Showball s Headfirst

You get seriously introduced and get plenty of eyes(and interest, if you do well) at those camps, but that interest is usually followed by an invitation to either visit the school, or go to one of their camps, to see you one more time and determine whether or not you are a fit. 

   HC's and RC's have to absorb plenty of information over the course of multiple HF and Showball sessions. It often takes them a few days, if not weeks, to get in touch.

We live in the southeast, but the schools my 2020 son is most interested in all are in other parts of the country, so those colleges almost never see him play travel or HS ball.  All the schools for which there is any kind of serious mutual interest saw him play at HF or Showball.  Most of those schools have invited him to their fall camps, but several have said they don't necessarily need to see him again in the fall.  (Pre-reads are in process now; offers may or may not be forthcoming--he is in wait-and-see mode right now.)  

HF and Showball seem often to be preludes to going to a school's fall camp; but kids do get offers based on their performances at those showcases.  

Where can you go and be seen by 100 of the top HA colleges in the country within a two day period?  If that's your son's interest, show up.  It's an entirely different thing if your sons skills match the requirements of an Ivy, a GTown, a William & Mary, or Johns Hopkins.  And you can have the talent but have an off day....

Both ShowBall and Headfirst are solid recruiting venues.  It's a chance to get face to face with a HC or RC.  I have seen plenty of coaches after a skill session or a game approach a player, and that player be offered then, or being asked to specifically attend their camp so all the coaching staff can get eyes on the player.

If your son is a position player and interested in Ivy's, get to their July-Sept camps in Fall of Junior Year.

(2018 went to two Showball and one HF showcases)

Yes, my son got HA D3 offers (coach support with admissions) after Headfirst Long Island in August before senior year; he did well at the camp (measurables and games), got emails afterward asking him for transcripts, then offers came after they did pre-reads.  A couple of them had seen him earlier that summer; he had been to a PBR showcase in June, played tournaments, and also an individual school's camp before Headfirst.  He didn't do any camps after Headfirst.  Headfirst films all players and makes video available to all the schools who attended, some coaches referenced that video, and invited him to visit after it was available.  One school in which he had genuine interest invited him to camp "so the rest of our coaches can see you," he genuinely couldn't go that day and he told them, they continued to recuit him.

I learned about Headfirst here on hsbbw, and it was great for my son, but despite my reading, we didn't have a clue about what might happen, or what was happening, until it happened. 

Ten years ago, our long recruiting journey ended at HeadFirst.   My son had offers from some schools that were a good fits.   However,  Headfirst brought together many schools that were  great fits for him, and it didn't take long for us to see the results (he committed two weeks later at an Ivy prospect camp).    I don't recall Showball existing at the time, however I suspect it is just as good (if not better) based on poster feedback I've read here. 

My son attended a large number of PG National Showcases that were team based.  He was on a very good & talented team (all D1 commits) but by no means did he stand out from the crowd at these events when he touched 90mph.   HF was different.  90mph, high SAT  & GPA with many APs did stand out.

If you have to choose between the two of them, I don't think you can lose either way if your son fits the HA athlete profile.   Good luck!

My son (2020) attended Showball (regular showcase) and HeadFirst camps. They were both worth the time and investment. HeadFirst led to the most contacts and eventually the prospect camp and offer that he accepted from a HA D1 school. They had already seen him play in a tournament prior to the camp. In my opinion, HeadFirst was exceptional for coach communication. If you attend Showball, make sure it is the head coach and/or academic showcase. Good luck!

My son attended both SB and HF as a rising junior, got some good attention and communicated with a lot of coaches following that.  As a rising senior, he received several HA D3 offers as well as one HA D1 offer as a result, including his ultimate choice (one of the D3s).  Worth every penny!

SB and HF are two of the best showcases for HA schools. My son found both "good bang for buck." Each of the showcases featured 10-15 schools that son was in contact with and had his grades, test scores, and video. Showball camps he went to were in December (no longer scheduled then with new NCAA rules).  As a plus runner, those showcases benefited son as he was in middle of indoor track season. Went to Headfirst Long Island  as a rising junior, which for some was "early." He had looked at Bucknell who was still finishing its recruiting class in September. On the other hand, HF as a rising senior is too late for some D1 HA schools who are completing their rosters. At this point (HF--rising senior), position players especially should have been seen by schools vetting. I thought Showball was worth the money. As schools attend more an more showcases it is important to see who (coach-wise) is attending. In some cases an assistant coach may attend that doesn't have as much pull in the decision-making process. Lots of HA D3's attend these showcases and are ready to make decisions. There recruiting budgets are smaller so it is important for them to know that their recruits can make the grade, which these showcases do. 

But, if I'm understanding, Fenway and bbmomaz, in both cases a coach at Headfirst asked your sons to go to their prospect camps (for which you paid), and then were offered?  Did you have a sense that there would be an offer at those particular camps?  I'm just curious, it might be helpful for people who are getting asked to go to camps, to know what such an invitation might mean.

anotherparent posted:

But, if I'm understanding, Fenway and bbmomaz, in both cases a coach at Headfirst asked your sons to go to their prospect camps (for which you paid), and then were offered?  Did you have a sense that there would be an offer at those particular camps?  I'm just curious, it might be helpful for people who are getting asked to go to camps, to know what such an invitation might mean.

My son had some contact with this school prior to the Junior Fall Classic. They saw him play there and again the following weekend at the HeadFirst camp. They expressed interest and wanted my son to come out to their prospect camp and meet the pitching coach. The cost of the prospect camp itself was not very high, but it did require air travel and hotel. We made a weekend out of it because this was also a "dream school" for my son academically. We took an admissions tour, visited the engineering school, etc. The offer discussions started while we were still on campus so it was definitely worth it for us. We did not necessarily expect that but we knew there was genuine interest before committing to the prospect camp.

Good decision BBMOM... 😎

anotherparent posted:

But, if I'm understanding, Fenway and bbmomaz, in both cases a coach at Headfirst asked your sons to go to their prospect camps (for which you paid), and then were offered?  Did you have a sense that there would be an offer at those particular camps?  I'm just curious, it might be helpful for people who are getting asked to go to camps, to know what such an invitation might mean.

Anotherparent,

Yes.  The reason for the prospect camp (after HeadFirst) was for ALL the coaches (including HC) to see him pitch and make a decision.  The prospect camp was invite only (they did not market it publically) and it was a nominal cost ($100).  I believe the two RCs (West Coast and East Coast) try to fill up the prospect camp with all the recruits they'd seen over the summer.   There were probably 25-30 recruits.  My son was seen by the Hitting Coach at HeadFirst but not the Pitching Coach or Head Coach for the school we were visiting .  He'd been seen by another Ivy's HC at PG WWBA the previous year and the other Ivy's RC at HeadFirst (who chased him down in the parking lot).  So, the other Ivy had a little bit of a head start and offered first but for some reason my son wasn't nearly as excited or interested (but he kept that to himself).   Prior to the prospect camp, we were scheduled to fly to the other Ivy in two weeks to meet with them and another D3 engineering school as a Plan B.

At the prospect camp, my son pitched extremely well, and had all his pitches working that day.   They did their homework and knew that he had other D1 & D3 offers, and he was interested in engineering.   My son had done his homework and rated their engineering school as his top choice.   Prior to the prospect camp, my son asked the RC to speak to a dean or professor at the engineering school while we were there (8 hour drive).  They set it up.  Yes, we had a very strong feeling they would offer.  His offer came when the HC came out to the mound to talk to him after he threw his last pitch.   I saw this big smile come over him.   Something I won't ever forget.

What I didn't expect was that my son fell in love with the campus while we were there.   He'd seen many schools over the last couple years and never really said much of anything.   This school was different to him.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you want to discuss any specifics.

What should a recruit do if he can't attend the fall camp of a school he is very interested in?  We are taking a family vacation in August and son recently received an invite to a camp that he can't attend because we'll be out of the country.  This school is absolutely in his top three; possibly number one.  (He has met with coach, traded emails, visited campus--not just another generic camp invite.)  

Maybe the school decides they like a prospect enough to offer anyhow; but maybe not.  Son thought he might offer to send additional video--as a P, that is relatively easy to do.  He can try to find a fall event this team plans to attend.  Any other ideas?  

Gov posted:

Good decision BBMOM... 😎

Yes it was and a bonus meeting you IRL 

I know this might not be the most fun for your son, Chico and others -- but it is that point in the summer.  He should call the HC and tell him he has a planned family vacation and he cannot go to the camp, but that this does not reflect his interest in the school.  He needs to ask where he stands in the recruiting process and if they need to see him again.  My son had to do this with several schools, both HA D1 and D3.  

Chico Escuela posted:

What should a recruit do if he can't attend the fall camp of a school he is very interested in?  We are taking a family vacation in August and son recently received an invite to a camp that he can't attend because we'll be out of the country.  This school is absolutely in his top three; possibly number one.  (He has met with coach, traded emails, visited campus--not just another generic camp invite.)  

Maybe the school decides they like a prospect enough to offer anyhow; but maybe not.  Son thought he might offer to send additional video--as a P, that is relatively easy to do.  He can try to find a fall event this team plans to attend.  Any other ideas?  

That's tricky. We had a similar situation with a school my son was very interested in. He couldn't make the prospect camp but the school had another event a couple of weeks later (I think it was a skills-focused camp for younger players) and my son offered to come out at that time and do a bull pen session with the new pitching coach. It was a great visit - he didn't walk away with an offer on the spot, but well worth it. If that is not an option, I would send additional video and look for a fall event where they will be.

BBMomAZ posted:

Chico Escuela posted:

What should a recruit do if he can't attend the fall camp of a school he is very interested in?  We are taking a family vacation in August and son recently received an invite to a camp that he can't attend because we'll be out of the country.  This school is absolutely in his top three; possibly number one.  (He has met with coach, traded emails, visited campus--not just another generic camp invite.)  

Maybe the school decides they like a prospect enough to offer anyhow; but maybe not.  Son thought he might offer to send additional video--as a P, that is relatively easy to do.  He can try to find a fall event this team plans to attend.  Any other ideas?  

That's tricky. We had a similar situation with a school my son was very interested in. He couldn't make the prospect camp but the school had another event a couple of weeks later (I think it was a skills-focused camp for younger players) and my son offered to come out at that time and do a bull pen session with the new pitching coach. It was a great visit - he didn't walk away with an offer on the spot, but well worth it. If that is not an option, I would send additional video and look for a fall event where they will be.

That's a bit unusual for a school to have a camp in August, unless it's late in the month. Son had some  strong interest from a NESCAC that was of interest, but we couldn't get to their camp in Sept.. They didn't offer, ultimately, and i'm pretty sure it was because he didn't go to the camp, which probably would've sealed the deal (strong student and strong D3 player).

  I would imagine that P's with above average measurables might be able to get offers w/o attending camp. Never know what a school needs position wise, either. Some schools can have a disappointing ED round, and NEED a catcher, or SS, post ED. 

 They do like to see you hit, Play D, and just carry yourself in general on and off the field at the camps, though. Some players can be skilled, but just not a fit, and that becomes evident during the camp. 

   Our local HA's had a far better idea of my son, having gone to some of his HS, Legion, and travel team games, as well as meeting him 1 on 1 during campus visits. They made it be known that he had a spot if he wanted it at ED, as they had satisfied them elves as to his character, academic, and baseball skills. Local schools have a huge advantage, if the RC's and HC's aren't lazy and don't mind going to some local HS games.