Top 10 things that softball could do to improve the upper levels:

1) Lobby the government for travelling teams to receive a tax break like companies had for sponsoring softball in the 1990's.   Growing sponsors is the only way to keep the Conference healthy.

2) Conduct full and open view compression testing of all bats with consistent penalties written in writing before the season begins.   Tested bats would be stored in garbage cans and kept in locked storage and retested each day of the tournament.

3) Have at least one crew of Conference umpires at every Conference event to at least cover the main field.   It would also be great to see the next Conference umpire opening be filled by an ex-player.   Maybe a former great and well respected pitcher who wants to give something back to the game.

4) Have penalties written before the season for teams that forfeit any Conference game.

5) Rotate Conference umpires so that the same teams in the winner's bracket do not consistently get the same umpire behind the plate for their games.   I don't believe the current way is a problem but this change would eliminate the common "perception" that there is a problem.
 
6) Have a Western "division" so to speak.   Where the top 'A' team and top 'B' team in the West get a free $5k entry for the next season.   Sortof a bonus for having to travel so much to Florida for Worlds, Conference Championships, and Major World Series.

7) Move the Conference Championships to whatever location drew the most Conference teams to their tournament in the previous year. 

8) Have a mandatory orange "saftey bag" at first base at all fields and all tournaments.

9) This one does not seem to be very popular but lets have one championship game for all regular season Conference events.   This allows everyone to make flights and make it to work on Monday.   It also makes the championship game mean something.   It really doesn't matter for regular season Conference event which way a team makes the championship, winner's bracket or loser's bracket, it is still a great accomplishment and a single championship game would be more meaningful.

10) On a double tournament weekend like we have at the Hall of Fame Classic and in Seattle, do not allow non-conference or Major teams in the first tournament of the weekend.  Only allow them to play the second tournament.  This cuts at least one game off of most teams first tournament and saves wear and tear on a Major teams player's that is not needed because they don't need the points anyways.