Ohio LL state championships in Symmes Valley.

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Has anyone ever been there? My oldest grandson's LL team has qualified, as the other team in the district has backed out. They will be there in late July. Does anyone have any experiences with it?
 
 
I can't give you any details about Symmes Valley other than they have great fans. Something about that area (District 11 in Ohio LL) that really loves Little League baseball and softball. You should have a great time down there watching the games and I imagine the local Little League will be great hosts. My experience was with Symmes Valley, Wheelersburg, and Portsmouth West. Expect a big crowd to come watch the games.
 
Symmes Valley is a very rural area about 13 miles out of Ironton on Rt. 141. The nearest village is Aid (a convenient mart and a grocery). The fields are between the hills. Great people in that area and you should enjoy your visit.
 
We are probably going to look into a hotel in either Huntington or Ashland. I'm guessing there aren't a lot of food establishments in the immediate area.
 
There is a very nice Holiday Inn Express in Ironton that we stayed in for the LL Softball State Tournament in Wheelersburg a couple years ago. It was a good area with plenty of food options.
 
Has anyone ever been there? My oldest grandson's LL team has qualified, as the other team in the district has backed out. They will be there in late July. Does anyone have any experiences with it?
I wont poo poo the excitement, but the bolded statement says a lot......
 
I wont poo poo the excitement, but the bolded statement says a lot......
Sadly, that is an issue facing Little League...but it is also a strength. You play with the hand you are dealt and injuries/vacations can derail a community's playoffs. There are no "substitute" ace pitchers that can be brought in. Communities play the games when they are scheduled, not when it is convenient. A team that has won the right to advance may suddenly find out that they cannot play on the scheduled date and will give up their spot.

I know there are a few leagues similar to Little League (American Legion/Hot Stove) when it comes to playing to advance and limiting rosters. But it is a dying breed. People want more freedom and less struggles for their kids. IMO, the two most important championships for Ohio baseball teams are the 12 year old Little League World Series and the OHSAA Baseball State Championship. Both require a community and winning to advance to the next round. Both are extremely difficult to win and no amount of money can guarantee you a spot on the final weekend.
 
Sadly, that is an issue facing Little League...but it is also a strength. You play with the hand you are dealt and injuries/vacations can derail a community's playoffs. There are no "substitute" ace pitchers that can be brought in. Communities play the games when they are scheduled, not when it is convenient. A team that has won the right to advance may suddenly find out that they cannot play on the scheduled date and will give up their spot.

I know there are a few leagues similar to Little League when it comes to playing to advance and limiting rosters. But it is a dying breed. People want more freedom and less struggles for their kids. IMO, the two most important championships for Ohio baseball teams are the 12 year old Little League World Series and the OHSAA Baseball State Championship. Both require a community and winning to advance to the next round.
DISAGREE. Most don't even participate in said tournament and I dont hold that in any higher regard then most of the weekend tourneys you see at Berliner or around the state.

AGREE. Every OHSAA team participates.
 
DISAGREE. Most don't even participate in said tournament and I dont hold that in any higher regard then most of the weekend tourneys you see at Berliner or around the state.
I know that most people won't agree, especially if they don't participate. But my view comes from participating in all those weekend tournaments around the state and not remembering the name of any of them. My son played in the 12U LL tournament twice and never got out of districts. It is a great achievement to move onto the next round from District, State, Regionals, and World Series. Tournaments that require you to win at one level to make the next level are far more interesting to me.

Little League is just a different animal. Getting to the World Series is extremely difficult. It takes a whole community dedicated to working toward that goal. Getting 100s to 1000s of people coming to watch one game is something most travel ball teams never experience. Little League is the closest to how the OHSAA plays. It is community based and the only way to get to the next tournament is to win.

Again, it is just my opinion but weekend tournaments were just a blur. We won some, we lost some. Can't remember the name of any of them. But Little League was always the most important tournament because of how it was built. We still remember the teams played, the scores in those games, and the players on those teams. Very similar to the HS years...
 
Little League does have the name recognition, no doubt about that and I am sure it is big deal for teams who go there and participate but other that those teams involved no one really, um, knows or cares.
 
Little League does have the name recognition, no doubt about that and I am sure it is big deal for teams who go there and participate but other that those teams involved no one really, um, knows or cares.
Maybe I need to get out of my little corner of the world but I know from talking to many baseball coaches/fans over the years that they followed the Little League World Series even though they didn't live in a Little League district. It is arguably the most recognizable youth sporting event in the World (maybe soccer has an equivalent us Americans don't know about). My son is 10 years out of Little League and I still look forward to watching the games on ESPN and ABC in August. I've never gone to Williamsport to watch the games but it is on the bucket list. A few years back they had 40,000 people in person watching 12 year olds play the game we all love. IMO, it is a very big deal.
 
Yappi-you are spot on with regard to LL. All three of my sons played in the state tourney from age 10-12 with my youngest the only one of the three to advance to the regional. Our first game in the regionals in Indy was on a Saturday afternoon and I could not believe the crowd we had for a game that was a 2 hour drive from our home town. Quite impressive.
Two of my nephews played in the World Series in Williamsport and I went over for a game. Unbelievable how that thing is run. Kids are treated like rock stars.
 
Well, we have finally returned from Symmes Valley. The boys lost to a very, very good Hamilton team, beat teams from Jefferson and Symmes Valley, and were eliminated by a team from Boardman, that they had beaten four times previously.

Let me first say that the people from Symmes Valley were gracious hosts, have a decent facility, clean restrooms, a nice concession stand, and ran the tournament very well. We stayed in a really nice hotel in Huntington, WV and the downtown area had a lot to choose from. On the other hand, the drives to the field were absolute HELL. The place is out in the middle of nowhere. One wrong turn, and we may not have returned. Again, it was a great experience for my grandson.
 
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