Time between PG showcase ?

DavidW Good question. I think the plus would be additional exposure your son would gain and the possibility different coaches would see him play. Another would be the opportunity to showcase the improvement he's made.
The downside --- a lot depends on you and your son.
This could be a redundant effort. As with anything you purchase it is an additional expense and if redundant it would not be a good "investment". This expense could be a huge hurdle for some and insignificant to others. There is also the possibility your son could have a lost click on the stop watch or a mile or two per hour on the radar gun.

Couple of questions.

1. How did your son do at the previous event?
2. What age is your son and is he garnering any interest from colleges at this point?
3. Has your son been asked to attend this event or are you just getting this info from their website and being proactive?
4. What is your "gut feel" at this point.
Thanks,
Fungo

5 months from now there will be Division I schools in attendance

I am not really sure how he did. This was his first showcase and I have nothing to gauge against. I am tempted to say average.
60 yd dash: 7.69 (I know he can do at least a 7.4 maybe better a little better.)I know this needs to improve and he will train toward that end. But how much can it improve in 5 months?

He really plays both MIF and OF. Since he had to choose he played at OF. In terms of fielding the ball and mechanics I thought he did very well. He was told by PG that they were not looking for accuracy on the throws (though he was accurate)just strength. He did not know they were gunning the throws so I think he arced them more than he should. They gunned him at 78 from the outfield. Again I think he could do a little better.

Batting practice I thought he did well. Although he may not have been powerful I thought his mechanics were good,he showed a lot of patience at the plate and mostly hit consistent rising line drives.

He is 15 yrs old and a sophmore.

At this point I don't think anyone has shown an interest but he really has not started to mrket himself yet.

He has not been asked to attend. He saw it on the website and he asked me about it.

My gut feeling is he may show a little better or he may have a bad day and not. I just don't know if 5 months is enough time to make significant improvements.

Thanks,
David

David, I too don't see the 5 month span as making a great impact on his future at this point but we could both be wrong. The big downside is the expense. If you have no problem with the expense then even if there was little to gain there is no big problem. If your son is focused on improving, at least he has established a starting point with the feedback from PG.

If it were me at this point: (it's not but for sake of discussion)

Before you read anything I say: I'm not suggesting you "push" your son, I'm making suggestions to how you can "help" your son.

I would buy a stop watch and help him establish a workout. I would monitor his speed progress at least once a weekly and document that progress and share that with him. "A goal without a plan is a dream". I think I had that pasted on the wall beside my son's soft toss machine.

I would determine now what position he is going to showcase at and focus on that position. While he can showcase at two positions, he needs to determine his primary position before he starts trying to showcase. Develop specific drills for that position -- For instance if it's the outfield then the mechanics of the crow hop greatly impacts the velocity of the throw from the outfield.

Arm strength: Always important. Again develop a specific program. Long toss is by far the most popular. Establish the # of throws, the distances etc. At 78 mph it looks good but improvements are great.

His batting: Plate discipline is a plus in a game situation but doesn't garner attention at a showcase. I would spend the showcase money on private hitting lessons. Develop proper mechanics and then he should POUND the ball daily with either soft toss or "T" drills. Set up a net. If your son wants to be the best he can be ---- and he doesn't have callouses on his hands ---- he needs do more.

Remember it's not really about showcasing, it's about being the best you can be. Showcasing allows you to display what you have.
Fungo

The reason I sent son to first showcase was for him to see how he compared with other players his age and to see what he needed to work on. He was a junior.

Why don't you just wait until you recieve information on how he did at his first showcase? Then he can begin working on what needs to be improved. Your son is young for a sophmore, he may need some more time to mature physically.

You told us how you thought he did, how does he think that he did? How did he do in relation to those that also attended. That's very important.

You may not have much college coach representation in May, coaches are still playing their season or just finishing up. I might concentrate more on finding a good summer travel team here in Florida to play with, and possibly one that will be attending the Jupiter tourney in October, which will be your son's junior year.

You live in Florida, there is so much going on, particularly in the fall that will give him good exposure. Great instructors here too, not sure which part of the state you are from. Also, the college camps are very good, may I suggest UF?

As Fungo suggests, I would work on the skills that he may need to work on before you make this decision.

My son did a PG showcase the summer after sophomore year and considered doing another one just 6 months later. A PG staff member actually advised against doing one so soon since our son was a late bloomer physically-speaking and needed time to fill out. If your son is a sophomore, you might want to wait until summer after his junior year to do another one. By then, you will know if his skills have improved enough to warrant doing another showcase.