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Wait, there was a really good description of this a few years ago, probably by smokeminside.  I found this, which is not what I was remembering:

https://community.hsbaseballwe...63#43671021022705163

I can't find it either!  But my guys thought it was pretty stressful to have them back to back.  Maybe it was mostly a mental thing but they were tired at the second event. Or maybe they were spending too much time back home at the beach before we left....

Is there a headfirst that's a bit earlier, or a snowball that's a bit later?  A few days off even for position players can't hurt.

I can't find it either!  But my guys thought it was pretty stressful to have them back to back.  Maybe it was mostly a mental thing but they were tired at the second event. Or maybe they were spending too much time back home at the beach before we left....

Is there a headfirst that's a bit earlier, or a snowball that's a bit later?  A few days off even for position players can't hurt.

Good to know. Basically what I was worried about.

Write to all coaches of interest now, express interest, given them your schedule, ask where they can see you.  Some will be at big tournaments, some will be at HF/SB, all will also say "come to our camp".  I don't think I'd pay $1000 on the off-chance that 1 or 2 more coaches might become interested; I would want to know ahead of time that this is where they wanted to see me.

Write to all coaches of interest now, express interest, given them your schedule, ask where they can see you.  Some will be at big tournaments, some will be at HF/SB, all will also say "come to our camp".  I don't think I'd pay $1000 on the off-chance that 1 or 2 more coaches might become interested; I would want to know ahead of time that this is where they wanted to see me.

Good advice. TBPTson has been doing this. So far it is mostly come to our camps. Then again, since my son is a 2023, I think that is basically all they can say at this point. A few of the coaches have talked to my son's travel and HS coach and said they'd like to see him at a camp or HF/SB. Also hit them hard on academics.

What are everyone's thoughts on doing a HF, take two days off, then doing a SB? They are in NY so I thought we could take the 2 days off and possibly visit Columbia and NYU, then tour NYC.

NYU is near Washington Square Park. There’s been a lot of violence there lately. Be careful. While the odds are with you a tourist was shot in Times Square this week. He probably thought the odds were with him.

Last edited by RJM

All due respect ( a NY phrase if there ever was one), NYC is fine.  Sure, don't go to Washington Sq Park at night if you're skiddish about news reports trying to make it out like NYC is on fire.  Other than the weather, it's not.  Crime up, for sure, but no where near the levels I grew up in during 70's/80's.  Go visit Columbia and NYU and have fun.   If you're in the area and want to take a look at a few other HA schools close to NYC check out Fordham, Marist and Stevens across the river. 

Thanks guys. Here's another question... I just took a closer look and it looks like the only differences in schools attending are Princeton and Penn will be at SB and won't be at HF. Both of those schools will be at SB down in FL in October. Is it worth it to do both for 2 additional schools? I'm not as worried as much about the cost but really more about the time and coordination in doing both.

Thanks guys. Here's another question... I just took a closer look and it looks like the only differences in schools attending are Princeton and Penn will be at SB and won't be at HF. Both of those schools will be at SB down in FL in October. Is it worth it to do both for 2 additional schools? I'm not as worried as much about the cost but really more about the time and coordination in doing both.

Is the SB Oct date going to cover all your other coach attendance needs (not just Princeton and Penn)? If so, I'd only do that one and save $. Assuming you have a busy summer schedule, he'll be more rested for that event in Oct as well. You have a 2023, and you're relatively ok on time for the east coast HA programs.

Thanks guys. Here's another question... I just took a closer look and it looks like the only differences in schools attending are Princeton and Penn will be at SB and won't be at HF. Both of those schools will be at SB down in FL in October. Is it worth it to do both for 2 additional schools? I'm not as worried as much about the cost but really more about the time and coordination in doing both.

If Penn and Princeton are seriously recruiting your son I would get out in front of it now and not wait until October.  Again, if they are interested they will provide dates to see your son way before October.

Personally, I think Ivy recruitment in October is way too late these days.  Ten years ago, my son was offered by two Ivys in August and he was one of the last recruits for each school.   I would do your HF event (get some momentum and interest) then figure out the rest.

JMO.

Last edited by fenwaysouth
@fenwaysouth posted:

If Penn and Princeton are seriously recruiting your son I would get out in front of it now and not wait until October.  Again, if they are interested they will provide dates to see your son way before October.

Personally, I think Ivy recruitment in October is way too late these days.  Ten years ago, my son was offered by two Ivys in August and he was one of the last recruits for each school.   I would do your HF event (get some momentum and interest) then figure out the rest.

JMO.

Particularly Penn.  That HC signs his main recruits very early.  Columbia probably second most aggressive.  You’ll see on PG they have a big class of 2022’s already locked.  Will probably have a few 2023’s soon. Princeton may be last as they’re the most stringent but agree Oct probably too late.  

Last edited by Wechson
@fenwaysouth posted:

If Penn and Princeton are seriously recruiting your son I would get out in front of it now and not wait until October.  Again, if they are interested they will provide dates to see your son way before October.

Personally, I think Ivy recruitment in October is way too late these days.  Ten years ago, my son was offered by two Ivys in August and he was one of the last recruits for each school.   I would do your HF event (get some momentum and interest) then figure out the rest.

JMO.

Is it late for a 2022 or a 2023? My son is a 2023. I’ve been told by a bunch of people that HA recruiting doesn’t really pick up until fall of junior year but my son should start early because he has a pretty high PSAT and the travel coaches think he’s ready to show. You’ve obviously been through it so I value your opinion.

@Senna posted:

Is the SB Oct date going to cover all your other coach attendance needs (not just Princeton and Penn)? If so, I'd only do that one and save $. Assuming you have a busy summer schedule, he'll be more rested for that event in Oct as well. You have a 2023, and you're relatively ok on time for the east coast HA programs.

Thanks Senna. The October SB does have a lot of the same coaches as the August event. The SB events do not have 2 other programs that he’s really interested in.

Pre-pandemic, Ivies went to big tournaments like WWBA, Cincy Flames, etc. (to name a few) to watch players.  Have your son's travel coaches contact those schools to gauge their interest.

Thanks. I was surprised to see a bunch of them at the Palm Beach Classic a few weeks ago.

Coaches have already talked to a few of the schools. A couple watched him at the PBC. His travel coaches told us to go to camps if we can and not worry about the team if they overlap. I was hoping to do HF/SB instead of camps to get seen by more coaches.

Is it late for a 2022 or a 2023? My son is a 2023. I’ve been told by a bunch of people that HA recruiting doesn’t really pick up until fall of junior year but my son should start early because he has a pretty high PSAT and the travel coaches think he’s ready to show. You’ve obviously been through it so I value your opinion.

IMHO a 2022 will need to get "off the schneid" right now and get noticed through baseball and necessary SAT/ACT scores or whatever the particular school is using post-Covid academic measurement.

A 2023 has time.  A high PSAT has to be converted into a meaningful SAT, and he'll need to demonstrate D1 level talent if he is targeting  Ivys.  A good rule of thumb for a possible Ivy recruit is that he is being pursued and offered by other D1s.   If that is happening and he's got the necessary SATs/ACTs then he's got a shot.  Ivys are recruiting much earlier these days than when my son was being recruited.

Your quote about "HA recruiting not picking up until fall of junior year" applies to HA D3s...not Ivys.

Last edited by fenwaysouth

I am not sure if there is value to attend both showcases. I agree with what Wechson posted about Wash Sq Park, it is fine during the day early evening. Not sure why you would want to go there after midnight unless you are walking out of a bar/club and since you are with your kid it is a moot point. Regarding Ivies, the COA is a real knife twister in my savings and I am very happy for those with the means, but given the more lucrative career paths require graduate degrees, I would rather he wait for grad school or if his ed terminates with an undergrad degree divert some of the funds for helping the kid like a down payment on a co op. My kid is okay with giving up on Ivies. I have no direct experience the HF or Showball, but the school camps he attended did provide a lot of interaction with the HC and RC and so far a lot of post camp communications. It is about 4-5 school camps for the cost of the HF SB supercamp. Luckily most of the kid's desired schools are regional so I am thinking of going that route.

@LousyLefty posted:

For what it's worth Showball had a recruiter that they've "partnered" with do a presentation to the parents and he said that Covid has somehow moved the Ivy's up a bit and they are pretty much done with 2022's at this point. Get your 2023 in front of them!

Only a couple of Ivies are done or almost done with '22. Rest are between 2/3 and 1/4 full. Not too early for '23s to get on the radar.

@LousyLefty posted:

For what it's worth Showball had a recruiter that they've "partnered" with do a presentation to the parents and he said that Covid has somehow moved the Ivy's up a bit and they are pretty much done with 2022's at this point. Get your 2023 in front of them!

I'm sure there is some movement with the timeline, but I'd have to question the source a little bit. Showball clearly has something to gain by getting more kids to their showcases earlier. The Ivies my son's travel coach talked to told him to get to their camps if he can (another money maker), but their 2023 recruiting won't start in full gear until the fall. They told him they wanted to see my son early because of his GPA, academic rigor of his prep school, and his PSAT. Either way, we are planning to have him go to at least one of the showcases.

For a 2023, this summer is about D1 (including Ivies).  Why are you obsessed about being seen by all the Ivies?  They are very different schools.  If some of them, that your son likes, have asked your travel coach for you to go to their camps, then do that.  If Ivy doesn't pan out this summer/fall, then next summer will be the time for HA D3 recruitment, when HF/SB will be worth the money.

For a 2023, this summer is about D1 (including Ivies).  Why are you obsessed about being seen by all the Ivies?  They are very different schools.  If some of them, that your son likes, have asked your travel coach for you to go to their camps, then do that.  If Ivy doesn't pan out this summer/fall, then next summer will be the time for HA D3 recruitment, when HF/SB will be worth the money.

I'm not obsessed about being seen by all the Ivies. He has zero interest in half of them. His number one factor in his list of schools is how strong their physics departments(also interested in math and CS) are. It just happens that Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown are very strong in these areas. So are CalTech, MIT, Johns Hopkins, U of Chicago, and Berkeley.

I was hoping for him to be seen by his top choices in one place to see who has interest and then spend the time/money on campus visits from there. When the travel coach talked to the college coaches it was late May and a couple schools have since said there will be no camps. There are a couple we are trying to squeeze into in August.

I'm sure there is some movement with the timeline, but I'd have to question the source a little bit. Showball clearly has something to gain by getting more kids to their showcases earlier. The Ivies my son's travel coach talked to told him to get to their camps if he can (another money maker), but their 2023 recruiting won't start in full gear until the fall. They told him they wanted to see my son early because of his GPA, academic rigor of his prep school, and his PSAT. Either way, we are planning to have him go to at least one of the showcases.

For sure,  but he was speaking in the context of "adjusting your expectations"  and "adapting to the new reality of post Covid recruiting".  And I know he's somewhat wrong because an Ivy was at Lefty's game in AZ two days later and watched the entire game Leftyson was in.  You don't watch 7 innings of the same game in 100plus heat (no shade unless you pack it in) if you aren't serious about a kid on the field. They were all 2022s. (*not there to watch my kid)

Last edited by LousyLefty

When one says "Ivies are recruiting me" what does the mean post-Covid? When my 2015 was being recruited a couple of schools during fall semester of his Jr yr invited him to a camp (Junior Day) where they had drills and then a tour of the campus and facilities. Prior to the invite, however, the did request his SAT/ACT and transcripts for a pre-read.  They typically had all their offers out by end of the fall.

So back to the original question with some updated info and research. Is it worth it to do HF for 2 days, take 2 days off and tour a couple schools and NYC (and possibly get mugged, stabbed or shot, jk, sorta), then do SB for 2 days? Most of the schools my son is interested will be at both showcases. There are two D3’s at HF that won’t be at SB and two Ivies at SB that won’t be at HF.

Based on the feedback, it seems it would be more important from a timing perspective to make sure he is seen by the Ivies.

So back to the original question with some updated info and research. Is it worth it to do HF for 2 days, take 2 days off and tour a couple schools and NYC (and possibly get mugged, stabbed or shot, jk, sorta), then do SB for 2 days? Most of the schools my son is interested will be at both showcases. There are two D3’s at HF that won’t be at SB and two Ivies at SB that won’t be at HF.

Based on the feedback, it seems it would be more important from a timing perspective to make sure he is seen by the Ivies.

Seems like an awful lot of time and $ just to get seen by the two additional Ivy or HA D3s?  I have no idea what I'm doing but I would go with just SB and send video to the two D3's.  It's just short of a couple grand by time you add in hotel, food, entertainment. all for 2 schools...not to mention your time.  

100% JFK, it’s the only real option for the island.  My advice… dont race to the airport for the return flight.  If anything I’d stay an extra night and when the camp breaks, head to a local beach (eg Robert Moses or Jones) to decompress.  Book an early flight and leave at the crack of dawn to get to JFK.  All much less stress.

I just found some that are $120/day. Might look into it. I always prefer Ubers though when I'm travelling. Gives me more of a chance to look around at whatever city I'm in without having to keep my eyes on the road.

I wouldn’t get too caught up on that front, Baseball Heaven is in the middle of a field on a remote section of the island and the drive to airport is just a stretch of highway.  May be a challenge to get an Uber at 5am as well.  

I just found some that are $120/day. Might look into it. I always prefer Ubers though when I'm travelling. Gives me more of a chance to look around at whatever city I'm in without having to keep my eyes on the road.

Sorry late to this conversation but an UBER or LYFT are probably not really economical options.  That ride from the airport to the field could be two hours with Traffic, especially if on a Friday.   While I bet there are uber's to take you to and from the hotel to the site you will be best served with a rental in my opinion (if you can find one which you have).  I highly recommend renting a car.   Is there a way to estimate the uber cost from airport?

*Found Uber cost estimate - right now that would run $150 for that trip minimum.... My guess is $200 with traffic and if rain and surge pricing......

Last edited by Gunner Mack Jr.

Sorry late to this conversation but an UBER or LYFT are probably not really economical options.  That ride from the airport to the field could be two hours with Traffic, especially if on a Friday.   While I bet there are uber's to take you to and from the hotel to the site you will be best served with a rental in my opinion (if you can find one which you have).  I highly recommend renting a car.   Is there a way to estimate the uber cost from airport?

*Found Uber cost estimate - right now that would run $150 for that trip minimum.... My guess is $200 with traffic and if rain and surge pricing......

Wow, those prices have gone up considerably. Just saw $200 each way

Hi TBPT, we'll be at Headfirst same time.  Flying into Islip; staying in Medford.  Car rentals were $200 per day!  $800 total!  So I just decided to Lyft/uber it around.  I figured it had to be much cheaper but admittedly nervous about the availability of rides...

Somehow I was able to reserve a Nissan Altima at a reasonable price. I just hope the rental company has it when we arrive. I would have preferred an Uber, but after considering the costs and other factors like availability I just decided on the rental.



We were also able to get a decent hotel very close to Baseball Heaven. Now all I need to do is find some solid restaurants in the area! If anyone has a good steakhouse recommendation I'm all ears.

Somehow I was able to reserve a Nissan Altima at a reasonable price. I just hope the rental company has it when we arrive. I would have preferred an Uber, but after considering the costs and other factors like availability I just decided on the rental.



We were also able to get a decent hotel very close to Baseball Heaven. Now all I need to do is find some solid restaurants in the area! If anyone has a good steakhouse recommendation I'm all ears.

It’s on a bit of an isolated stretch of the island. There’s an Italian place called La Margherita Pizzeria that’s a decent close option.  You can also drive 10-15 mins to the south shore for seafood eg Harbor Crab Co. or Island Fish.

@Wechson posted:

If you really want to treat yourself you can probably make it to Peter Luger’s in Great Neck in under an hour.  One of the best Steakhouses in the US.

Hasn't the rep gone down a bit?  I know the NY Times did an absolutely brutal takedown of the Williamsburg original a few years back. OTOH Sean Hannity is know to frequent the LI version, so that could be a draw.

@JCG posted:

Hasn't the rep gone down a bit?  I know the NY Times did an absolutely brutal takedown of the Williamsburg original a few years back. OTOH Sean Hannity is know to frequent the LI version, so that could be a draw.

Id file this under “don’t believe everything you read”.  That was a highly contested review.  Been back many times since and it’s as good as ever.  

@Wechson posted:

Id file this under “don’t believe everything you read”.  That was a highly contested review.  Been back many times since and it’s as good as ever.  

So I called the restaurant instead of booking online and they were able to squeeze me in at 7:45. That should be plenty of time to get there after the showcase, right?

Would it make sense to just get a hotel for the last night closer to PL instead of driving all the way back to baseball heaven?

Looks like a Headfirst on 8/2-8/3 and a Showball on 8/4-8/5 that are practically right next to each other. For anyone who has done these events, is there any reason a player wouldn’t be able to do both?

I'm sure you have already made your decision but had I seen this post earlier I would have said:

Big difference between the two camps you mention. The SB Camp on 8/4-8/5 is a Head Coach Academic Camp. That's the one camp you want to attend. The HF camp does not have the decision-makers.  While both camps are money-makers, attending the SB Head Coach camp may actually make a difference.

@ABSORBER posted:

I'm sure you have already made your decision but had I seen this post earlier I would have said:

Big difference between the two camps you mention. The SB Camp on 8/4-8/5 is a Head Coach Academic Camp. That's the one camp you want to attend. The HF camp does not have the decision-makers.  While both camps are money-makers, attending the SB Head Coach camp may actually make a difference.

By the time we decided to pull the trigger the SB was sold out. Ended up doing the HF. There are actually a lot of head coaches going to it and a couple have said they are going to try to make it. I’m guessing with the SB camp being held down the street and 1 day later it’s easy to get to for them.

We’ll see how this one goes. A few coaches have already been in contact and asked my son to introduce himself as soon as he has his jersey. If we have to I’ll take him to the SB in St Pete in October.

Does HF start with a 1-1 count like Showball? Makes for a lot fewer pitches if your kid throws strikes.  My sone pitched 3 innings each in two games at his Showball in June. I was super worried about his arm, but he pointed out it wasn't actually that many pitches. Said it felt more like 3 than 6 innings after it was all said and done.

Wow! What a cluster@#$& of a day. Flight left Palm Beach 2 hours late. The rental place where I had my sweet $100/day deal closed at 5:00 so we missed them by 15 minutes thanks to JetBlue taking 45 minutes to put the bags on the belt. Ended up having to get a car from Avis for $200/day.

On a positive, we found a great burger place called Go Burger. Super friendly staff and the burgers and shakes were right up there with the best I’ve had.

Wow! What a cluster@#$& of a day. Flight left Palm Beach 2 hours late. The rental place where I had my sweet $100/day deal closed at 5:00 so we missed them by 15 minutes thanks to JetBlue taking 45 minutes to put the bags on the belt. Ended up having to get a car from Avis for $200/day.

On a positive, we found a great burger place called Go Burger. Super friendly staff and the burgers and shakes were right up there with the best I’ve had.

That sucks.  Hopefully all of the tough luck is out of the way.  Enjoy the time and make sure your son isn’t shy, approaching coaches is a big part of the process there.  

Wow! What a cluster@#$& of a day. Flight left Palm Beach 2 hours late. The rental place where I had my sweet $100/day deal closed at 5:00 so we missed them by 15 minutes thanks to JetBlue taking 45 minutes to put the bags on the belt. Ended up having to get a car from Avis for $200/day.

On a positive, we found a great burger place called Go Burger. Super friendly staff and the burgers and shakes were right up there with the best I’ve had.

Yikes, welcome to NY! Glad you were able to find a solution. Good luck with the showcase

Early part of the day was mixed. Ran a decent 60 (good for my boy), set a PR on velo at 86.1, had an awesome practice round of throws to bags, not so awesome for his live pop times (home plate was slick painted turf instead of a home plate and he slipped on all 3), and for the 8 BP swings he hit everything on the handle.

Then game the scrimmage game.  He pitched the first inning and pitched very well. Then caught the remainder and put on a blocking clinic and threw great to second on every attempt. Also hit great in the game.A

Hey tbpt.  I think I have you beat.  Southwest cancelled our flt at 10 pm the night before we were set to leave.  No flts avail to islip or jfk.  I had to rebook to Hartford CT.   No one way car rentals available.  Took an Uber 3 1/2 hrs in traffic for $300 plus tip.   The two schools my kid wanted to meet the most left early, yesterday despite being confirmed the day before.  Lol!  But he's done good.  Batted tee EV 89.  7.0  60.   88 pull down.  He said the indoor BP with 50 coaches watching was crazy nerve wrecking.   0-3 but swinging it good.  Some great plays in field.  All the D3s seem to say they aren't really looking at 2023 position players yet.  Mostly everyone seems to be looking at pitchers.   Funny when a LHP is up and a gaggle of coaches appear.  But he's having fun and I think he'll be less nervous now next year.  Good luck tomorrow to your boy.  Mine is on team 8. 

Had a solid second day. Great throws, blocks were great as usual, lots of hard lines drives but no bombs. Overall, I don’t think it could have gone better for him. He had some great conversations with most of his top targets. The fear and anxiety of talking to coaches seems long gone and replaced with confidence.

I thought HF did a good job. Lots of coaches and easy to interact with them (the kids that is). It was well organized and on time. The staff were all great and were very helpful to get you in front of a particular coach.

Had a solid second day. Great throws, blocks were great as usual, lots of hard lines drives but no bombs. Overall, I don’t think it could have gone better for him. He had some great conversations with most of his top targets. The fear and anxiety of talking to coaches seems long gone and replaced with confidence.

I thought HF did a good job. Lots of coaches and easy to interact with them (the kids that is). It was well organized and on time. The staff were all great and were very helpful to get you in front of a particular coach.

That’s terrific.  He got what he needed out of the deal. He’s now on radars, felt what it was like to perform in a pressure showcase environment, and got to interact with coaches.  HF is really a well organized event and he seems like he made the most of it.

@Wechson posted:

We're all expecting a Yelp review...

Ok, here goes:

When we walked in I immediately felt like I was walking into a steakhouse where at one time you had to be somebody or know somebody to get a table. Kind of like the first time I went into a Morton's. The maître d' welcomed us like we were celebrities and showed us our table. The bread was ok. I imagine if you are a scotch or bourbon drinker you could really find a top notch selection there. We each got a serving of the thick cut bacon. It was a solid appetizer. Then my son ordered the steak for 1 and I ordered the rib steak for 1. We shared an order of fries and onion rings. The steaks were outstanding. Thick and sliced up before they reached the table. They served the steak while drizzling spoonful's of the the fat and butter over it. Then I had the key lime pie and TBPT jr. had the mousse. They brought a huge bowl of schlag (whipped cream) for the desserts. The key lime pie was the best I've ever had. Better than anything I've eaten in FL, which is weird to say.



Overall, it wasn't the best steak I've ever had, but the experience was great. If this were close to my house I'd eat there at least a couple times a month. The whole "cash only" thing is interesting. My son's pre-school/Montessori school used to do that to make sure anybody who sent their kids there had the money to do so and wasn't putting it on a card. I imagine Luger's does it for the same reason.

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