This is Brentt Eads of Extra Inning Softball
Last weekend, I published an article stating that the 2025 Extra Elite 100 had some problems and that we would suspend continuing that class—sidenote, looks like we will pick it up again on Sept. 11, 2023, more details to come.
After my mea cupla/I-screwed-up post went live, it got a lot of viral activity as many were saying thanks for owning it while others were critical of the rankings process in the first place.
Some feel strongly that the player ratings, such as our Extra Elite 100 rankings, cause more angst than value, more harm than good.
From my perspective, everyone has a right to his/her opinion and, but as I adamantly stress, the intent of recognizing athletes in a list format like the Extra Elite 100 rankings is to honor and celebrate them, not to cause pressure or disappointment if a player doesn’t make the list.
Believe me, we take this seriously and know how players, their families and coaches do too.
Extra Inning Softball has NEVER said or indicated that the rankings are anything but an editorial way to shine a spotlight on those talented and accomplished fastpitch softball players who should be recognized… we’re not a scouting serve, a recruiting company, etc.
So it’s been admittedly tough when something you’re trying to do in a positive way is criticized for being “a waste of time,” according to one online voice, “not used by the college coaches,” according to another and “biased to the big organizations,” per one club coach’s post.
Enter Scott Berndes, the longtime coach and head of the Power Surge club organization out of San Diego.
Coach Scott—who I’ve known for well over a decade—has done a great job in developing players—he’s produced athletes who have signed and played nationwide—from UCLA and San Diego State in his native Southern California, to universities nationwide including those in the Ivy League.
Scott has won at an elite level, too, making the PGF National championship game and have won tournaments across the nation–and he has done it all from ages 10U up through 18U.
On Monday, the longtime coach with a great sense of humor, wrote the email below to me after I had had written in my original article:
We are getting better and will get better, I promise.
Or, as I’ve long threatened, I WILL move to Antarctic to become a caretaker for lost sea lions, walruses and other forsaken creatures. And will definitely not have Wi-Fi when I’m there so curse me out now because soon, I’ll be off the grid.
Here’s Scott’s letter in response which was much appreciated as he addresses the issue of whether player rankings being important, useful or of value… at least in his perspective:
*****
Brentt
Please don’t say “oh crap” here comes that crazy guy from San Diego again. And I hope you are not cringing. And don’t move to the North Pole, unless they have good softball there.
I saw your recent article on updating what you may do with the snafu that occurred with the recent 2025 rankings. You had a nice email from a mom on what the rankings are all about. She is absolutely right and you like percentages so I would say 85% agree, 15% don’t with her.
But that is not the issue at hand, where you are ranked. The issue now is, WERE You Ranked? For the 2025 Class that is the issue. Seems you will be redoing the 2025 Ranking and I applaud you for making that decision.
But I think many do not understand the importance of your Ranking System.
Brentt, you have created a monster, and we all love it. I want people to know for those of us that run and administrate the softball organizations—especially those trying to hang with the “Big Dogs,” i.e. the Batbusters, Firecrackers, etc.—the rankings are huge.
They are not just, as people say, “a nice list of girls and a nice way to recognize the girls.” The rankings are IMPORTANT!
For one thing, it is a way to say such-and-such organization is doing it right!
They are training and developing their players. Look at what so-and-so from that organization is ranked. Or look how many from that organization are ranked… they must be doing something right. Let’s give that organization a look at the next tryouts.
Rankings are huge for us administrators!!!
(And I argue to the people that say the rankings aren’t important: the players that play sure think they are important)
Here’s a true story that happened to us a while back.
We were playing in a small Triple Crown Tournament at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Mira Loma, Cali.
If you know the park, the main fields are in one area with a snack bar, etc., and then there are fields way, way off by themselves in the middle of nowhere.
Needless to say, not the fields you want to play on.
We are on the farthest outer field and one game, well, here comes walking up in all Oklahoma gear, JT Gasso, the Assistant Coach at Oklahoma and the famous Patti Gasso’s son.
This is not a big tournament and there are NO other college coaches anywhere so I’m thinking, “What the heck is he doing thousands of miles away from Oklahoma at this little tournament on the worst field?”
I walk over and say ‘hi’ and inquire as to what the heck is he doing here. We were a 14U team so confused even more.
He tells me he saw the rankings on Extra Inning Softball and noticed a highly-rated catcher we had and wanted to see her and start recruiting her.
Wow! I thought. Thank you, Extra Innings Softball!!
BTW… she ended up committing to UCLA: Sofia Mujica, a Top 10 catcher in the 2024 Extra Elite 100.
Thanks for what you do and know that all the schools look at the rankings as a resource and reference tool.
Of course, they must put their eyes on the recruits themselves and see if it’s a good fit, but the attention the rankings bring to the sport has done a world of good for these rising softball players.
— Scott Berndes
President of Power Surge / San Diego, Calif.
