My nephew was just invited to play in this tournament in AZ. He's a high school sophomore in OK. I know it's a money maker for the Baseball Factory but I wanted to hear what some of the posters here have to say about the experience.
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Here we go again 
Questions like this tend to torque off the old-timers, just a FYI. 
Click "Find", type in Baseball Factory and click Go. You'll find all you need relating to that subject. Enjoy.
Doug
Click "Find", type in Baseball Factory and click Go. You'll find all you need relating to that subject. Enjoy.
Doug
Sorry old timers. I realized I should have searched after I hit submit on the new thread. The search results did give me a good idea. All of our experience with my son has been with PG. You can lock this thread if need be unless anyone has more recent experiences they'd like to share. Most of the comments I found were from 2008.
Regardless of ticking off the Old Timers, it's still good to hear some new info. Most of the Old Timers have not gone to the events, I've noticed. Plus things change over time. It's not like BF is a static organization, so I'm not sure that reading a two year old post is as helpful as some think.
My son went the BF route starting in June. Made Team One South, went to the Arizona Trip. Was invited to but declined the Sr. Fall Classic and is also invited to the preseason All-American Tourney. He also played with a nationally ranked team at U17 WWBA at East Cobb, Impact World Championships at UNC and another major Tourney at Clemson. All were the "big Three" Summer tourney's on the East Coast. Finally, he played on a Prospects team here in our State this fall. So I feel we've gotten a fairly solid feel for what works and doesn't work for an undiscovered player.
Based on our experience, I would say that hands down, PG is the best over BF. However, BF is not nearly as bad as folks have made it out to be on the many, many posts I've read. BF's ranking and video and player page got him noticed by the Pro Scout's who ran his summer team. If not for BF, he wouldn't have been noticed. Many of the national teams pull from BF and PG's ratings. And ultimately, playing on the nationally ranked teams gets you far more exposure than a PG or BF showcase will.
BF also got him recognized and invited by PG to several showcases. So if your son is already noticed by the right organizations, no need for BF at all. Save your money and look elsewhere. If he's not been noticed yet then the All-American tourney may be a good place to go.
That said, AZ was waaaay too much money. Would've done much better just staying and playing with the summer team that found him. That team's coaches and pedigree has done much more for him than the AZ Tourney did. I do regret spending the money on the AZ trip, but then $$ is an issue for us.
On the other hand, he had an absolute blast there. Loved the staff and the experience. Said they had many good players there and a few not so good ones. The experience really helped grow him. Team One South did not deliver nearly the promised scouts. Not that it mattered as he laid an egg the second and third day. . .that's showcase life for you. However the BF stuff did help pad the resume and their eval was pretty much the same one that has been given by several other scouts, and colleges.
I will say, looking at the site the Pre-season All American didn't seem to draw many scouts last year, so I'm not sure it has much value for seniors. Besides we now have the invite as proof so we can put it on the resume and save our money!! If they want more draw, they need to move it to Florida.
Once the resume is built, far and away the best thing we did was to go with Student Athlete Showcase. Their service is head and shoulders above BF's for the same price. Of course they deal with college athletes of all sports and both sexes so they are a much bigger organization.
They put everything into one neat package, targeted the schools based on his ability, academics and region of the country and got his info out there. They did all the leg work for the same price BF gave "advice." Since we've gone with them, we've really gotten a lot of interest (far more in the first week than we had in several months doing it on our own) and at this point, too many college visit invites to know what to do with. But again they can only work with what is given to them, they just help publicize what a player is, not what he wishes he is. And they do a great job.
Hope that helps. Probably a lot more than you wanted to know.
My son went the BF route starting in June. Made Team One South, went to the Arizona Trip. Was invited to but declined the Sr. Fall Classic and is also invited to the preseason All-American Tourney. He also played with a nationally ranked team at U17 WWBA at East Cobb, Impact World Championships at UNC and another major Tourney at Clemson. All were the "big Three" Summer tourney's on the East Coast. Finally, he played on a Prospects team here in our State this fall. So I feel we've gotten a fairly solid feel for what works and doesn't work for an undiscovered player.
Based on our experience, I would say that hands down, PG is the best over BF. However, BF is not nearly as bad as folks have made it out to be on the many, many posts I've read. BF's ranking and video and player page got him noticed by the Pro Scout's who ran his summer team. If not for BF, he wouldn't have been noticed. Many of the national teams pull from BF and PG's ratings. And ultimately, playing on the nationally ranked teams gets you far more exposure than a PG or BF showcase will.
BF also got him recognized and invited by PG to several showcases. So if your son is already noticed by the right organizations, no need for BF at all. Save your money and look elsewhere. If he's not been noticed yet then the All-American tourney may be a good place to go.
That said, AZ was waaaay too much money. Would've done much better just staying and playing with the summer team that found him. That team's coaches and pedigree has done much more for him than the AZ Tourney did. I do regret spending the money on the AZ trip, but then $$ is an issue for us.
On the other hand, he had an absolute blast there. Loved the staff and the experience. Said they had many good players there and a few not so good ones. The experience really helped grow him. Team One South did not deliver nearly the promised scouts. Not that it mattered as he laid an egg the second and third day. . .that's showcase life for you. However the BF stuff did help pad the resume and their eval was pretty much the same one that has been given by several other scouts, and colleges.
I will say, looking at the site the Pre-season All American didn't seem to draw many scouts last year, so I'm not sure it has much value for seniors. Besides we now have the invite as proof so we can put it on the resume and save our money!! If they want more draw, they need to move it to Florida.
Once the resume is built, far and away the best thing we did was to go with Student Athlete Showcase. Their service is head and shoulders above BF's for the same price. Of course they deal with college athletes of all sports and both sexes so they are a much bigger organization.
They put everything into one neat package, targeted the schools based on his ability, academics and region of the country and got his info out there. They did all the leg work for the same price BF gave "advice." Since we've gone with them, we've really gotten a lot of interest (far more in the first week than we had in several months doing it on our own) and at this point, too many college visit invites to know what to do with. But again they can only work with what is given to them, they just help publicize what a player is, not what he wishes he is. And they do a great job.
Hope that helps. Probably a lot more than you wanted to know.
Great reply, Jones fan, that's exactly the kind of info the OP was looking for. My son got that BF Underarmour invite last year as well as a week ago, and I made the same mistake posting a question about it a year ago. Got a similar response, I might add. I agree, things change, a fresh take is a good thing.
I will add, all the old responses I dug had a similar tone, probably too pricey, but very well ran and the people involved were first class. Most all reported enjoying the experience. My 2010 is already committed, but am half-way considering attending as a last hurrah fun trip before college. Financial reality will probably intervene, unfortunately.
I will add, all the old responses I dug had a similar tone, probably too pricey, but very well ran and the people involved were first class. Most all reported enjoying the experience. My 2010 is already committed, but am half-way considering attending as a last hurrah fun trip before college. Financial reality will probably intervene, unfortunately.
Thanks guys. I just discovered that a guy I know had a son go last year. He said his son had a blast and had several pro scouts talk to his son afterwards. He said he and his son looked at the experience as a short vacation that they were able to spend some quality time together. My nephew is a sophomore, so for him, it may be a good first experience. I told my brother he definitely needs to get him to a PG event next year though.
NCMtnBBDad... Did your nephew decide to go to the tournament?
I almost hestitate to add to this but my 2010 son also has been "selected" to the Under Armour Pre-Season Team. Invited to the tournament in AZ in January. Just how many kids are selected for this?
As much as I hate to start trouble here but I have always felt this was a way to buy your son All American status. All the players I know that went earned the same title yet were at much different talent levels.This is what used to be the Puma camp,correct?
This is just my opinion, but is an opinion developed over years of travel ball and showcases. I'm not a fan of the stuff that Baseball Factory does, as it seems the primary criteria to be selected is the ability to PAY, rather than the ability to PLAY.
I've watched quite a few games involving Baseball Factory teams, and my teams have played them on a few occasions. I've never regarded any of their teams to be among those that are truly competitive. They take kids from all over, whoever can pay the freight, and throw them together and go play.
I also don't like the fact that one of their coaches walked right into my dugout in the middle of a game one time to ask players for their names and contact information. You've never seen anyone thrown out of a dugout so fast in your life!
I've watched quite a few games involving Baseball Factory teams, and my teams have played them on a few occasions. I've never regarded any of their teams to be among those that are truly competitive. They take kids from all over, whoever can pay the freight, and throw them together and go play.
I also don't like the fact that one of their coaches walked right into my dugout in the middle of a game one time to ask players for their names and contact information. You've never seen anyone thrown out of a dugout so fast in your life!
quote:
Originally posted by 06catcherdad:
I also don't like the fact that one of their coaches walked right into my dugout in the middle of a game one time to ask players for their names and contact information. You've never seen anyone thrown out of a dugout so fast in your life!
06catcherdad, I'm most certain that it took all the fortitude you could muster to not go off on this nut. I can't even imagine the gall that this coach had to pull such a stunt. That is despicable in my books and is the lowest stunt I've ever heard a coach pull.
I know some of the folks think that we're getting an attitude when bringing up a subject that has been hashed on here in the past but it's not that. It's simply we are trying to throw up a "red flag" to them to be aware of things we've seen or been through that are money making schemes.
Jones fan, you said that some Old timers had not been to the events "you noticed". How may I ask did you notice? There are a myriad of examples on here of people who went and then felt it was a waste of money. It's as simple as that. 06catcherdad said it best in his post above "it seems the primary criteria to be selected is the ability to PAY, rather than the ability to PLAY."
No one as ever said that kids who go to any BF events are not talented and don't belong there. It's the kids and parents that who DO pay and attend that really have no business going with hopes of furthering their kids chances. Yes, you and I both know who I am talking about. We've all seen those kids before and to be honest, I feel sorry for them to a degree. These kids most likely either won't or don't play for their respective high schools. And these kids DO exist, even today. We just had a kid have his NLI "debut" in the local paper that is walking on to a D2 program next year as a catcher. He has NEVER, EVER played 1 day of high school ball. How did he make it? Let's just say that dad is a big financial contributor of the program and I'll leave it at that.
Anyways, if a parent has the money and simply wants to spend quality time with their son then I'm all for that but be realistic with your son about his chances. That's all I'm saying.
quote:Originally posted by Homerun04:
Here we go again
If it torgues off old timers they don't have to read the thread. Some of us do try to search first. Sometimes we just don't type in the search term that yields the results. Not all of us are lazy. In addition when the search requires Boolean search it doesn't always yield the right results.
David, no worries at all. There are plenty of us who realize that lots of new people haven't participated in these topics in the past and are willing to share what we know or think.
Younggun, I left out the best part of that comment about the BBF coach coming into my dugout. It was in the middle of a game where we were playing each other. And yes, we were kicking their butts.
Younggun, I left out the best part of that comment about the BBF coach coming into my dugout. It was in the middle of a game where we were playing each other. And yes, we were kicking their butts.
quote:Once the resume is built, far and away the best thing we did was to go with Student Athlete Showcase. Their service is head and shoulders above BF's for the same price. Of course they deal with college athletes of all sports and both sexes so they are a much bigger organization.
They put everything into one neat package, targeted the schools based on his ability, academics and region of the country and got his info out there.
Please where do we find student athlete showcase, tried but could not find it. Thanks.
