Coach May -
You're incredible! Amen to all you said.
HS baseball players are so much better than in years best its not even an issue that can be discussed. They are in better shape, they are better athletes, and are waaaay more knowledgable than athletes of previous generations. The future of prep baseball looks very exciting.
I will be in Jupiter with my '09 outfielder....I hope we cross paths.
As far as stating that baseball players are so much better than in past years, I would really like to hear PG's opinion on that.
I do beleive that our players are better prepared to play the game, because of the times we live in , health and nutrition and physical fitness is very important. And the game is so much better than in the past. But I am not so sure that translates into better talent.
I first heard this last year at the cape, when some of the people involved in baseball for years told us that they don't see the college talent pass through like they used to years ago. Some have seen a decline in the talent pool since 2002. Also, injuries in youth baseball are at an all time high.
I am not sure on how I stand on the statement, supporting information would be helpful.
I do beleive that our players are better prepared to play the game, because of the times we live in , health and nutrition and physical fitness is very important. And the game is so much better than in the past. But I am not so sure that translates into better talent.
I first heard this last year at the cape, when some of the people involved in baseball for years told us that they don't see the college talent pass through like they used to years ago. Some have seen a decline in the talent pool since 2002. Also, injuries in youth baseball are at an all time high.
I am not sure on how I stand on the statement, supporting information would be helpful.
Speaking from experience, showcases were tremendously instrumental in my oldest son's development, and now for my 16 year old son as well. In regards to my oldest son, with the exception of his God-given ability and a strong work ethic, showcases facilited his development more than anything else we became involved with. Perfect Game USA put my son on the map, and provided my family with much needed counsel from time to time as we navigated the recruiting process and prepared for the pro draft. Plain and simple, my son wouldn't be where he is today without the opportunities that Perfect Game and others gave him, and now the next son in our clan is taking full advantage of those opportunities too!
Showcases can offer players a unique mix of competition, feedback, and exposure. By attending showcases at both the regional and national levels, my son competed with and against the very best talent in the nation (several of these players now in the Major Leagues!), received invaluable feeback regarding his abilities and potential, and enjoyed a bevy of exposure opportunities that helped to catapult him to the top of the prospect charts. Along the way, we were very fortunate to have picked the brains of some great baseball people who were in the showcase community (like Jerry Ford on a national level, Dan Kennedy, Tom Rizzi, Mike Manning, and others here in the Northeast), all extremely generous with their advice and guidance, and went out of their way to help us where they could.
Yes, showcases are big business today and, like within any industry, there may be some operators who are less-than-reputable. Buyer beware! Showcase organizations deserve to make whatever money they can as long as they deliver what they promise. Unfortunately, when some operators fall short, the entire industry may get a black eye to some degree. Perhaps a family attends an event, things don't go as well as planned, and the family leaves disillusioned and frustrated, vowing never to return, or ends up abandoning the showcase circuit entirely. But who gets hurts as a result of those decisions?
Families have a responsibility to perform the due diligence necessary to weed out the potential impostors. With an overabundance of exposure opportunities available today--showcases, high profile tournaments, select college camps, travel team programs--families need to become more prepared, educated, and informed regarding these opportunities. Players will travel down the recruiting road just one time, so families need to broaden their knowledge of the process, get their arms around it, and manage it more effectively. Ask lots of questions, get references, and do the research required to learn more about the challenges and opportunities that can be confronted.
Of course, some of the displeasure that folks may have with showcases can stem from unfulfilled expectations, particularly regarding player evaluations, ratings, etc. Parents and players would be very wise, especially in the early going, to view an evaluation as an opportunity...an opportunity to learn what baseball evaluators (those who earn their living evaluating talent!) think of a player's ability. Use the feedback as a roadmap to improve, to reach your potential. The first showcase report my oldest son received did not exactly have me jumping up and down with joy but he looked at the feedback as an opportunity to learn what he needed to do for the next time he competed at a showcase.
Ideally, where time and resources allow, a player should experience a little of everything I believe. Showcases (the reputable ones!), a solid travel team program (hopefully one that understands the dynamics of today's recruiting process and supports, not hinders, a player's opportunity to participate in a showcase when appropriate), a college camp or two, maybe even a pro tryout (they're free!). By obtaining exposure through a variety of different avenues, a player can maximize opportunities in the recruiting process, and perhaps enjoy a more rewarding, satisfying experience overall. No guarantees with any of this, just opportunities...but do your homework in order to help ensure that the choices you make are the best ones for your own personal situation.
Wally
Collegeville, PA
Showcases can offer players a unique mix of competition, feedback, and exposure. By attending showcases at both the regional and national levels, my son competed with and against the very best talent in the nation (several of these players now in the Major Leagues!), received invaluable feeback regarding his abilities and potential, and enjoyed a bevy of exposure opportunities that helped to catapult him to the top of the prospect charts. Along the way, we were very fortunate to have picked the brains of some great baseball people who were in the showcase community (like Jerry Ford on a national level, Dan Kennedy, Tom Rizzi, Mike Manning, and others here in the Northeast), all extremely generous with their advice and guidance, and went out of their way to help us where they could.
Yes, showcases are big business today and, like within any industry, there may be some operators who are less-than-reputable. Buyer beware! Showcase organizations deserve to make whatever money they can as long as they deliver what they promise. Unfortunately, when some operators fall short, the entire industry may get a black eye to some degree. Perhaps a family attends an event, things don't go as well as planned, and the family leaves disillusioned and frustrated, vowing never to return, or ends up abandoning the showcase circuit entirely. But who gets hurts as a result of those decisions?
Families have a responsibility to perform the due diligence necessary to weed out the potential impostors. With an overabundance of exposure opportunities available today--showcases, high profile tournaments, select college camps, travel team programs--families need to become more prepared, educated, and informed regarding these opportunities. Players will travel down the recruiting road just one time, so families need to broaden their knowledge of the process, get their arms around it, and manage it more effectively. Ask lots of questions, get references, and do the research required to learn more about the challenges and opportunities that can be confronted.
Of course, some of the displeasure that folks may have with showcases can stem from unfulfilled expectations, particularly regarding player evaluations, ratings, etc. Parents and players would be very wise, especially in the early going, to view an evaluation as an opportunity...an opportunity to learn what baseball evaluators (those who earn their living evaluating talent!) think of a player's ability. Use the feedback as a roadmap to improve, to reach your potential. The first showcase report my oldest son received did not exactly have me jumping up and down with joy but he looked at the feedback as an opportunity to learn what he needed to do for the next time he competed at a showcase.
Ideally, where time and resources allow, a player should experience a little of everything I believe. Showcases (the reputable ones!), a solid travel team program (hopefully one that understands the dynamics of today's recruiting process and supports, not hinders, a player's opportunity to participate in a showcase when appropriate), a college camp or two, maybe even a pro tryout (they're free!). By obtaining exposure through a variety of different avenues, a player can maximize opportunities in the recruiting process, and perhaps enjoy a more rewarding, satisfying experience overall. No guarantees with any of this, just opportunities...but do your homework in order to help ensure that the choices you make are the best ones for your own personal situation.
Wally
Collegeville, PA
OK. Quite a bit of disagreement and even controversy heretoward and the casual parent/player seeking helpful information may rightly remain confused. Perhaps I can help.
THE DISCLAIMERS: First, I have no connection to any showcase, camp, instructor, scout, college recruiting service, travel team, etc and gain no revenue whatsoever either directly or indirectly from baseball at any level [though I do have a first cousin living in Reno that bets on baseball for a living and calls me up sometimes . . . just to talk, of course]. Second, I speak from my own personal perspective and that of my son and my actual experience and my opinions on this subject derived therefrom are my own and may not apply to everybody reading this. Third, though I have been a member of this website for almost three years, since my son's high school graduation in June 2007, I have been of the mind set that I no longer need to post my opinion on a variety of subjects if there is someone else rationally upholding the position on the partiular subject that I advocate. That said, I am a whole lot more objective on this subject than most of the others who have [some repeatedly] decided to express their opinions previously in this thread and I feel it might be informative to make my opinions known at this particular point in time [grammarians shudder].
THE REALITY: My son was a 2007 HS graduate who is now a recruited freshman playing baseball at a DII NCAA governed college in West Virginia. Prior to that signing over the previous 2 year period, my son attended three PG Showcases, four College camps, three MLB tryouts and two Travel Team tryouts. The cost of each showcase was about $450.00 to attend. This did not include the cost of hotel accomodations, food or travel expenses. The cost and benefit of each College camp experience varied from $100.00 of 1/2 day instruction and evaluation for 5 straight days to $200.00 for a 4 hour tryout. There was no cost to try out for the MLB tryouts. There was no cost to tryout for the travel teams but considerable cost to sign with one [over $1,000.00 for the season] and less to sign with the other [$350.00].
MY OPINIONS: Almost everyone with no hidden agenda on this website advised me to have my son attend the PG Showcases instead of the alternatives. I did quite a bit of research on my own and found nothing that altered that advice so I acted on it. IN MY OPINION if you want an honest evaluation of your son's baseball ability to succeed at the next level, attend one Showcase event in late spring or the early summer between your son's junior and senior year. Unless he is ranked in the top 10 to 15% of all the atendees at that showcase, that is the only one I would attend. If he is in this top percentile, there would be considerable value for your son to attend [he will definitely be invited] that showcase's or another brand showcase's "feature" showcase wherever and whenever that might be. Attending additional showcases for 'academic' or other catagories do not rate well with me on the cost/benefit scale.
As for college camps, unless my son ranked in the top percentile at that showcase I discussed earlier, I would attend DI camps only at colleges that I was CERTAIN my son wanted to attend regardless of whether he played baseball or not. Research thoroughly, visit and talk to coaches BEFORE attending camps. If my son ranked in the top half of the attendees at the showcase, I would feel comfortable in sending him to DII, DIII and NAIA camps at schools he was interested in attending with baseball programs he might fit into. Again, research thoroughly, vist and talk to coaches.
Attend all MLB tryout camps available as long as there is no cost [other than travel and accomodations] to you.
Sign with a travel team only after your son finishes his sophomore year in high school. Pick one that has the right economics [most benefits for least cost]. Remember, college coaches coach in the fall and the spring. They only have a portion of the summer to watch prospects. It is not how many travel team games you play but when and where you play them that is important FOR RECRUTING PURPOSES. CHOOSE WISELY.
Good luck to all.
TW344
THE DISCLAIMERS: First, I have no connection to any showcase, camp, instructor, scout, college recruiting service, travel team, etc and gain no revenue whatsoever either directly or indirectly from baseball at any level [though I do have a first cousin living in Reno that bets on baseball for a living and calls me up sometimes . . . just to talk, of course]. Second, I speak from my own personal perspective and that of my son and my actual experience and my opinions on this subject derived therefrom are my own and may not apply to everybody reading this. Third, though I have been a member of this website for almost three years, since my son's high school graduation in June 2007, I have been of the mind set that I no longer need to post my opinion on a variety of subjects if there is someone else rationally upholding the position on the partiular subject that I advocate. That said, I am a whole lot more objective on this subject than most of the others who have [some repeatedly] decided to express their opinions previously in this thread and I feel it might be informative to make my opinions known at this particular point in time [grammarians shudder].
THE REALITY: My son was a 2007 HS graduate who is now a recruited freshman playing baseball at a DII NCAA governed college in West Virginia. Prior to that signing over the previous 2 year period, my son attended three PG Showcases, four College camps, three MLB tryouts and two Travel Team tryouts. The cost of each showcase was about $450.00 to attend. This did not include the cost of hotel accomodations, food or travel expenses. The cost and benefit of each College camp experience varied from $100.00 of 1/2 day instruction and evaluation for 5 straight days to $200.00 for a 4 hour tryout. There was no cost to try out for the MLB tryouts. There was no cost to tryout for the travel teams but considerable cost to sign with one [over $1,000.00 for the season] and less to sign with the other [$350.00].
MY OPINIONS: Almost everyone with no hidden agenda on this website advised me to have my son attend the PG Showcases instead of the alternatives. I did quite a bit of research on my own and found nothing that altered that advice so I acted on it. IN MY OPINION if you want an honest evaluation of your son's baseball ability to succeed at the next level, attend one Showcase event in late spring or the early summer between your son's junior and senior year. Unless he is ranked in the top 10 to 15% of all the atendees at that showcase, that is the only one I would attend. If he is in this top percentile, there would be considerable value for your son to attend [he will definitely be invited] that showcase's or another brand showcase's "feature" showcase wherever and whenever that might be. Attending additional showcases for 'academic' or other catagories do not rate well with me on the cost/benefit scale.
As for college camps, unless my son ranked in the top percentile at that showcase I discussed earlier, I would attend DI camps only at colleges that I was CERTAIN my son wanted to attend regardless of whether he played baseball or not. Research thoroughly, visit and talk to coaches BEFORE attending camps. If my son ranked in the top half of the attendees at the showcase, I would feel comfortable in sending him to DII, DIII and NAIA camps at schools he was interested in attending with baseball programs he might fit into. Again, research thoroughly, vist and talk to coaches.
Attend all MLB tryout camps available as long as there is no cost [other than travel and accomodations] to you.
Sign with a travel team only after your son finishes his sophomore year in high school. Pick one that has the right economics [most benefits for least cost]. Remember, college coaches coach in the fall and the spring. They only have a portion of the summer to watch prospects. It is not how many travel team games you play but when and where you play them that is important FOR RECRUTING PURPOSES. CHOOSE WISELY.
Good luck to all.
TW344
That is a great post TW344!!! You have posted such great guidelines. There are alot of folks out there who will make you think your child is the next Jeter if you let them. It's a crime, but it is the way it is. The above posted guidelines as to why and when to pay $$$ for showcases is right on.
TW,
Great post and we miss your opinions.
Great post and we miss your opinions.
IMHO if your son has made the LL All-stars every year he has played since T-Ball he might be worth extending his "exposure" to the next level.
Then another evaluation has to be made at the end of his sophomore year in HS. Why, by then he has had time to experience some exposure to self-direction and other interest of his own choosing. And because that is the point that he starts to come into his manhood. If at that point he continues to bring home the hardware, then you might consider the "showcase" circuit.
We did the well known and reputable showcases. That means they make no "promises" and your son pays to play...that's it.
If your son is good enough the scouts will find him. Colleges will make themselves known to him and he will end up playing at a college. And even at that point there are no guarantees that all the "money" "time" and "effort" will pay off in a career in baseball.
Our son is playing college ball because of his efforts, and the right exposure at each level. It is expensive, as is anything that is worthwhile. JMO
Then another evaluation has to be made at the end of his sophomore year in HS. Why, by then he has had time to experience some exposure to self-direction and other interest of his own choosing. And because that is the point that he starts to come into his manhood. If at that point he continues to bring home the hardware, then you might consider the "showcase" circuit.
We did the well known and reputable showcases. That means they make no "promises" and your son pays to play...that's it.
If your son is good enough the scouts will find him. Colleges will make themselves known to him and he will end up playing at a college. And even at that point there are no guarantees that all the "money" "time" and "effort" will pay off in a career in baseball.
Our son is playing college ball because of his efforts, and the right exposure at each level. It is expensive, as is anything that is worthwhile. JMO
What parents must realize is that "money can't buy you love". You can spend your kids entire inheritence and not get him anything more than another expensive invitation to another "showcase". Being realistic and selective in where you invest your hard earned pay,is very important. If you spend alot of money and still get no college $$, you have wasted your time and money. Just be careful. Use this website to help you with your research. There alot of very experienced intelligent offerings in these posts!!!