PS...Yes I get a little irritated with these kinds of nit-picky threads. There are vastly more important recruiting issues of the day than discussing PG events. Time for a cup of coffee.
Exactly. I also find that people who nitpick often complain about most things in their lives.
I sent my son to one PG showcase (the other was an invite). It was in FL. He was 16 at the time (almost 17). It was important for him to see how he stood up to others in his graduating class. Its especially more important these days because of the cost of education and because the competition is tough out there. It wasn't to get on a list.
He also played at WWBA in Jupiter and senior summer EC (not run by PG at that time). It wasn't to get on as list but for exposure and to see how he stood up to those in his age group that junior fall. The other things he did for recruiting was play Connie Mack BB (always scouts and coaches at a CM baseball game) and showcase with his travel team on college fields against other CM teams. One college camp, IMO was a waste of money.
He managed to earn a 90% scholarship out of state. FYI because of the lack of really good D1 programs at that time, many FL players went out of state to play.
I dont care where you are from, where you live there are more players seeking opportunities to play in D1 baseball than there are spots open. So IMO, the best thing is to have your player evaluated to get a clear idea of which direction he should go, if that is the goal. If the goal is to just play to get better, no need to spend the money to travel 5 states away, pay for parking or gate fee (where do you not pay for a gate fee these days for anything) or have to throw your coffee away, and then feel that you didn't get the bang for your buck, that's on you guys, not the person who runs showcases for a business.
For so many years I have been here, complaints about PG events usually occur during the summer recruiting months, but recently I feel its either your kids are reaching for stars out of their realm (mainly because mom or dad think they are #1) or just a lot of trouble makers (more than anything).
No I am not defending PG, Mr Ford does a fine job doing that on his own. Can we just move on to some topic that benefits those seeking help here? If you have a concern with PG use your dialog feature. Or better yet, use your experience whether positive to negative in a way that would benefit someone else. If you have a negative experience, then turn it into a positive one, make suggestions to help others, not take shots at the business. And always remember, you DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE THAT CHECK. College is very very expensive, same your money for when you will really need it, make a plan and follow it through. If your son is not a good student, dont spend your money looking for a scholarship at a school that he is not going to make it. Baseball and college is a huge commitment, it doesn't work for everyone, but a JUCO may just be the place to test the waters. Or reread the post by Foxdad, if no one is noticing than maybe you are headed in the wrong direction.
JMO