Showball Head Coach Academic Camp in November

Son went to both showcases - 1 HF as a rising junior, and 2 showball mega camps in Ft Myers his sophomore and junior years.  He preferred Showball.  Showball camps had about 225 players, I would guess that HF had many more. (Full disclosure: Was nice leaving snowy New England in December to attend Showball in Florida! He also had rain during HF which shifted scheduling)

As other posters will say it comes down to which has a higher #s schools your son is vetting, which showcase will give you more bang for buck. I notice that this year Showball is running a camp in Long Island during same time as a HF camp (August 8-9) . This particular Showball camp not only has all 8 Ivies, but all 8 Ivy HCs are scheduled to be there. (HF is missing Penn), Usually Showball costs less than HF's $995 price tag.  I would guess that the November SB Showcase's participant # would grow as it gets closer. Found that exposure was equally good. Cost and who was there were 2 biggest factors. I read that your son is a SS first. I think both start ABs with the dreaded 1-1 count.  Good luck!

Phanatic,

It's great to hear that Showball is doing a November academic camp.  Looks like a lot of decision makers! 

The schools list is a bit different than HF.  Tough call.  As always, go where your son's vetted list of colleges will be (particularly the head coaches and recruiting coordinators).  It looks like Showball and HF have both. 

My sons did not attend Showball, but both did HF Jupiter in the Fall of their Junior years, then HF Long Island (and one did HF Sac) as rising Seniors. 

I highly recommend Juniors (and Sophs if ready) to do these academic showcases in the Fall as a starting point.  Most of the colleges are done looking at Seniors, even though there will be some in attendance.  So the Juniors and Sophs get a lot of "early" looks by these academic schools.  These are great opportunities to begin the dialogue with coaches as these camps make coaches so accessible to the student-athletes.

So while we did not do Showball, I think your plan for showcasing in November is a good one!

Best of luck!!

Ripken Fan posted:

As other posters will say it comes down to which has a higher #s schools your son is vetting, which showcase will give you more bang for buck. I notice that this year Showball is running a camp in Long Island during same time as a HF camp (August 8-9) . This particular Showball camp not only has all 8 Ivies, but all 8 Ivy HCs are scheduled to be there. (HF is missing Penn)

Maybe the list changed recently (?), but Showball doesn't have all 8 Ivies per my visit to their site today. No sign of Dartmouth (which happens to be at the top of my older kid's list, so I noticed... didn't check for 7 others).  Slow day here, so I went ahead and posted--I have no experience with their camps. 

I was referring to the August 8-9 Showball Academic which has all 8 Ivies. The fall Showball Academic (referenced by OP) in FL is missing Penn, Columbia and Dartmouth. Chico, not sure what year your son is but Dartmouth usually has a "Junior Day" around MLK holiday, which can gives insight to program, coaching staff and a tour of campus.

You are correct. My bad. I guess my day isn't all that's slow...

Thanks for the tip on Dartmouth. Is the Jr. Day you mentioned announced on their website for anyone interested?  Son is a 2020, so maybe in 2019, if his grades are good enough. 

Dartmouth's junior day is an "invite" event. If your son has filled out their website's questionnaire, and has any correspondences with Dartmouth up until that time, he should get an invite. When we went a few years back, I would say that about 60 prospects attended, which tells you even more were invited who did not attend. Two  of the things they asked for at the event were transcripts and baseball schedules

Thanks to all for the replies. Much appreciated. Given the costs associated with these events, registration, travel, lodging, etc. we will need to choose between PG Fall Academic Showcase Oct 14-15 versus Showball Head Coach Academic Nov 4-5 for my 2020. We will plan on HF in summer of 2018. At present we are leaning towards Showball Head Coach Academic event as there will be guaranteed eyes at that event, with at least 20 schools that son has interest in from an academic point of view. Hopefully those HCs actually get to see him. Like we did with my 2017 we will reach out to those coaches a week or two prior to the event. We just hope that they will be looking at 2020 players even though they do not have any test scores by that time. Thanks. 

While you've been through the process with your 2017, I'd really try to be objective with where your a 2020 is with his skills-tools; does he really have stand out skills and projectable size right now?  If he does, the other top D1 programs could be looking at him now.  This fall the top academics will be buttoning up the last few 2018 recruits, then looking at big 2019 arms.  If a 2019 big arm sports a strong ACT/SAT a few of the Ivy's will get the conversation going.

If your 2020 sit's 84-86, with a top FB of 88 he's going to be noticed.  But what does that mean for the audience of top academic coaches?  They'll love him, have a conversation, call his club coach, tell him to come to their fall camp, tell him to take the ACT/SAT early so they could get serious with him the following fall of his junior year.  It would be similar if he has a huge bat with good defensive skills, but again, what can the academic schools do?  The exception would be academic D1's like Stanford, Duke, ND, Rice, Vandy, WF that would act early with a 2020.  But, back to having skills and projectable size that stand out.  

If I had a 2020 doing this all over again, I'd commit to a massive strength program between August and Feb of his sophomore year. Then build a plan for the rising junior summer and fall junior year to include attending a few individual camps of his "top" targeted schools, prepare to take the Oct ACT-SAT, and attend some combination of fall Showcases (PG Fall Academic, AZ Fall Junior Classic, and HF or Showball in November). The colleges would have seen him several times in a three month period which is a great way to get the recruiting process going his junior year.     

Excuse the tardy response. Was on travel. Thanks for the advice. Gov (and all others). I find myself debating this back and forth, and I am hoping that many may have had similar issues working the pros and cons. 

Below are my thoughts unvarnished. My 2017 was a primaty pitcher and as such waiting out till the rising senior Fall was reasonable so as to project him as best as he possibly could (velo, size, breaking pitches, command, etc). Fall of his Junior year he showcased at amps where several schools noticed and kept him on their radar. Then in Summer/Fall of Senior year the offers came. 

My 2020 is a switch hitting SS, and as such the worry is that those spots and far fewer on college rosters than pitchers. For example my 2017's Patriot League school has 10 new commits (6 pitchers, 1 IF, 2 OF, 1 C). If this ratio hold, the concern is middle infielders account for 10-15% of each recruiting class. If that logic were true, would waiting out be counter productive? I agree that it is best to showcase when at the peak of ability in terms of size, strength, skill - however, the downside could be that roster spots might get limiting. 

In our case, 2017 has very good defensive skills, and has a great plate approach from either side. Waiting another year would undoubtedly improve on the speed, strength, exit velo, defensive range, etc. The HS  2020 plays on is very good and produces a lot of good MIF players. However, the opportunities for players HS to showcase outside are very limited and as such visibility becomes an issue as they do not attend events like PG, etc till Junior year.

Would showcasing in November at the Showball/Headfirst enable him to get on some boards of the schools he is interested in? The hope is that the HC/RC will be able to see the potential and project out while keeping him on their boards for a second look in summer at a HF/Showball showcase in Summer 2018. Then we could do individual college camps in fall 2018 (Fall of Junior year). 

Basically a choice between Early exposure versus Later Exposure given that the the players is a position player and not a Pitcher. 

Phanatic2008WS posted:

 

Basically a choice between Early exposure versus Later Exposure given that the the players is a position player and not a Pitcher. 

There is no doubt that a position player needs extra looks.   It all depends on what they have to show in terms of 60 times, exit velo, arm strength.   If none of those 3 are at least above average, or better yet, eye opening, showcasing early isn't gonna help much.

a 7.5 sixty or faster, 85+ exit velo, and 80+ across the infield is not going to get offers but at least it won't be "this kid doesn't belong here" and with strong game play could at least get on the radar for future looks

6.9 sixty or faster, 95+ exit velo, 90+ across the infield and you really have something

Phanatic2008WS posted:

HSBBallers,

We are considering the Showball Head Coach Academic Camp in Nov 2017 for my 2020 who is a SS/P. We do plan to do the Head First Long Island in Summer 2018. My older 2017 had a great experience with HF and got his commit to a Patriot League via that showcase, so I am a bit fan of HF. Just wanted to get insight on this Head Coach centered Showball Showcase that is planned for same weekend as the HF in Florida. many thanks always for the candid feedback and advice from the folks on this site.

DOES he have anything to show yet? Position?

Chico Escuela posted:

You are correct. My bad. I guess my day isn't all that's slow...

Thanks for the tip on Dartmouth. Is the Jr. Day you mentioned announced on their website for anyone interested?  Son is a 2020, so maybe in 2019, if his grades are good enough. 

2020 too early. Deploy money on strength, speed, and skill refinement.  If grades are there after 2nd semester sophomore year, and "if" targeted colleges are Ivy's, plan on attending a few of the Ivy individual camps late summer and fall junior year.  Ivy's have now moved up their time line.  Baseball is popular again.

Phanatic2008WS posted:

Excuse the tardy response. Was on travel. Thanks for the advice. Gov (and all others). I find myself debating this back and forth, and I am hoping that many may have had similar issues working the pros and cons. 

Below are my thoughts unvarnished. My 2017 was a primaty pitcher and as such waiting out till the rising senior Fall was reasonable so as to project him as best as he possibly could (velo, size, breaking pitches, command, etc). Fall of his Junior year he showcased at amps where several schools noticed and kept him on their radar. Then in Summer/Fall of Senior year the offers came. 

My 2020 is a switch hitting SS, and as such the worry is that those spots and far fewer on college rosters than pitchers. For example my 2017's Patriot League school has 10 new commits (6 pitchers, 1 IF, 2 OF, 1 C). If this ratio hold, the concern is middle infielders account for 10-15% of each recruiting class. If that logic were true, would waiting out be counter productive? I agree that it is best to showcase when at the peak of ability in terms of size, strength, skill - however, the downside could be that roster spots might get limiting. 

In our case, 2017 has very good defensive skills, and has a great plate approach from either side. Waiting another year would undoubtedly improve on the speed, strength, exit velo, defensive range, etc. The HS  2020 plays on is very good and produces a lot of good MIF players. However, the opportunities for players HS to showcase outside are very limited and as such visibility becomes an issue as they do not attend events like PG, etc till Junior year.

Would showcasing in November at the Showball/Headfirst enable him to get on some boards of the schools he is interested in? The hope is that the HC/RC will be able to see the potential and project out while keeping him on their boards for a second look in summer at a HF/Showball showcase in Summer 2018. Then we could do individual college camps in fall 2018 (Fall of Junior year). 

Basically a choice between Early exposure versus Later Exposure given that the the players is a position player and not a Pitcher. 

Again, does 2020 have anything to show?  Showing up fall sophomore year is so early, don't wast your time....  Spend the camp and travel money - $2K and dedicate it to serious strength and speed, so your son is ready to show his stuff at individual camps rising summer of junior year and fall of junior year.  Great chance to add 10lbs of strength during the off season...( I respect the position player perspective, been there done that, I have opinions, just went through this and we missed the boat a bit, but 2018 will land fine.)

Too many players showing up early, even kids that are prepared academically and yet recruitable show up with zero skills to impress, thinking if they have a 33 ACT, 4.0 GPA and average skills they'll get interest.  These Coaches are baseball guys!!!!  They're looking for talent immediately.  Since the player is there they're assuming you'll be able to qualify academically.  If you don't have a chance to qualify academically you're fishing in the wrong pond.

Prepare your son as though he's going to a TCU or Vandy Camp against the top dudes in his 2020 class.  He should strive to compete against these guys.  Your goal is to be the best one there, regardless of class.  

Again, do not underestimate, these are baseball coaches first.

I have a 2019 mif. It's true that there are less "spots" for position players and we were in the same mindset of not wanting to miss out on the limited spots.

Son went to headfirst as a sophomore and recently to showball headcoach academic as a rising junior. My feeling is that as a sophomore, there wasn't really a board to get onto. The coaches were very focused on seniors, some juniors and mainly pitchers. As a rising junior, he is starting to get some nibbles. He is only interested in high academic, so his targeted school's timeline is much slower than the big d1, powerhouse, etc.

If you have time and money, I think it's just a great experience. Starting early allows you to be better informed when it comes to choosing. Because we have done both, I don't feel like we have to choose between 1 camp or another especially when they are at the same time.  

My son didn't have as much opportunity to interact with coaches at showball(compared to headfirst), but by chance one of his target school head coach was the "coach" for his team in one of the games.

Cigarboo posted:

I have a 2019 mif. It's true that there are less "spots" for position players and we were in the same mindset of not wanting to miss out on the limited spots.

Son went to headfirst as a sophomore and recently to showball headcoach academic as a rising junior. My feeling is that as a sophomore, there wasn't really a board to get onto. The coaches were very focused on seniors, some juniors and mainly pitchers. As a rising junior, he is starting to get some nibbles. He is only interested in high academic, so his targeted school's timeline is much slower than the big d1, powerhouse, etc.

If you have time and money, I think it's just a great experience. Starting early allows you to be better informed when it comes to choosing. Because we have done both, I don't feel like we have to choose between 1 camp or another especially when they are at the same time.  

My son didn't have as much opportunity to interact with coaches at showball(compared to headfirst), but by chance one of his target school head coach was the "coach" for his team in one of the games.

 

Cigar, I'm a year ahead of you with my 2018 MIF.  Get him to the remaining Ivy camps for some one on one with all the coaches.  Then hit the AZ Fall Junior Classic, and HF Jupiter in November.  Penn, Cornell, Columbia still left I think....

What's his 60, IF Velo, Exit Velo?  I'm assuming good glove...

Thank you Gov. We plan on doing headfirst in Jupiter and reassess at that point as to which camps/schools to direct our efforts. I've been a lurker on this board for a couple years and love all the wisdom I've gained from everyone who has shared their expertise. Hopefully one day I can be on the other side and have experience to share.