It looks like PG offers a "State Showcase" that might be a scaled-down version of their other showcases.
Does anyone know the cost of these State Showcases? I believe the bigger ones are $549. Thanks.
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I inquired about the one here in Georgia and it was $549 also.
thanks!
There are no PG State Showcases in Georgia.
The nearest one to Georgia is in South Tennessee. The cost fo that one is $345.
The nearest one to Georgia is in South Tennessee. The cost fo that one is $345.
PGStaff:
Is there a sequential order for your various showcases? In other words, should a player target a State PG event, then a regional PG event, then a national PG event? Or is there an alternate sequence for regional underclass showcase followed by a regional top prospect showcase followed by a national top prospect showcase? If not intended to be sequential, do you, nevertheless, have a recommendation about the order in which a player should do these events? Also, do you have a program that would compare with other providers' college recruiting programs (e.g., Baseball Factory's Signature College Recruiting Program)?
Is there a sequential order for your various showcases? In other words, should a player target a State PG event, then a regional PG event, then a national PG event? Or is there an alternate sequence for regional underclass showcase followed by a regional top prospect showcase followed by a national top prospect showcase? If not intended to be sequential, do you, nevertheless, have a recommendation about the order in which a player should do these events? Also, do you have a program that would compare with other providers' college recruiting programs (e.g., Baseball Factory's Signature College Recruiting Program)?
Isaac,
You ask some good questions and I will try to answer.
There is no specific order.
If we know a player we might invite him to any event we feel he fits. If we don’t know a player, there are events that are “open” and do not require an invitation. If the player is an underclassmen he can attend most (not all) underclass events. If we know nothing about a player and he has not received an invite, he can attend a “State” showcase. Then we will know more about the player. He might then receive invitations to any event we feel he qualifies for. Hope tht kind of answers your question. If you have other questions, please contact Jim Arp at our office. jarp@perfectgame.org or call 319-298-2923. He is very honest and helpful.
We absolutely do not offer any type of a “Recruiting” service. If what we do, doesn’t help a player move on to the next level, there is no recruiting service that can help that player. It’s always the player’s ability and potential that creates interest with colleges. If honesty is important… How do we sell a bad player to a college? Who is that helping? If he’s a good player and does the right things, he doesn’t need a recruiting service.
That said, we are in constant contact with college coaches and MLB scouting departments. If we see a good player, they will know about it. We have helped thousands go on to the next level. We just don’t charge any money for that service. Listen… College recruiters very seldom will use recruiting services. ASK THEM! The typical player who uses a recruiting service is not what they are looking for. They need to see players and get honest reliable information. Player’s parents pay to get their sons in the best situation giving them the most opportunity. If they have accomplished that, why would they need to pay any more. If they have done the right things and it hasn’t worked, that should tell them something.
All recruiting services are not equal. But for the most part, they can help players get into DIII or non scholarship schools. This is something that can be done by nearly anyone, including yourself. Some recruiting services can provide a lot of information, but so does this website.
Many years ago we had the bright idea to start a recruiting service because, to be honest, we needed to make more money to survive. We quickly found out that the good players didn’t need us. It was only the players with very little talent that paid for the service. Once we figured out the only way to make money at this service was to lie to the parents and players or lie to the college coaches… We pulled the plug and refunded every dime to the parents. It appeared to be an ugly business.
That was our experience and I do understand there are some services who do care about more than just the money. Just like anything else, some are much better than others. We just didn’t want to be involved. In the end PG has had more participants end up in college or get drafted than all of the recruiting services in history combined. If we choose to help someone in the recruiting process, it will be free of charge with no guarantees. We have done that thousands of times and continue to do that.
As you might be able to tell… I hate it when people refer to us as a recruiting service. I know you didn’t… Thanks for asking the question.
You ask some good questions and I will try to answer.
There is no specific order.
If we know a player we might invite him to any event we feel he fits. If we don’t know a player, there are events that are “open” and do not require an invitation. If the player is an underclassmen he can attend most (not all) underclass events. If we know nothing about a player and he has not received an invite, he can attend a “State” showcase. Then we will know more about the player. He might then receive invitations to any event we feel he qualifies for. Hope tht kind of answers your question. If you have other questions, please contact Jim Arp at our office. jarp@perfectgame.org or call 319-298-2923. He is very honest and helpful.
We absolutely do not offer any type of a “Recruiting” service. If what we do, doesn’t help a player move on to the next level, there is no recruiting service that can help that player. It’s always the player’s ability and potential that creates interest with colleges. If honesty is important… How do we sell a bad player to a college? Who is that helping? If he’s a good player and does the right things, he doesn’t need a recruiting service.
That said, we are in constant contact with college coaches and MLB scouting departments. If we see a good player, they will know about it. We have helped thousands go on to the next level. We just don’t charge any money for that service. Listen… College recruiters very seldom will use recruiting services. ASK THEM! The typical player who uses a recruiting service is not what they are looking for. They need to see players and get honest reliable information. Player’s parents pay to get their sons in the best situation giving them the most opportunity. If they have accomplished that, why would they need to pay any more. If they have done the right things and it hasn’t worked, that should tell them something.
All recruiting services are not equal. But for the most part, they can help players get into DIII or non scholarship schools. This is something that can be done by nearly anyone, including yourself. Some recruiting services can provide a lot of information, but so does this website.
Many years ago we had the bright idea to start a recruiting service because, to be honest, we needed to make more money to survive. We quickly found out that the good players didn’t need us. It was only the players with very little talent that paid for the service. Once we figured out the only way to make money at this service was to lie to the parents and players or lie to the college coaches… We pulled the plug and refunded every dime to the parents. It appeared to be an ugly business.
That was our experience and I do understand there are some services who do care about more than just the money. Just like anything else, some are much better than others. We just didn’t want to be involved. In the end PG has had more participants end up in college or get drafted than all of the recruiting services in history combined. If we choose to help someone in the recruiting process, it will be free of charge with no guarantees. We have done that thousands of times and continue to do that.
As you might be able to tell… I hate it when people refer to us as a recruiting service. I know you didn’t… Thanks for asking the question.
PGStaff--thank you for your prompt, clear, and honest reply. I appreciate the insight. You raise a very good point about the dilemma presented to the recruiting service. I understand it now and thank you for your candor. Yes, I will call Mr. Arp and discuss your programs.
isaacvanwart,
I just wanted to confirm that what PGStaff described of the sequence was exactly what happened with our son in 2003 (and Jim Arp was involved at that time, too, though I don't think he had that exact role).
Our son (a pitcher) first attended a small regional showcase. To gain an invitation for that small showcase, we first e-mailed and then someone from Perfect Game (not Jim Arp at that time, but a very nice guy with pro baseball experience and lots of knowledge) called and asked questions about our son, and then e-mailed his invitation within a day, allowing our son to register.
At the small PG showcase, our son participated alongside players with ability ranging from solid college prospects to a player who was drafted in the 2nd round a few months later (Ryan Sweeney). Afterwards, our son was invited to a slightly larger and more important regional showcase, but was not considered a candidate for the largest national PG showcases. We felt comfortable after comparing our son to the other players at the first showcase, that Perfect Game had made a very accurate assessment of our son's ability and potential. It actually helped him to narrow down his college choices, as we felt confident that he could play at the DIII level and possibly DII, but we knew he was not a DI prospect.
Best wishes to you and your son!
Julie
I just wanted to confirm that what PGStaff described of the sequence was exactly what happened with our son in 2003 (and Jim Arp was involved at that time, too, though I don't think he had that exact role).
Our son (a pitcher) first attended a small regional showcase. To gain an invitation for that small showcase, we first e-mailed and then someone from Perfect Game (not Jim Arp at that time, but a very nice guy with pro baseball experience and lots of knowledge) called and asked questions about our son, and then e-mailed his invitation within a day, allowing our son to register.
At the small PG showcase, our son participated alongside players with ability ranging from solid college prospects to a player who was drafted in the 2nd round a few months later (Ryan Sweeney). Afterwards, our son was invited to a slightly larger and more important regional showcase, but was not considered a candidate for the largest national PG showcases. We felt comfortable after comparing our son to the other players at the first showcase, that Perfect Game had made a very accurate assessment of our son's ability and potential. It actually helped him to narrow down his college choices, as we felt confident that he could play at the DIII level and possibly DII, but we knew he was not a DI prospect.
Best wishes to you and your son!
Julie
quote:Originally posted by PGStaff:
There are no PG State Showcases in Georgia.
The nearest one to Georgia is in South Tennessee. The cost fo that one is $345.
Thanks PG, that's exactly the state showcase I was asking about (closest to me).
Also thanks for the good info in your answer to isaac.
I posted in error. I inquired about the 2008 Southeast Underclass Showcase at East Cobb and it is $549. Why is it so much?
quote:If the player is an underclassmen he can attend most (not all) underclass events.
PGStaff:
What is the difference between the underclass showcase and the top prospect showcase? Do underclassmen, if qualified, get invited to the next level of showcase - or do they attend another event once they are an upperclassman(rising junior/senior?) in order to get to the next level.
Sometimes the very best underclassmen are invited to the top prospect events. It's kind of like this... Our goal at the Top Prospect events is to have as many college prospects and pro prospects as possible. We typically use the underclass events and state showcases to find out who has that kind of ability.
Once a player is considered a prospect (by us) we want to show him off and follow him until he is draft eligible or signed with a college. Good players draw interest from pro scouts and college coaches. Everyone likes to watch the best players no matter what class they might be in. It's amazing how often the best players are identified as freshman and sophomores. No one forgets the best players. Kids like Justin Upton and Delmon Young became famous in scouting circles when they were only 13 years old. With others it is all about following them and seeing how they improve. It doesn't make any difference in that regard as to which event they are attending. Tools always standout.
Once a player is considered a prospect (by us) we want to show him off and follow him until he is draft eligible or signed with a college. Good players draw interest from pro scouts and college coaches. Everyone likes to watch the best players no matter what class they might be in. It's amazing how often the best players are identified as freshman and sophomores. No one forgets the best players. Kids like Justin Upton and Delmon Young became famous in scouting circles when they were only 13 years old. With others it is all about following them and seeing how they improve. It doesn't make any difference in that regard as to which event they are attending. Tools always standout.
PG staff you have a PM
Wow, I'm new to all of this and it is information overload! Any "beginners" info would be welcome. My son is a 6'3" pitcher/first base and soon-to-be freshman who is estimated to be 6'9". Where do we start? How do I know if he has what it takes? He plays for a select team that has only won one game! Should he just play for his high school team and go from there? I am the mom AND the dad so I'm a little clueless about how to direct him into getting the most out of doing what he loves.
Your son should play high school ball to represent the school and the town. He should play the best summer ball available in your area for good coaching and development of skills. Players are more likely to be recruited from showcases than high school in this era.
