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Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by For the Collective on June 20, 2026, 10:43 pm

Which org is the new rising star? Who is riding off into the sunset? Who are the tried and true? And is there really an “IT” org in Chicagoland anymore?

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by @IC, @Dawg on June 22, 2026, 6:15 pm, in reply to "Up and coming? Or down and out?"

You're doing this wrong.

The OP asked about ORGS, and you're giving teams.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Old lady coach on June 22, 2026, 4:36 pm, in reply to "Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Softball organizations are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Say it ain't so on June 22, 2026, 3:54 pm, in reply to "Up and coming? Or down and out?"

How about IMG Chicago or IMG Great Lakes? Seriously Brian Green. Hope the money you are making is worth ruining the brand you built.

Genuwin Reign never really took off. Who were they again before the reboot?

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Reign on June 23, 2026, 1:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Good question on the Reign......were they the Rhinos? Nationals?

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Too Many on June 22, 2026, 1:51 pm, in reply to "Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Daddy’s taking 4-5 players from a team and starting a new org. There are entirely too many orgs. It’s watered down. A lot of teams pulling out of tournaments because they can’t field a team.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Up & Out on June 22, 2026, 6:55 am, in reply to "Up and coming? Or down and out?"

(You could have saved a step and just told us what team your kid is on, and who didn’t offer them a spot.)

From an *ORG* perspective, I don’t think there has been any movement of note. Some teams in an org can have a good season or two, but that doesn’t make an org. My definition is (a) overall org success at national tournaments like IDT, T25 and PGF/Alliance Nationals and (b) kids getting P4 offers.

Bandits and Chill are the best orgs in IL that are based in IL. They also have the best teams in IL regardless of where the org is based. This has been the case, it seems, since the Carter Administration… and will probably remain the case as long as Gerry and Bill remain in charge.

After them, you have to get to definitions. TN Mojo is a great national org and they a team or two (?) in IL. IP is a great org and they have a few. IMG might have have an IL team (?), and recruit IL players. Maybe there are other national leaders (eg Athletics, Platinum Fury, Angels, etc) that have a team or two in IL? Those are great orgs, but they don’t have a substantial presence in IL.

If you’re looking only at IL-based, the next group would include NLL, Denison, Cheetahs, Sparks and Wasco - rank them however you’d like. I’d probably put Cheetahs at the top right now, with the Bo Dome and its workout facility giving them an advantage over the others.

None of this has moved much in the past 5 years. And please don’t @ me with a “But KR Fastpitch has a great 14u team that’s really tearing up the USSSA circuit”.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Add Lightning on June 22, 2026, 9:18 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Wisconsin Lightning always seem to do a nice job.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by @up & out on June 22, 2026, 8:52 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

14U parents that look at these "national franchise teams" will soon realize that there are very few programs that actually recruit and other than Bandits and Chill, those programs are Sparks, NLL, Silver Hawks,Cheetas and Wisconsin Lightning, if you're not part of one of those orgs, you need to ask ask your coach, who your recruiting coordinator is, if they say me, then you need to look at one of the names listed above.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Good list on June 24, 2026, 7:33 am, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

But you forgot Iowa Premier, Peoria Sluggers, Wisconsin Bandits, Finesse Dreher teams as well.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by @ up and out on June 24, 2026, 9:33 am, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Maybe, but was referring to OP and talking Chicagoland.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by @@up & out on June 23, 2026, 1:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

NLL does not have a recruiting coordinator
Wasco does
both have track records tho

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by WASCO??? on June 24, 2026, 10:26 am, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Who is Wasco coordinator, please enlighten me.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by @@up & out on June 23, 2026, 1:14 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

These are great regional teams and have been for the past 15 yrs Sparks, NLL, Silver Hawks,Cheetas and Wisconsin Lightning..

Who is the recruiting coordinator for the Sparks now?

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by BM on June 22, 2026, 7:53 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Wasco is so 2019!

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by @BM on June 23, 2026, 9:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

This is correct.

Unfortunately, the org didn't develop a bench of coaches to bring the organization forward. BM likes to remain in the center.

It was once competitive with other "tier 2" in the area (those teams below Bandits and Chill), but it lost its way.

Crazy thing is the number of D1 and P4 kids that have gone through there in recent years, but almost all of them have left. Those that remain are playing a low D1 schedule at best - which is why the top talent leaves.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Record Book on June 23, 2026, 8:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Wasco’s collevtive record of all its team the past few years is under .500

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by The New Sluggers on June 25, 2026, 5:27 am, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Wasco has turned into the Naperville Diamonds level talent.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by IC on June 21, 2026, 9:03 pm, in reply to "Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Impact Caymol
Aka stallions
I heard The guy who started it already quit.

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by swside fan on June 23, 2026, 8:19 am, in reply to "Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?"

If true....not surprising at all

Re: Up and coming? Or down and out?

Posted by Dawg Not Hunting on June 21, 2026, 8:37 pm, in reply to "Up and coming? Or down and out?"

Cheetahs Connelly is sinking fast than Iran’s navy. The glory days ended. They still have a few excellent players!

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