How to determine the best camp to attend?

Welcome to HSBBW! This is by far the single best website for you to do your research. There are many ways to go about building/developing/showing off your player's increasing talent. Search all of the threads here. You will find so much information. There are private showcases (PG, and the like), there are college camps to go to, there are travel teams discussed, legion teams, etc.

Many kids do travel teams, their HS or legion teams, and then also showcases or camps. I have personally heard of Pro Day, but if someone who reads on this site has, you will hear of it. Go into the "FIND" category and type in Pro Day, see if anything comes up.

Good luck, and again- welcome aboard!

Heatherhendrix, welcome to the HSBBW! It's good that you've found the HSBBW while your son is 10. The "camps" that you speak of NCAA and Pro Day are by the same company. I can't speak to their reputation but generally speaking "camps" are not a necessary step for a young player to reach his full potential. I assume their reputation is great with the list of D-1, D-II, D-III and Juco colleges on their agenda (my son's college being the first on the list when you click on the link) NCAA Baseball Camps I want to venture away from your specific question and speak more in generalities.

It would be easy to say "Your son is only 10, forget the camp and let him play and enjoy the game." But I feel compelled to say more.

Bottom line baseball is a game and everything revolves around "the game". The ultimate experience your son can have is playing the game to the best of his ability. First you want to find him a good team (I'm sure you've already done that.) Next you want to improve his skills which allows him to play the game at the highest level he can. This will multiply his satisfaction, confidence, and appreciation for the game 10 fold. No doubt in my mind that a player his age needs specific instruction in hitting, fielding, and pitching (even tho he may never pitch). The private instructor is by far the best way to go to get that specific instructions. The money you would spend on 1 camp would buy some great private instructions.

Back to camps: Personally I look at camps as more of a positive feel good baseball "experience" instead of an cost effective way to get better. As your son gets older the "exposure" aspect of his game enters in. He will need to be seen by coaches in order to get to the next level. Things will surely change from today's methods by the time your son needs exposure so hang in there, WELCOME, join in, and keep us posted.
Fungo

Fungo, that is a great post.HeatherHendrix welcome aboard. I have a son that is alittle older than yours (13). This is by far the best resource for baseball knowledge on the internet. Particularly for parents. As far as camps go,I agree with Fungo. Private instruction will be the best IMO,but camps let the kids see other kids their age and how they compare. Kids will pick up alot from each other plus they will make new friends sometimes.

Heatherhendrix....welcome. As the others have said, you have come to the best site for information on the journey that lies ahead. And, you are smart to seek information while your son is still young. Like most sources of information....take what is given and then make your own decisions, based upon what is right for you, your son, and your family. But, trust that you in a good place to learn. There are many, many knowledgable baseball folks here and you have already gotten responses from a few of them.

As for camps, I always saw camps as a way to learn a few things, but mostly to see how other kids my son's age played and to see what he needed to improve upon at each level. The panhandle of FL has some tremendous baseball, I am sure the opporotunities are endless. Fungo has a point about personal instruction. However, I would also be sure at 10 y.o. to make sure it remains fun. Keeping the interest of a 10 year old for very long is not easy!

You embarking on a great journey....enjoy! And check back often and let us know how its going.

Again, welcome to HSBBW!

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Personally I look at camps as more of a positive feel good baseball "experience" instead of an cost effective way to get better.

Hi, heatherhendrix. I agree with Fungo on this. I work in academia, and 2B has been going to camps at the schools where I have worked ever since age 6. At that age, I was working at UGA, and the camps were just fun summer day camps where their "sliding" practice was on the soaped up slip-n-slide on a hot afternoon. It was something for him to do in the summer that was a lot more fun than day care. When he was in the 5th grade, I was working at Emory University and he went to that camp. He loved it. The coaches were great, they made it instructional and fun, and even after I left that job he continues to go to Emory camps, even though it's in Atlanta and we're now at UF. Now that 2B is older, it's the overnight Nike camp and intensely focused on baseball. Still, the same coaches are there, the instruction is always great, and he still loves it. And he'll go back there next summer too if the timing works out. (Anyone who has ever met Coach Solomon probably understands why he keeps going back). Summer tournaments are so intense, it's become just a fun place for him to relax, learn, make new friends and still play baseball. There's a funny video on youtube from last summer's camp - if I can find it, I'll post it.

Edit - on the other hand, we're going to another camp this weekend at UCF - there is some mutual interest, and this is a good way to meet the coaches and see the campus.

I am hoping that this is the correct place to post this question. I have been lurking in and reading so much great information from these message boards that I am at a point where information overload may be confusing me. Here's my scenerio. I have a 2011 IF/RHP that wants to get more exposure. He has not been to the east coast YET and he would like to be considered for all colleges even though he's in SoCal where there are so many baseball opportunites. He's attended several college showcases and the AZ Jr Classic this past summer. He's been rated as a Div I prospect. He's just started playing with the San Diego Show and they are planning on going to East Cobb and the JO's this coming year. Would a Stanford Camp or Pro-Day Showcase offer similar exposure? Feel free to PM me as any advise would be greatly appreciated.

You have a PM, diamondmom

diamond_mom, the Stanford camp had a ton of college scouts especially from great east coast Ivy-League schools and Bum, Jr. was getting a lot of contacts based on that camp. (We politely informed each of them he was already committed elsewhere.)

Althoug the Stanford camp is excellent, remember most of the college scouts at that camp congregate at the Sunken Diamond, one of four venues (if I remember correctly). That can be problematic for a pitcher if he's not penciled to throw at the Sunken Diamond. I drove by a few of the fields and I didn't see but a few scouts.

Forunately for Bum, Jr., he was able to throw at the Sunken Diamond but I know others that were not as lucky.. and I'm guessing it's probably not "luck" at all but their perception of how good you are.

If you do the Stanford camp, PM me because I have a "tip" for you to your benefit.

heatherhendrixmom..

Age 10? Find your son a day-camp that's inexpensive, unless your primary motivation is to let your kid have fun for the Summer and that's okay, too.

Believe me, many of us looking back realize we took baseball far too seriously at age 10, 12, or 14. I do believe you should let your 10-y.o. have fun, play on a competitive team, and get him some occasional lessons. All of this gets far more serious later and the last thing you want to do is overkill early on. Good luck.

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He's just started playing with the San Diego Show

Diamond_Mom,

This is an outstanding organization with good people. I would contact them for advice.