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How do most college coaches feel about 7th to 9th graders who don't have a lot to show (I'll be polite and say "yet")? Do they find it a waste of time? Or do they think, "Ca-Ching! He'll help pay for our spring Florida trip." I'm distinguishing showcase type camps from instructional camps. 

I took my son to a local mid major after 9th grade. He was 5'11" 135. Obviously stronger kids outclassed him. But he was consistent in his play. All I was looking for was him to understand the process and how much competition there is without leaving town. 

Another time I watched a major conference program (back when Big East was major) run a showcase. It was a bunch of high school juniors. It was easy to see all but four players had no shot there due to bat speed or swing mechanics. I mentioned it to a couple of current players. They told me the four players I liked were invited post PG events. The rest were funding the spring trip. 

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Good question.

I suppose it depends on turnout.  If the 7th to average 9th grader is taking up a spot that an upperclassman would fill, and the event is sold out, probably not so great.  But if the event isn't sold out I would imagine they appreciate the $$$$

My son will be a 9th grader in the fall.  We aren't having him Showcase until there is something to showcase.   Definitely looking into instructional camps for a year from now though, and we'll see where his development, growth & measureables are at in 11-12 months from now as far as showcasing goes.

He wants to attend Showcases yesterday.   He thinks it'll be fun and wants the experience, especially getting into the batters box vs more advanced pitchers.   Patience, grasshopper.

I've been told, and support the position, that the top 10% of recruits are so good or projectable that they almost don't need to go to showcases (because they are already getting on coaches' radar), the bottom 10% really don't belong and unless something changes radically in a short period of time, they are straight-up wasting money. The other 80% are in a somewhat stratified lump and need to distinguish themselves at the camp and other routes. And the odds that a 7th to 9th grader will be in that top 10% are really, really small. And the odds they appear to be in the bottom 10% are pretty darn good. So why waste the money?

And camps get expensive unless they are "day-trippable." I sent my son to a very local D1 camp to see how it was run, level of competition, etc. Everything after that was highly targeted.

Last edited by Batty67

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