Showcases - Too cheap or Too expensive

Focus in the content of the camp/showcase first, who has a history of attending and check their reputation, will there be schools there you are interested in etc...it's easy to find..especially here, seems like there will always be someone who has had experience with the camp...then look at the cost.  I don't think in any way that the higher price camps drive off lesser talented kids...only parents with a smaller bank account.  I have seen and attended some smaller camps that have had plenty of coaches there...now, do they really shop that camp or are they just there because they're being paid, that's where you need to do the homework.

I look at this^ exactly the opposite for some of these events... hence Under Armour/Team One showcases. There's more like them these days for sure, but they stand out.

Before thinking about showcases decide on target schools. The best showcases are the ones the schools on your target list attend. You can find out what target schools attend what showcases by emailing them. Express interest in the program and the college, do some minor selling of your talent and ask which showcases can get you in front of them.

Generically, If a D1 prospect you can't go wrong with any Perfect Game showcase. If a top student Head First. On the east coast Select Fest in NJ. The Stanford camp in the west. An inexpensive route are MLB tryout camps.

Unless a kid is a stud, future high draft choice everyone will want don't throw spaghetti off the wall to see what sticks. Have a plan. Have target schools.

It can get really expensive if they go as P as well as second position. I look at how showcase is set up, scrimmage/not, and if there is a limit to number of players taken. If there are more than 75 showing up in our experience that's too many.  

I think they are best for pitchers. If they like what they see during 1-2 innings pitched they can plan to go see kid pitch in real game. Realize that in one scrimmage player might only get 2 at bats. What can really be seen? Most r trying to hit to fence in hopes of being noticed.

So much of getting noticed at showcases/tourn.is luck. Being at right place at right time.

I think they are too expensive.  I don't believe there is a lot of luck involved in certain events. Like winning the lottery at others.

I can't speak for others, but much of the cost involved (I know, too expensive) at PG showcases, is due to several things.  #1 is we have a very large cost of being in business.  It's not one or two guys throwing together a showcase event.  The work we do before and after an event is sometimes much more expensive and time consuming (for us) than the event itself. 

I know we are too expensive.  We try to help players as much as possible, but have to be careful of NCAA eligibility rules. I don't like it when someone can't afford to attend a PG event.  When we hear about that, we always try to create a way to help that person without jeopardizing his future. The simple reason we are too expensive is because we need to be.  We just couldn't do what we do without charging what we do. We have more than 60 full time employees and add more all the time. Our phone bill would scare most people out of business.  I don't know if that is a good reason or not, but if you looked at profit margins involving all showcase events, ours would be near or at the bottom.

I don't think you can look at cost. Its more important to look at value. Yes the up front cost for tournaments like PG can be expensive. But if the player is in the right place for his ability he's getting value at a PG event. The same goes for other showcases.

Its important for parents to find out early what the costs might be. Then they can save and the kid can work and save some money for showcases. If a kid really wants it he'll find a way to earn the money for a couple of events.

Going to a showcase at a school of his interest, talking to a coach one on one, showing his skills.....PRICELESS!

$50, My son went to a local DII school, only 5 kids showed up, all one on one and the coach had interest and wants to see his  HS game schedule for 2014.

$250, DI over 100 kids son got lose in the numbers, all good ball players.

We are finding out to go for schools of interest and who might have interest in him.

Good Luck

When we began considering showcases I looked at the PG event as a max exposure event. I did not want my son to experience that event as his first showcase. I thought that it might intimidate him in some manner.

So we did a Gameday showcase and a Blue Gray Showcase, both of which were within 80 miles of our home. They were relatively inexpensive.

Once I was confident, and my son was familiar with how showcases are run, we went to the PG Underclass in Ft. Myers, and then did the PG World Showcase the following year.

I guess some could consider that to be a lot of money, but I suppose we are blessed to live in Florida where transportation costs do not really come into play.

We all enjoyed the showcase "circut" in our home, it was always a fun way to spend a weekend!

PGStaff sent you a PM/Dialogue

Hi Jazz - Not seeing the PM

Definetly will narrow our search at some point specific to colleges of interest. Just getting started though and would like to get in one showcase this winter around the holidays.Of course would prefer PG although don't see any scheduled around that time. Played PG Evoshield in AZ and played PG Underclass in Ft Meyers this past fall, Although being regular tournaments, didn't get the one on one contact with coaches or staff needed to give us a idea of what level our 2016 is at.

We live outside Chicago although would be willing to travel and pay more for the right one.

Thanks

Each camp is ran differently.  Some offer instruction and assessments.  Other offer an opportunity to display your talent in front of college coaches.  OK, well they're assistants but still they're college coaches.  As mentioned above, you have to look at your son's talent and target schools.  My son attended PG, Demarini Top 96, and The Complete Showcase (regional in Tx).  All were very good showcases and professionally run.  I'd like to add that Demarini Top 96 was challenged by weather but efficiently executed a backup plan (impressive).  All three assessed my son and provided consistent assessments which were very helpful in targeting realistic schools. 

What's a waste of money (in some cases) are the costly small-scale camps run by peezos of HS coaches.  Parents feel the pressure to pay if they want their kid to have a shot at the roster.  Not all cases but some so beware.  You're better off paying for a professional instructor than some pretender.

Hope this helps.  

Everyday Dad,

You might want to look at the schedule a bit closer.  

My bad PG. Wife just handed me the invite flyer for the National underclass main event and or session 3. Preferance? Number of kids per event?