Friday March 29th, 2024
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2014 USSSA Convention – Nationwide Conference USSSA Meeting Notes:

 

2014 USSSA Convention – Nationwide Conference USSSA Meeting Notes:

  – Conference is separate from regular rule book.

  – "The Conference is the best players on the best teams competing at the best tournaments with the best facilities and the best umpires."

  – Every team treated the same and get the same travel prize money and hotel rooms.

  – CBSSports and MLB involved.  Trying to get television.

  – No limits on Major players, ever.

  – Tweak the points system every year.
    – Declared 4 point tournaments will be listed ahead of the season.
    – Tournaments with 1-5 teams get an extra 15 points so winner will start at 180 + (3 pts x number of teams)
    – Tournaments with 6-10 teams get an extra 10 points so winner will start at 175 + (3 pts x number of teams)

  – Any votes on Conference issues will be done at the HOF Classic in April when there is better team representation.

  – Top 36 in points get $2,000 prize money

  – USSSA 'B' World moved to August 21-23
  – USSSA 'A' World moved to September 18-20
  – USSSA Major World Series week of September 21st
  – Conference Championship/GSL Major World Series is Labor Day Weekend in Kissimmee (top 8 teams in points)
  – Conference Qualifier/GSL 'A' World is Labor Day Weekend in Kissimmee (9-32 in points) (is not mandatory)

  – Conference fee raised to $5,300 because $300 is for team supplemental insurance.  This idea was supported by everyone in the room.

  – Contracts and Roster changes sent to Stacy.Hobbs@USSSA.com

  – Joe Baney (don't know if I spelled that right?) formerly sponsor of Maroadis is returning a Worth team to upper level softball

  – Likely the 2015 USSSA Major World Series will finish on Saturday night (weather permitting)

  – Dennis Turner asked a question about temperature and altitude affecting bat testing?  A way to calibrate better?
    Answer:  Calibration ring if used properly should give consistent calibration.

  – DW asked if there was any support for capping the highest points to a Conference tournament winner at 220 or 230 points?
    Answer: We are trying to get the biggest and best tournaments.  And we are bumping up the points for the smaller events.  And there was zero support.

Conference Questions from TheOldScout posters:

    Why does the conference hit ZNs and not hot dots?
    Answer: Only ZN Conference ball will be used in 2015

    Why not use ZN stadium balls for A and B Worlds? With that humidity, the balls currently just become socks. Or maybe use ZN during the day, and classics after dark?
    Answer: Safety reasons on the smaller fields.  Stadium would be dangerous.

    Why will they not add a safety bag at first base? Can't imagine this being a big deal to make mandatory.
    Answer: Question has been asked in the past but was not answered.  Answer in the past was Disney doesn't allow safety bags to be installed but parks could use them.

    The Conference/USSSA needs to find a way to limit the travel to Florida. Four times a year is ridiculous. Have the B world or C World in the Midwest (Berliner). They have the fields to handle. Most A/Major teams can afford the travel. B/C can not.
    Answer: Kissimmee is the least expensive city to travel to, best facilities, A Worlds moved to September makes it one less trip, when they used to bid out to other cities they would get B teams that would play C because it was closer to them, also have hotel and field deals with the county to make things less expensive. And GSL championships around the country will allow teams to play post season tournaments closer to home.

    Columbus, OH should be a dual as opposed to Glen Burnie, MD. Weather and location being the obvious variable.
    Answer: Columbus, Ohio would be a good place but the concept of the duals was to put them in places where travel for the teams is difficult.

    Implement rule that states ALL Major teams are awarded a berth to the MWS, there points still depend on the seeding and they must play in 6 events to qualify. Award the teams that are trying to play at the highest division possible.
    Answer: Takes away from the concept of the conference.  We don't cater to the Major teams.  They have to earn their berth like everyone else.

    Maybe they can think about changing the major weekend to D or E so we can watch those games as well. It is always the C weekend can they switch it up ???
    Answer: It is a possibility.  The E has 3 worlds on different weekends so more than one date would have to be changed around.

    Can a regional conference for the C teams and stronger D teams be implemented for a more competitive local/regional schedule for the teams who want to play the best but don't have the budget to travel a Conference schedule?
    Answer:  Would be tough to create.  Would take away from local tournaments.  Conference is for upper level.

2 responses to “2014 USSSA Convention – Nationwide Conference USSSA Meeting Notes:”

  1. Thanks for asking the questions DW says:

    The two that stick out to me:

    Glen Burnie over Columbus: a complete contradiction of the answer before about easy/cheap travel to Orlando. If Glen Burnie wasn’t a Dual it would either go away or be some meaningless affiliate. Columbus gets the best teams (and more teams) from the Midwest and is cheaper for all involved. Most Midwest teams can drive to this event. Who drives to MD? This decision does nothing but support big teams with big budgets and leaves the C/B teams scratching and scraping for money. Did I mention the subpar facilities and weather?

    The answer about the 4 trips to Florida is absolutely ridiculous and makes little to no sense. It might be cheaper to fly to Orlando than some other cities but it’s easier to drive to Columbus, Nashville, etc than fly to Florida. It’s a vacation for the USSSA family at the expense of the sponsors. Not right IMO.

  2. Don Sr answers like a smug empire boss. On several questions he didnt even answer the question but instead gave some stiff neck excuse.

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