We started running a camp for the kids in the community a few years back. And we also had several from other communities attend as well. The did it for several reasons.
#1 We wanted to make some money for the dug out club.
#2 We wanted to instil some solid fundementals in the young players in our community.
#3 We wanted to identify some young players that would be entering our program in the near future.
We accomplished all of this and more and it has grown every year since. We do not charge current players to attend. We dont think its fair to charge our players to recieve instruction from their hs coaches. Many of our upper classman work the camp along with former players , other hs coaches , former pro players etc.
This can be very beneficial for an incoming player. First of all the player gets to know the coaches. He gets a head start on what is going to be expected of him not only in fielding throwing and hitting mechanics but everything else as well. The coaches get to know the players as well.
But what will determine making the team , playing time etc will be determine during the tryouts and practices leading up to the season and the ones during the season plus game performance. We have fall workouts after school for all of our players. We have winter work outs as well. We do not charge our kids that are already in our program for instruction.
Do coaches already have a list of kids that will most likely make the team? Well we have a list of all returning players. And we have a list of all we have seen that we believe will show up for tryouts. Then it is up to them to do what they have to do to make the team. We do go out to the middle school and talk to the 8th graders before school is let out for the summer and tell them about our off season program and invite them to participate.
It you see an 8th grader in camp before hs practices or workouts start and he is very talented you do notice him. You do look forward to seeing him at tryouts. But what you do before you get to tryouts will have no bearing on making the team or playing time. What you do at tryouts , practices , games once you are there will be the determining factor.