Any downside to showcase participation

Does he start for his HS team?  Does he have something to showcase?

He is a catcher who moved up from JV to Varsity toward the end of his freshman year.  He played a couple full games with Varsity as a freshman when their starting catcher was unavailable.  He is currently a sophomore and played Varsity all year but was not a starter.  A little frustrating for us as we might have preferred him on JV and playing more but overall we're glad they wanted him on varsity.  He has very good skills but the Varsity team has a very good catcher with similar skills, more experience, is older and is a power hitter. Next year we will be in the same situation but my son also plays OF and I believe he'll start there next year since three seniors graduated (two OF'ers) and my son was the go to guy from the bench this season and played OF and catcher when he did get to play.  We have probably not done all the 'right' things for getting him on the best teams for exposure and experience and I am regretting that now but trying to do the right things from here on.  Are there any services that aren't 'showcase' that would give him baseline evaluation so we could see where he is before more exposure?  I'm no expert - I think he has great skills, we've only had positive feedback from coaches - he's 6'1", 155lbs (working on buildling up there), quick and has a great arm and accuracy, batting is something that definitely needs improvement - I think the baseline form is there and it can just be refined to get him where he needs to be, but again, I'm not expert. 

I think your circumspect approach is smart.

There's time for your 2016 to build on his metrics, and once at a level that he finds acceptable, then go ahead and book a showcase so that the metrics are 3rd party validated.

His measurables are straightforward: 60 time and Pop time, both of which can be done with a stopwatch (download the app!). Clearly it is his desire to be a C, so OF velo is not as important, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about finding a radar gun and getting is OF velo.

The approach is simple: set a baseline, establish objectives, and create a plan to attain those objectives (with intermittent milestones).

1) Download the stopwatch (or purchase a stopwatch), get out to a field, and take the baseline measurements.

2) Go to reputable 3rd party sources and review similar metrics from 2016s to help you establish objectives. Typical 3rd party source is PerfectGame.

3) Create a plan (with help from online or local resources) to achieve those objectives.

Once achieved, then book that showcase.

Sidebar: you'll also want to consider a few college camps so that he can compare his performance both quantitatively as well as qualitatively.

He's still young so don't sweat it.  I would say to get him into a showcase to see where he stands among his peers.  I wouldn't try to get him into the PG Junior National or anything big like that...just a showcase to capture his measurables and stack him up against other kids.

I'm not familiar with MVP so I can't comment on the reliability of their data or reputation.

Or pick a University camp of a school he would like to attend. The feedback there will give you an idea of where he stands; and future showcase participation can be decided based upon that feedback. Are his grades excellent; if so there are also focused showcases like Headfirst; Stanford, and PG All academic.

Thanks - the showcase is not until December so I think we'll go ahead and sign up, and also take Joe's advice, and get as much improvement made as possible between now and December.

2014 Dad - cross post - question on university camp - I'm not sure we'll be able to do that this summer - is next summer too late for that?

I'll let others chime in but my two cents would be that the summer after Junior year is very important. The recruiting time line on this site is worth visiting as are the threads that have been posted. If he wants to play at the next level he has to be proactive, and be seen.

I find these threads to always be challanging to give advice on because every player's journey is going to be different.

My 2016 participated in a PG underclass event last year.  I don't think it did him any real harm but it did provide him some idea of where he should focus.  This was in August.  He is slow and his 60 time reflected that.  He has a strong arm and throws a decent pop time.  He shrugged off his PG rating and went back to work.

Fast forward two months later to a PG tourney.  Catching well and hitting okay.  His team has to win pool to advance.  Enters game 1-1 bases loaded and one out.  Gets out of it with no runs and strikes out two of three next inning and his team wins.  Pitches one more time in tourney out of the pen.  Suddenly Big 12, SEC, and mid major coaches are asking about him.  Realizes that coaches at that level see him as a pitcher and don't even really notice as a catcher.

My point is regardless of what your son does there is always an opportunity to learn something if you go in with eyes open.  How does he compare to the rest of the talent at the event?  What does he do well?  More importantly where does he fall short vs. peers?  What will his strengths be to a college coach and conversely what are the weaknesses?  From watching the older boys in his club the ones who have a hard time in this process are the ones most often refuse to see what others are clearly telling them.

The downside to showcases is not selecting showcases wisely and therefore wasting money. Only jaw dropping studs can show up with a who wants me approach. Everyone else needs a business plan. That plan requires an honest assessment of current and potential future skill level. It involves deciding on target schools and strategizing where and when to get in front of them. 

I would get him on a quality travel team that goes to selected events. MVP is personally a red flag for me, they charge a lot for what you get IMO. (If they are the MVP I am aware of)  Find a good local team with a connected coach who will help you find the right fit school wise for your son's skills. 

Get him in a perfect game showcase if he has the skill to play college ball.  The are talent evaluators and will give you a good idea where he stacks up.  Then he knows how big a hill he needs to climb.

A former coach my son played for had a saying about exposure baseball:  "You can get exposure, or you can be exposed."

If you are not prepared to show yourself optimally, then a showcase is not a good idea.  You spend the money only to publicize negative information.

If your son is a 2016 (current sophomore), then yes, it's time for him to plan for a showcase.  If it isn't until December, then by golly, if he hasn't progressed enough by now he had better have gotten there by then.  Because the whole point of showcasing is to try to hook someone's interest, and he needs to get that started before summer 2015 arrives.

We generally recommend that any uncommitted player who is a current sophomore or older attend a PG showcase over the coming summer.  If they are fortunate enough to get an invitation to the National or Junior National then they are probably not going to have to worry much about whether they'll get an offer, more about which school to choose out of several options.  Players not in the national showcases -- i.e., the bulk of players -- we send to one of PG's August events.  The timing of those is good because you get guys during a month when we don't play as a team, but when they have been playing all spring and summer and are therefore in top form.

The one exception I'd make is that if a kid is injured or if he should get the flu or some such, then he should postpone or cancel his reservation.  Again, you don't want to pay for the privilege of publicizing unflattering information, and you don't want to have to try to explain a bad performance to everyone thereafter.

Some good advice already posted here before me.  My two cents as the father of a D1 player and a 2016 who wants to play at the next level.

Depending on the current skill level your son, a PG or some national event may be relevant this Summer.  My 2012 was ready earlier in his high school years than his 2016 brother based on assessing physical and mental maturity and his baseball tools. 

The vast majority of players who play at the next level will showcase / camp one or more times during their high school years.  For many players, the key time is the Summer between their Junior and Senior years of high school. 

That said, regardless of current level of tools (e.g., running speed, throwing velocity, etc.), doing a showcase or a camp sooner rather than later to get experience and understand the process can be helpful if you have the time and money.  My 2016 did a very low cost college camp earlier this year.  They did the typical pro-style showcase and provided objective results and subjective evals to each player.  My son got a little experience, and he got feedback on where he is relative to other players.

Other than getting some experience off the radar in February, we are not doing showcases or camps going forward unless schools on my son's vetted list are represented.  He'll do an underclass event this Summer (Stanford Future Stars), and do one or two late Fall / early Winter (AZ Fall Classic, Headfirst Jupiter).

Good Luck!