2018SSDad posted:My 2018 MIF attended the June 2017 PG Spring Academic Showcase as a rising Sr after attending the Fall/Winter Headfirst Event in 2016. What I can tell you is there were only a handful of schools present at PG. In fact I was pretty bummed with the turnout after seeing so many schools at Headfirst. At PG I recall seeing Duke and Notre Dame as far as D1. There were also some D3 HA but if I had to guess I'd say there were 10 schools total. I felt like it was a total waste of money. In any case, my son ran well (he had a top 3 time in the 60 was 2nd in the 10yrd splits) and played well in the games. Crickets though after the showcase.
Fast forward 3 weeks and he was at a state showcase. After that showcase he got a text or email from one of the D3 HA coaches. Turns our their RC was at PG Academic and saw my son and the HC was paying close attention to him at the state showcase. They liked what they saw and wanted him to visit.
At the visit they made him an offer and that's where he is today as a freshman. Might they still liked him if he never went to PG? Maybe, but the fact that they had primary evidence and he was on their list heading into the State showcase was probably what got him the offer. Anyway, the bottom line advice I give everyone. The more you are out there showing the better your chances of getting noticed. You never know who's watching and what they will think (and need).
That’s awesome for your son, but the lack of communication that they were even interested prior to that State Showcase is part of the problem people face. You had no idea they were looking or interested. Had you not gone to the State Showcase, it may have well turned out differently. The moral I take from this is cast a wide net and get to events where decision makers are.