@PitchingFan posted:I’m a fan of both doing what they do. They are about putting kids in a position to be seen. Never did a PBR tournament and only one showcase to qualify for PBR futures. Anyone who has not been to futures does not understand power of PBR. Biggest recruiting event, youngest son played twice, I’ve ever seen and I’ve been to most. Sons played in 20 plus PG tournaments each. If you play in right tournaments enough you don’t need showcases.
With all due respect, while it's not inaccurate to say PBR/PG are about putting kids in a position to be seen, I think that's a VERY generous and one dimensional way of describing them. At best, that's simply one aspect of what they're trying to do. Cars are about getting us from one place to another, but show up for a board meeting at Ford or GM and the topic of getting people from one place to another likely won't come up much, if at all.
I have no doubt that the PBR Futures Games are a powerful vehicle for players. For the EXTREME few that get invited. My state PBR sends 3-4 kids to it each year, so understanding its power (let alone actually wielding it) is something much closer to unicorn poop than it is a tool available to the masses. And frankly, how many of those getting invites to the Futures Games are struggling to be seen?
I am not hell bent on bagging on PBR. It was of at least some value to my son. Geographic location is a huge factor in the equation. My son attended 3 PBR showcases here back to back that were all basically his junior year of HS. An outdoor one in August, and indoor ones in October and February. I was at all 3 of them. There wasn't a single college coach at any one of the 3, so the "being seen" bit is going to feel over-inflated to me.