Best time to showcase?

Welcome to HSBBW, wicked-bender.

There are plenty of threads here that address your question. I couldn't remember any one in particular, so I used the Find feature and used "First Showcase" as search words. More than a few came up:

Advice regarding Showcases please

Exposure Question

Is it worth the money?

infidel_son didn't attend one until his junior year, but he had lots of exposure at many big events as he was entering and throughout HS. Best time would be in a player's junior year IMO.

Wicked-bender,
Welcome!
If you put your athlete in the showcase arena, and he preforms well, those watching will take notice.

Many of us understand your statement " this is all new me ".
We've all been in that same boat.
( I'm still learning every day! )

My son first started hearing about showcases while he was in highschool.
Having no idea what they entailed, or the level of competion, we decided to load up the car and go watch one.
Sat all day long and observed. Son soaked up the activity.

I left it up to him to decide if and when he was ready.

Showcases can be addictive....and expensive.

You've already been given some good advice, I would only add that although the junior year and summer is the most crucial, it would be a good idea to attend a showcase or two prior to that so that your son is familiar and comfortable with the process.

A 2012's best investment of time outside of hs is a good select team.

Welcome, and best of luck.

Thanks for the good advice. I knew the old timers would come through for me.

I dont go by age---I like to see if the player is a varsity contributor---if so then it is time to start the process

I've always told people their first concern is to make your Varsity HS team... if you haven't done that don't even think about showcases.

So if you've made the team as a freshman go ahead a do one showcase that next summer... soph.. again one maybe two... Junior is the big year... if you haven't made your varsity team as a junior, you need to truly evaluate your skills, and desire, and weith that versus the cost.

All that said Orlando's advice is very good. Consider your first showcase a practice run...

quote:

it would be a good idea to attend a showcase or two prior to that(jr/sr summer) so that your son is familiar and comfortable with the process.

Having had two sons go thru the process... My Oldest son and I went and watched a showcase before signing up for one. My younger son had watched his brother and knew what to expect yet, his very first showcase was a "trying" experience and he discovered the meaning of pressure.... next one he did much better....

SDBB

I am with you---if you are not a contributor on your HS varsity team then you should be concentrating on making the varsity and being a solid varsity player---making the varsity should the priority

quote:

Originally posted by SDBB:
So if you've made the team as a freshman go ahead a do one showcase that next summer... soph.. again one maybe two... Junior is the big year... if you haven't made your varsity team as a junior, you need to truly evaluate your skills, and desire, and weith that versus the cost.

Sometimes making varsity as a freshman or not making varsity as a junior is a function of the failure or success of the program or the size of the high school. All the variables have to be considered.

The most critical year to showcase is the summer after junior year. With that in mind, a showcase or high-level camp experience the summer after the sophomore year will help the player understand what will really be at stake the next summer....and possibly reveal weak areas, comparatively, that the player will then have a full year to work on.

IMHO

quote:

making varsity as a freshman or not making varsity as a junior is a function of the failure or success of the program or the size of the high school.

Making Varisty is indeed variable depending on HS.... but the advice still stands.... with only very rare exceptions there's no real need to showcase (other than a practice) unless you've made your HS varsity team.

Put all your effort in attaining the next step in the process, not 2-3 steps ahead.... when HS Varsity is attained then set your sights on the next level.

quote:

So if you've made the team as a freshman go ahead a do one showcase

In my 25 years of coaching High school(out 10)I never had a freshman make varsity for that matter only about 10 sophs. those sophomores were extra ordinary and all went on to play in college and 2 drafted. they all played JV as freshman. Is the procedure different today. Do they rush the talented kids or is the competition not as stiff so in some cases freshman play varsity.

In some cases, a freshman can play and contribute at the varsity level, even if the competition is stiff.

quote:

Sometimes making varsity as a freshman or not making varsity as a junior is a function of the failure or success of the program or the size of the high school. All the variables have to be considered.

Thanks RJM, my thoughts too!! Each high school/situation is going to have its own set of situations. I'll provide one example this past season at our sons' high school.

Class 4A school. 1,200-1,300 students I think. Varsity team had 15 Seniors and 1 Junior (Lefty pitcher). JV team had 8 or 9 Juniors and 5 sophomore's. C-Team had 6 sophomore's and 10 freshmen. Our son was a sophomore last season and split time between C-Team and JV...almost 50/50. Had there not been 15 Seniors that made up the Varsity squad, many players would have been bumped up last year and would have played at the next level. Unfortunately, many really good players did not recieve the playing time they deserved (and could have handled) at that next level due to the sheer number of Seniors on Varsity.

I realize that this is just one example, but to me it is a perfect example of a situation where the TOP was just too cluttered to even bring anyone else up, no matter how good they were. I'll leave the politics to the November primary. : )

With regards to showcasing at a younger age, here are two points that haven't been fully addressed. The first is obvious- you're looking for feedback on how the kid matches up, and what to expect in older age groups. This can be helpful in devising a long term strategy and defining a player's interest level. Of course you can also get this by playing select ball as Orlando noted.
Two, you're documenting a players history, or starting a paper trail if you will. A lot of baseball guys love getting data on how a player has progressed over time, so they can make better educated guesses on where the projection is going.
So...if the player possesses the skills, then more data supporting that notion means more potentially interest down the road.
Of course, it all really comes down to what skill set the player has to showcase.

quote:

You've already been given some good advice, I would only add that although the junior year and summer is the most crucial, it would be a good idea to attend a showcase or two prior to that so that your son is familiar and comfortable with the process.

A 2012's best investment of time outside of hs is a good select team.

Great advice Orlando.


You have been given really good advice here. Some of your top programs do not have freshmen on the team. That is a fact. A showcase or 2 cannot hurt if you perform well and have the cash.

Spizzlepop gives good advice.

One thing not talked about is grades. With only a few scholarships available every year, one of the best ways to get noticed is be a GREAT student and get high SAT/ACT scores. It will open up all kinds of doors at the college level for extra money and will bring a lot of interest from colleges coaches at showcases if it is coupled with good talent and ability

quote:

A showcase or 2 cannot hurt if you perform well and have the cash.

That's about it in a nutshell.

I had big plans of hitting the showcase "trail" with my son until all the showcase invites started pouring in the mail and the phone started ringing. I thought if the showcase promoters could find him he's not as obscure as I had thought. We didn't go "showcasing" and instead I bought another fishing boat.
Fungo