useless. When the bat reaches BPF rating, it will show up and make the bat useless. If a bat is rolled, it will greatly shorten the life of the bat as the wear indicator will show up that much earlier and make the bat useless.....

Maybe they can do all this, maybe they can't. If they can, great, it's a step in the right direction for this game we all love. If they can't, not so great. If they can't stop idiots from shaving bats and cheaters from using them, if they can't stop a bat from getting hotter than the BPF allows....well then what's the point of making everybody buy new bats? I have to believe after 30 years of playing USSSA and eight as a Director that they know what they're doing and that it will all work....but then again I'm an optimist.

If it works, nobody wants to be a follower, but every organization is interested in safety. NSA has mandated a rolled end cap by 2013. ASA has a different standard in place as well. I expect that if this proves feasible, the manufacturs will force the standard on all associations to lower manufacturing costs and create a safer environment for all of us. I'll update anything that comes down the pipeline after the convention next month.

Balls? It's a constant balancing act. As a director you want a ball that performs for your players. You also want a ball that lasts and one that doesn't perform so well that you lose a ton of them. Since USSSA has gone to the Classic M and Plus we've tried a number of balls. I loved the Diamond Classic M. It performed just fine in summer, didn't become a total sock, but it was an absolute rock in the colder months. What I liked best about it was that players didn't steal them and when we switched to another ball due to a Diamond supply problem, I had a few hundred balls saved up that I gave away at the State Tournaments. The ball lasted and it fit our expense matrix.

We switched to the Baden Plus after that and I think you'd all agree it was a great performer. No surprise I guess when we found out earlier this year that the ball was out of spec and USSSA asked us to stop using them. The ball was supposed to spec out at 52/ 275 and it was spec'ing at some point north of 52/ 375! No wonder we all loved it! As a director I liked how 'bright' it stayed but far too many ended up over the fence, in bags and torn, the ball had a real durability issue.

I had to order Dudleys for the Major and we gave the Plus ball a try. The timing was perfect as we were down to the last of the Badens. While the Plus is supposed to play truer to it's rated COR and compression, one thing I had heard about them is they bounce alot. Well what I heard and what I observed was accurate once we got a true Plus ball in play and not the hopped up Badens. It sounds funny off th bat, but the ball flew just fine in hot weather and I've since hit it a bunch in cold. What I didn't like was the bounce. Thirty foot ricochets off the fence and chin music for infielders is not my idea of what a softball is supposed to do.

As such, we play a short enough cold weather season here that we're going to stick with the Classic M. I have some Dudley's we're testing now and have a few Badens and Diamond Zulus that I'm going to add to the BP sessions over the winter. The Baden's tear, the Dudley's chip and the Diamond's have the early lead as the covers are great and the ball just eventually wears out. My goal basically is to find a ball that is cost effective, we can keep in play, performs well enough to satisfy our players and that Terry McCoy hates :)

I hope you've found this weeks edition helpful and as always I welcome your opinions and suggestions. I'm always ready to talk softball at scott.cameron@usssa.com

October 3, 2011: Worlds, Hall of Fame, Housekeeping and a Big Thank You!

As we close up the 2011 season, I wanted to take a moment to thank all the teams that participated with USSSA this year. We had a great year running more than 50 tournaments and sanctioning 25 leagues to remain Colorado's premier slowpitch organization. We can't have success withour your support and so one more thank you for a great season. Look for even bigger and better things from us in 2012!

I'd like to take a moment and further thank those teams that made the commitment to attend Worlds this year. I understand what a financial and time commitment it is and how difficult it can be to get 10-15 people plus families on the same page. I know not all of you met your goals for 2011 and that the weather in Orlando was more than disappointing but I'm proud of the way you represented yourselves and your state.

At the top of that list is Pitchers/ H&K Screenprinting who for the second time in four years were the runners up in the Women's C World Tournament falling j ust a single run short in the IF game. While we don't have the largest women's division in the country, I'm proud of it's strength as ByU was top ten at seventh in C and Just 4 Show was 13th in a huge D division.

Our guys didn't fair as well but I want to recognize Peak who slogged their way to a top 25 in C and The Situation who managed a 2-2 record in their first trip to finish 65th in the 216 team D division.

A final thank you to everybody who took the time and spent the money to attend Worlds this year. You can imagine I was disappointed in the number of teams that attended given the number of opportunities that were available to them, but time and time again I heard that they just couldn't get players committed financially or otherwise. We're going to put some structure in place for 2012 to help teams that want to attend Worlds more easily afford it and we're going to put additional structure in place to ensure they understand that once committed, they need to meet their obligations. We left a ton of Worlds money on the table this year and it's money that you and I never see again if you don't go. I want to make sure that teams utilize the resources I'm making available to them in the NIT system and can actually make the trip next year so watch for announcements on that front later this fall.

The annual Hall of Fame Banquet is right around the corner and will be held this year on November 5th at Heritage Todd Creek in Thornton. We have some very deserving candidates going into the Hall this year. Scott Graham has been inducted in the Men's category. Those of you who have been around as long as I have know that Scotty was one of the best outfielders the state has ever seen. Today, even in his late 40's, the term 'professional hitter' comes to mind when you watch him at the plate.

Valerie Lindow is being inducted in the women's category. We throw around terms like best-ever and the greatest a little too easily for my taste these days. That said, having called her a teammate for a number of years and having watched her play for 16 years, she is quite simply the finest women's player I've had the privilege to call teammate and friend.

Our third and final inductee, health permitting, is Allan Coseo who runs the leagues in Loveland and is the guy I speak with when setting up the schedule there. Allan is having some physical difficulties right now and in the Mayo Clinic, but provided he's back in time, we'll be inducting him in the director category. USSSA has no finer friend than Allan and the City of Loveland.

We also give yearly awards and we'll be celebrating those as well. Our Murl Skalla Team and Manager of the Year goes to Charlie Graham and Peak Contracting. I liked what a lot of teams did this year but I particularly liked the direction Charlie took start over and how they built and got stronger each week.

Our Director of the Year is Randy Snyder who runs the Play for the Kids series. While nobody is getting rich running tournaments, none of us pretend that it isn't a for profit business. All of Randy's profits and efforts go to a great cause getting area kids into sports programs and he deserves recognition for that.

Finally our Umpire of the Year is Joe Owens. Those of you who don't know him by name, will know him by face. He's the bald headed guy with the ramrod military posture and hint of a drawl. More often than not he's got a smile on his face despite the fact we very rarely let him do anything other than Open or Conference. As always, we had a lot of deserving umpires but Joe, who didn't join us all that long ago, stood out in the crowd.

Congratulations to all our inductees and award winners and I hope to see you at the banquet on Saturday November 5th. Details to follow.

Finally, some housekeeping. I'll have classifications out in the next few weeks. The bumps will more or less be what you are expecting. I think we more or less have classifications where they should be in our state. Yes, I hear all the chatter about how we can't compete at Worlds but my job is not to create an environment so a few teams can win Worlds. You've heard it enough times now to know I'm wedded to it. I'm going to allow you to 'compete' locally where you play 99% of your tourneys and that isn't always going to match up with states that aren't paying attention or just don't care. I believe in our product and I care about what we put on the field.

As I mentioned, I think we're pretty close on classification and so bumps won't be as wholesale as last year but there remain some teams that need to go up. My goal all along was to build a competitive C division and I think we're close on that front. Clearly 'competitive' means something different to me than some of our teams who believe they can only compete if they're winning. Those teams will continue to disappoint and get very little help from me. There's no reason to not build for C when you know a season in advance you're going to C.......

Because we're close to the size I want in C, I'm considering dropping Conference Colorado. I said considering, so nobody jump off the cliff in either direction. CC was created for three reasons. First, to improve participation in our top division. The numbers speak for themselves as we're the only organization running upper level tournaments with any consistancy. Second, to toughen up our better D teams on their way to Worlds. With few exceptions, I was successful in that regard. Third, with the way I've been bumping teams, I wanted to give the rank and file D teams a chance to compete and win sometimes. On that front, you only need to look at the roster of regular D or lower winners the last few years to call CC an unequivocal success.

Anyway, leaning no CC right now but want to look at the raw numbers and what I think the C and D divisions may look like without it. If we go without CC you can pretty much count on me drawing a pretty tough but reasonable line in the sand on who goes up and who goes down.

Watch for the bump post in the next few weeks and if you have any thoughts you'd like to share, I'm always happy to talk softball at scott.cameron@usssa.com