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Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Dr Buckets on December 21, 2024, 3:24 pm

I was at a practice of my daughter’s the other day and I started talking to one of her coaches and the subject of the Bandits came up. I was wondering: is BC and the Bandits too big and too expansive? Has BC become bad for Chicago area softball? Do the Bandits have too many teams and are they taking too many quality players off the board and undercutting all of these other organizations? Is he, by way of expansion, making it impossible for other organizations to field good competitive teams?
I have the utmost admiration for BC and what he has accomplished in the game of girls softball, but wouldn’t he serve area softball better if he downsized and allowed some of these other orgs to form a flagship team and drive up local competition?
Just a thought

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @Dr Buckets on December 29, 2024, 1:14 pm, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

You're PHD in buckets has been voided please find yourself something else to do with your time, then dream about Conroy and the Bandits.... If you get the call and anyone for that matter 9/10 are taking it.

The local teams although they are great to him in his face but when he turns around they have something else to say would love to see his program fold, another person-team would become the new bandits or those kids would go to other national teams.

When you play at the national level, and you change teams, the way these teams are now part together location doesnt matter. For example Batbuster Stith's number 1 pitcher this year was from somewhere in the Northeast

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @@DrBuckets on December 31, 2024, 10:01 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Honestly, if the Bandits folded, there wouldn't be anyone with the ability to pick up the pieces. It's not just his financial capacity; it's the decades of success and history with the college coaching community. Chill would get an uptick in talent, but I don't think Gerry wants to add teams, or he would have done it a while ago. IMG and Iowa Premier would be the next biggest beneficiaries, but the Chicago area would suffer overall.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Coach on December 23, 2024, 1:11 pm, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

I think that the game continues to change. The most significant change I have seen in my time is that the talent is getting watered down because of the number of athletes involved. The more players we have, the harder it is to find that one special player. Bill has always kept his program strong, but you can tell it is getting harder for him to find players with the quality he expects. Same for the Chill. I see some girls on the chill today who would not have had the talent to be on that team 10 years ago.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @Coach on December 23, 2024, 3:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

I think the most significant change is the competitiveness of Midwest players. One of my kids was part of some of the earlier Bandit teams, and while they were locally competitive, there was never really a chance they'd compete for a national title like they do now. I have zero numbers to back it up, but it seems like there are more P4 rostered players from the non-sunbelt states than previously.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Boomalot on December 23, 2024, 7:36 pm, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

The Midwest girls are way way way more competitive than 10 years ago.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Boomalot on December 23, 2024, 10:35 am, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

The premise “is BC good for softball” is ridiculous! I don’t know the guy and he doesn’t know me. He certainly has put the sport on the map here in the upper Midwest. Every organization (Cheetahs/Silverhawks/Wasco I am forgetting a few) is better off for having to raise their game.
Finally, I don’t think ALL the best players are on the Chill or Bandits. There are some damn good players out there who are better than the girls on Bandit's/Chill. Two of the best college players to come out the area in the past 5 years (Spaid and Pupillo) did not come from these programs.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by DJ on December 23, 2024, 9:53 am, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

For all BC has done for his program he also holds other organizations back. With his influence, certain teams and organizations do not get into certain tournaments even though they are more than qualified. It is the good old boys club.

He has been ducking our team for years, even going as far as inviting other teams from our organization to his events... A few years ago he tried to recruit our coach and team to the Bandits, and our coach said no because he only wanted half of our team. The funny thing is, the girls he wanted to put us with are no longer Bandits. And our team is thriving with multiple power 4 commits.

We had the honor of playing two Bandits teams this fall, we tied Conroy and beat Stone. Admittedly, they were missing players, but so were we.

Yes, BC is good for his program and has done quite a bit. However, the Bandits are not the only road to college softball. How many of his players are starring at the next level? How many of his players played a year or two for the Bandits and moved on? And, how many of his players were developed by others that he takes credit for?

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @DJ on December 23, 2024, 12:00 pm, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Good old boys club implies multiple members. Why aren't the other old boys seeing the light on your talent?

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @DJ on December 23, 2024, 10:05 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

I'm absolutely amazed with the talent level of your team, you chose to stay anonymous. I'm assuming with all the P4 commits, your record at Nationals is tremendous, only surpassed by the level of success of your players at the college level.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Looking mirror on December 23, 2024, 7:59 am, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

After two decades of kids going through the programs and finishing college here is my look back.

Sports has fully become a business, in every aspect. Kids are the consumers with a dream or their parents dream. Most end with just a lot of broken promises and broken wallets. When they exit college - it’s a great void. Going from in your face softball, team and demands to feeling like you never mattered. No bridge between the before and after sports life.

It’s not to say a certain percentage don’t go on to play in college and get a scholarship. But mostly that’s just transferring your college payments prior to college.

The business aspect has taken the fun out of the sports.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Ridiculous on December 22, 2024, 11:39 pm, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

This post made me laugh. How ridiculous. Crying because BC is taking all the good players. If girls didn't play for the Bandits, they wouldn't just stay and play on local teams, they'd go to another high level team.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @Dr. on December 22, 2024, 8:23 am, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Talent is talent, and you'll play them no matter what the name on the jersey is. Or is your hope that they'll disperse to multiple teams and "dumb down" their effectiveness? I'm not sure what the end goal would be.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @@Dr on December 22, 2024, 8:40 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Parents gotta quit trying to find programs like the Bandits, unless it's the Chill you're a step behind. Why not build a program that's all about development? Multiple practices, conditioning, speed/agility, break the kids into groups with multiple coaches, and train them by position: infield, outfield, pitching.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @@Dr on December 23, 2024, 10:01 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

That's fine at the younger levels but if you are looking at playing D1 once you hit 16u it's all about recruiting. That is where having a Chill, Bandits, Iowa Premier or IMG jersey comes into play. If you are looking at D2, D3 or NAIA then the next tier of teams is where to look.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Bandits on December 21, 2024, 11:04 pm, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Are far smaller than any other big name organization that franchises teams all across the country. The only other high level organization that’s smaller is the chill. The bandits have roughly 30 players at each age level …60 per age group if you think of it in 2 yr spans…about half of which are not even from the Chicago area. Get over yourself the players that play for the bandits wouldn’t play for your little home town b team even if Bill closed up shop…they’d play for Gerry or Brian green or out of state teams like the real thunderbolts.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by No on December 21, 2024, 10:04 pm, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Softball is a meritocracy, not a democracy. Conroy has helped hundreds of girls play at the college level. I played myself when the Bandits were just starting. I remember when most of the rosters of the P5 schools were California girls. It was hard for many talented players from the Midwest to even get solid looks from P5 coaches.

He continues to place players at the D1 level. Not to mention the fact that there is a decent chunk of 16u/18u teams in the area that have multiple D1 players on their rosters. There appears to be talent to go around.

Conroy’s program is built to get girls to D1 and to try to win national championships. You’re suggesting he should make his program smaller to force D1 caliber talent to local teams? What makes you think they won’t just join another national program elsewhere. What a silly post.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Billy Madison on December 21, 2024, 8:30 pm, in reply to "Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

We are all dumber for having read that post.

You want to more evenly distribute the best players in Chicago in an effort to make it more fair for the other teams?

Seriously?

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Bandits on December 22, 2024, 9:35 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

I don’t think people dislike the BANDITS
They dislike their parents
Very similar to Packer or cub fans

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @Bandits on December 23, 2024, 10:02 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

They are jealous. If their kid had a chance to play for them they would be dressed in all orange 7 days a week.

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by Power 4 on December 23, 2024, 11:16 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Plenty of non Bandit power 4 players in the Midwest !!
Do some research before typing
Cherry picking the best players and taking credit is not as impressive

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @Power 4 on December 23, 2024, 11:59 am, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

If they're cherry-picking, why are all these talented players choosing the Bandits over all the other P4-level travel programs?

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @@power 4 on December 23, 2024, 12:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Seriously??
$$$
The hand full that are from Illinois anyway

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by @@@Power4 on December 23, 2024, 3:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

Money? As in scholarships?

Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?

Posted by MERRY CHRISTMAS on December 24, 2024, 12:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Is BC bad for Chicago softball?"

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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