Last Friday, we reported on Full Count Softball the news that broke during the week about an ASA/USA Softball-produced event called the “USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup” scheduled for July 26-August 1 in Chino Hills, Calif.

Two things about the JO Cup that have created discussion across the softball nation are that there’s a significant cash payout to the top finishers—in excess of $100,000—and also that the event runs at the same time as the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) 18U Nationals.

When we first heard about the scheduling conflict, we reached out to PGF President/CEO Dan Hay to get his perspective on the competing tournament… here are his thoughts as well as those of Vice President Gary Haning, the long-time head coach of the OC Batbusters…

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Dan Hay: Premier Girls Fastpitch saw the announcement of the proposed USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup tournament this summer, wherein teams will receive money for winning or placing high in the event.

At first glance, the tournament appears to be disingenuous and after taking time to consider all the aspects of this tournament, PGF is concerned by a number of issues this event brings to youth sports and softball in particular.

This topic would be better served by hearing the comments of longtime ASA and PGF Championship coach and PGF Co-Founder/Vice President Gary Haning.

However, before we hear his comments, PGF would like us to remember how the company came to be.

Premier Girls Fastpitch started because, after years of asking for changes from ASA and being ignored, a select group of softball coaches wanted to try a different approach so PGF was created. We then introduced our own National Championships consisting of an 18U and 16U division.

We never imagined the tremendous growth Premier Girls Fastpitch would have throughout the United States over the last six years.

PGF was a business concept that started by offering quality tournaments for competitive youth softball teams throughout the United States. That concept has grown to be a brand known at levels within the softball community for providing a high-end product that everyone associated with PGF is proud of. We make it a point to listen to our membership and serve them in the best way possible.

We continue to field requests on a daily basis of those wanting PGF to sanction their respective organizations. We continue to strive to make the sport better and have set a standard of excellence.

Through it all, we have never altered our initial position and goal of putting on the best National Tournament at the most comfortable sites with the most care and concern given to the participants and the highest level of competition.

For example, PGF spent over $270,000 last summer on the opening ceremonies and media coverage, including television and radio alone.

We could definitely do the tournament without either, but we feel that these extra enhancements benefit the players, coaches and parents and should always remain in our program no matter what the cost.

PGF is still learning and we hope to never stop finding ways to improve. From day one, we have dealt with attacks in the form of threats to umpires being blackballed, fields being taken away from our organizers, insurance not being accepted and personal attacks on PGF officials.

Through it all, we have said nothing and gone about our business. PGF has always taken t

he high road and maintained a high level of integrity. We have always felt that the bigger picture was about what’s best for the sport, our female student-athletes and the PGF general membership and tried to minimize the politics as much as possible.

PGF is now an “option of choice” in many communities throughout the country, providing our representatives are not running into roadblocks. It’s important to note that PGF has never told its membership not to play in another organization. We have always promoted our product as a “choice” for those in the softball community to consider and if you like what you see, then we hope you stay awhile.

As to the news that’s come out around this conflicting tournament, PGF normally doesn’t comment publicly on national issues, especially when we feel the message or announcement from our competitors is disingenuous.

But we are greatly disturbed by a number of issues concerning this ASA tournament and what it brings to our sport of softball. Gary Haning has been a travel ball coach for over 40 years. He has won eight ASA National Championships and one PGF National Championship.

Gary has coached a few Junior Olympic National teams and basically has seen it all. His experience is second-to-none and PGF would like all of you to hear Gary’s comments on these issues drawing on his experience as a coach and key figure in fastpitch softball…

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Gary Haning: I want to start by saying that my concern is not for my team, the OC Batbusters, as we would never participate in such a tournament even if we felt we had a great chance to win the money.

Nor is my uneasiness about myself being an official of PGF and fearing it will impact our National Tournament in a negative fashion.

I do not know which teams will end up playing for the money, but I do know the teams that will NOT be playing there. I have spoken with the coaches of many of the elite teams in the country over the past few days. I am confident that the Premier Divisions of PGF Nationals will continue to be the most attractive, most competitive and, overall, most meaningful tournament as it has been since its inception.

I have strong reservations about this new ASA event touching several different issues:

1. Amateurism

The athletes we coach and train to play for enjoyment and love of the game are already being pushed from the time they are 14 years old or younger to earn a college scholarship. Fortunately, despite the pressure of college recruiting, winning a National Championship remains a very pure and wholesome goal and stands alone without any need of financial compensation.

2. Expectations and Pressure

If you have ever been involved with a team as it nears a championship, you know that the experience becomes very emotional and stressful. We have always welcomed the pressure as we believe it shows character and serves to prepare an athlete for her future. There is a downside if a team does not win and if there is a play or series of plays that point to a particular athlete as the person who cost the team the victory. We all know that no one play ever decides a game but I have seen some really devastated kids and I do not care to add the burden of a girl thinking her mistake cost her team $40,000 or some other large sum of money.

3. College Eligibility

I read the NCAA Eligibility FAQ page and spoke with one of their representatives yesterday. The following is my interpretation of her answers to my questions. I strongly encourage any parent who has a daughter that will play in this payout tournament to call the NCAA Eligibility phone number (317-917-6008) and be sure you understand the rules very clearly.

A softball player may not receive money from her team for playing in a tournament. A softball player may not have her team fees nor team paid travel expenses reimbursed by her team if it wins money. An athlete may compete in a tournament and win an amount lesser than or equal to her expenses, that she pays, for that tournament.

These are the points I asked her to clarify many times to the extent she got angry with me but please, investigate this for yourself!

If money won as a prize could be used to cover a succeeding year’s expenses, or in a way to indirectly benefit the players on a team, is another question that is uncertain at this time.

The most salient point is that once money starts getting thrown around in a world where retaining one’s amateur standing is critical, there is much need for caution.

4. Gambling

I do not want to insinuate anything is illegal, but in my view to ask a team to raise $6,000 for entry into a tournament that pays out $40,000 sounds a lot like a lottery. That entry fee is thousands of dollars more expensive than any other National Tournament.

A team cannot win a large sum at any other tournament, but an entry fee this high is a significant amount to raise on the slim hope any given team will be the best team on any given weekend. Especially when no one will even know which teams are entered until after paying its fee.

5. Potential for abuse

There are coaches who will do some scary things to win. Such a coach could and, I believe in time, will offer money under the table to a top pitcher or hitter. There are also some parents who will take such an offer. If you do not believe this can happen, you are not paying attention to the state of the athletic world today.

6. Implied path to the National Teams and, ultimately, the Olympics

My final issue is not with the idea of the tournament itself, but how it was represented as the path to National Teams. I find this to be a little disconcerting when considering the past few years of Junior Olympic Teams and prior U.S. Olympic Teams.

Research shows that 17 of the 20 athletes (including alternates) on the current Junior Olympic National Team played in the PGF Nationals last summer. The JO Team chosen two years earlier had similar numbers. As a youth player, you can play ASA, USSSA, Triple Crown, PGF or anywhere else and have a chance to make the JO Team.

But this has nothing to do with the selection process of the U.S. Olympic Teams and U.S. Women’s National Teams, which are chosen from college teams and beyond. If you do well in college you have a shot at a National Team.

Play poorly or average in college, you better hope your coach is a National Team coach. As of now there is no Olympic Team nor is there Olympic Softball. If it is played in Japan, that will be because the host country has a great passion for the sport and a greater passion for baseball.

Important to note: that does not mean it will be included beyond 2020!

ASA is the National Governing Body of Softball and that is unlikely to change. They have industrial, church, military, slow-pitch, modified pitch and all other manner of leagues and teams. As the NGB they do have control over USA National Teams in the eyes of the USOC and the International Softball Federation. It is unlikely that either of those affiliations will change.

I was an ASA Coach at some level from the mid-seventies until 2010. My team won its first National Championship in ASA and it was a highlight of my sports life. I got to participate in a National Olympic Festival and that is a cherished memory.

I’ve coached JO National Teams, I once was asked to form and chair a committee to develop a plan for a standing 18U and, eventually, a 16U National Team.

I mention these things to try to show that I have some knowledge of how things work there.

I personally feel—and I think all of us at PGF believe the same way—that competition is good and makes everyone up their game and provides options.

But when there are so many concerns and possibilities of an event negatively impacting athletes, families and organizations, then you have to stop and ask if this is truly what’s best for the sport.

I have great concerns that it is not.