By Adam Diorio
From the desk of Head Recruiting Coach Joyce Wellhoefer
For hundreds of the most serious softball players around the country, the third weekend in March meant the arrival of the Faster to First Tournament which takes place in Huntington Beach, California. Many believe the Faster to First competition to include the greatest collection of high school softball teams at one event in the country. According to StudentSportsSoftball.com, “nine teams in the preseason FAB 50 will play at the event.”
Aside from several strong teams from California, the tournament featured elite teams from all over the country including Nevada, Texas, and Arizona. The tournament was created because, “last year, several California teams approached us,” explains Brentt Eads of Student Sports, “and say, ‘we have so much strong talent in our back yard, couldn’t you help put together an elite tournament here in Southern California?’”
And put together an elite tournament they did. Despite the high level of competition, the tournament directors hope to improve the level of play even more next year by bringing teams from the Midwest and east coast. NCSA’s Chief Operating Officer, Lynn O’Linski had the opportunity to attend the event and offered several insights about the tournament.
Overall Lynn was extremely impressed by the caliber of athletes attending the event. “The SPARQ testing scores were off the charts and really show how far the sport has come in terms of agility and athleticism.”
“One of the most important things I noticed while attending the Faster to First event was the development of the sophomore class (2010 graduates) offering verbal commitments to college programs. It is yet another indication of how early the process starts and should create a sense of urgency for the juniors who have not yet developed solid relationships with the coaching community,” said Lynn after returning to NCSA headquarters in Chicago.
She added, “Committing that early, as a sophomore, is relatively new to the softball recruiting process for better or worse. Regardless of your opinion on its influence, the reality that it is happening should motivate families to begin the process as freshman.”
Source: http://sssoftball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=785548
