I'd like to get some feedback / reaction regarding the Long Island Sound's 18U Connie Mack 2011 Summer season. After spending about $1,200 for the summer season, seems to me the Sound will promise the moon and deliver Canarsie. "Parents, your sons will be playing 50 games of baseball this summer and will play in both Connie Mack and LIBA to insure they see quality competition. No need for tournaments, they will be too busy. I don't like to travel and besides they rip you off anyway" Coach Stanga assured everyone gathered at the pre-season meeting. Well, 24 games later and no LIBA league ever materializing (we do fill-ins), I have to analyze this business model. $950 for baseball, $200+ for the crappiest see through uniforms ordered on-line (complete with the name of Coach Stanga's new baseball gym interest (IBF) on several pieces), to play 24 games in Connie Mack that is offered by other teams for $400 plus uniforms. Seems to me that I'm an un-named equity investor in a Suffolk County baseball gym that I'll never use (besides that's another $60 / month). Our sons were "Coached" (if a three clap atta boy from the third base line qualifies as coaching) by Coach Conners who from time to time might pick his head up from texting or eating while in the dugout. Practice? That's for the other guys...too much effort. Perhaps our $$ paid for his lunches? No...I think it paid for Coach Stanga's College team trips to Utica and Toledo, OH. Anyone else out there as happy as I am? Perhaps IBF stands for "I Be Fooled". Final analysis: you tell me?
Chips Ahoy!

Congratulations to the Long Island Sound College Team for winning the 2011 NABF Northeast Regional Championship in Utica, NY.

In the 2011 NABF College World Series (the Sound's 2nd World Series berth) held in Toledo, Ohio; the team finished 2-1 in pool play to advanced on the the Elite Eight round where they lost to the eventual champion Utica Brewers.

Good job!

Seems pricey. U know the old saying, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Buyer beware.

Chips Ahoy, you seem to be another victim of this big travel organizatons disregard for common decency. This monolithic organization preys on parents and kids dreams. Like you said, "they promise the moon and deliver Canarsie." Before they get the check, they tell you everything you want to hear, like they will get your son in front of this college coach and that college coach. They will tell you that they were able to obtain scholarships for a large number of thier players, which later you find false. Coach Stanga and the Sound are notorious through out the Long Island baseball community for not delivering on thier promises. A friend of mind was complaining about this team a couple of weeks ago. In the spring I advised him to stay away from this organization, but he fell into the trap and wrote a check. He showed me a letter, dated February 2011 that stated that the team will particpate in two leagues and play approximately 50 games durring the summer. Well, that did not happen, they did not even play half of the promised games. The Sound historically was a team based of St.John the Baptist players, but as more and more were burned by Stanga's false promises, they fled elesware. There is no development here, just stick up men dressed as baeball coaches!

There should be a consumer affairs division set up to police these organzations that are robbing us of our hard earned money!

I think the take away is to check out the organization carefully and the coaches assigned to the team even more so. I saw this team play and have to say I was not impressed. Flat-footed, lazy approach by basically every player who took the field. Chips makes a good point; I did see the coach sitting on a ball bucket texting when his team was in the field. On a wild pitch the catcher was looking for the ball in the backstop and the coach never even looked up. That's not acceptable coaching at any level of baseball no less what the Long Island Sound represents themselves to be. Won't be sending any of my boys to their tryouts.

Not hating on the College team. God bless 'em. Just not looking to finance anyone (college team or otherwise) or anything (IBF Gym) other then the team we signed up for! What is this, Bernie Madoff Baseball?
Chips Ahoy!

"big travel organizaton"? "monolithic organization"?

The LI Sound have 4 teams:
College (20-6)
18U (12-9)
16U 15-6)
14U (21-0)

Other organizations are like this also. I know several families who have paid Storm a bunch of money and not gotten what they were promised.

Not hating on the College Team. God Bless 'em. I just want to pay for one team, and not finance another teams success or a gym (IBF) that has no utility to me. What is this, Bernie Madoff baseball?
Chips Ahoy!