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To start with, I am a parent of a 2010 player who played travel ball this past summer. A little history. Played on college campuses this summer and at WWBA. (team held its own at this event) Not the stud on team, but played alot and did very well. Varsity since freshman year in HS. He may not want to go farther than 6-8 hours from home (Midwest) to attend college. Still having trouble deciding on this. Have done 1 PG (rated 8) and 1 TPX event last year, a few college camps and 2 Jr. days He and I have followed the recruiting timeline to a "T". He has not called any coaches thus far. He has received TC's from a few schools.(D1 thru Juco). May be intersted in some of them. Going on unofficial today.

Here are our questions: Should he go to Jupiter & Arizona? (has been invited with summer team.) Are there only coaches there only from the coasts? Coach tells us schools have just started or are just beginning to look at position players. "They needed to get pitching in place first." What is the approx. cost?/ 2ndly, what are the benefits of just showcasing this fall, instead of playing fall ball. We, are confused about it all to say the least.(and so are other parents and players).

And last, How serious should he take a TC or personal email to invite him to camp. " this is a great way to evaluate skills" (even though he has been to these their camp last winter.) Only have so much $$.

With that said, I have to say that this site is a lifeline for much information and I have really appreciated all the help so far. Please chime in for all of those who have been through this process before. I know this is alot, but its an anxious time for all,ie: players, coaches and parents.

Thank you so much. I really feel other rookies will gain knowledge too regarding these matters.
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We were in a very similar position last year!

Jupiter is the place to be.
We went last year and it was amazing.
Hundreds of scouts from all over the country,including several D-1's from the Midwest.

Many schools have wrapped up their Fall practices by then, and the Jupiter trip usually is right before signing date, which makes it an ideal time for Coaches to attend.

I would recommend that you email several schools of interest and let them know you will be there.

Some schools will reply with a recruit info form
while others have them on their website. Fill them out and submit ASAP.
As soon as the schedule is posted, which is usually only a few days before event, email them again with your team's schedule.

Regarding the Fall, that's a tough call?
Our Fall team played in Showcase tourneys at several colleges, and there were scouts from several other schools attending.

In the Midwest, PastTime has some good Fall tournaments as does Diamond Sports, and of course PG has the Kernels event, which is tremendous.

Same deal. Call or email the Coaches that you know or think will be attending, and let them know your Son will be there! I would contact every school within 200 miles of the event. We had one Coach drive an hour and a half to a Showcase that he didn't plan on attending. Guess what? That was the school he ended up at!

I think you're better off on a team, rather than individual showcasing. There is a chemistry that develops that I feel positively affects a kid's performance, versus meeting new kids every time and trying to fit in AND showcase your ability. Plus, on a team, you will probably have a set position, whereas at a showcase, you may be asked to fill-in somewhere or play out of position?

In terms of cost:

Depending on what your team charges, you can probably do Jupiter for you and your Son for around $1500-$2000?
Airfare-$300-700, Rental Car-$400, Hotel-$800, Food, etc-??

These are estimated, but you can share a car with another kid maybe, and airfare deals are pretty good right now!
You might look into renting a house for the week with 1 or 2 others? Some of our group did that and they saved money and had a great place!

The other thing is Fall Camps at specific schools of interest. This a great avenue! They're usually around $100-$150 and you build in a campus visit and get a feel for the school while in session and a feel for the Coaching staff. We did one at the school my Son is going to and we took in a basketball game, and had a great time!

My Son was recruited by, visited, and/or had contact with several Midwest and Mid-South schools and I would be happy to share our specific experiences with you. Just PM me with any questions.

BTW, where in the Midwest?
We have probably played against you?
My Son played for the ST Louis Pirates 18U.

Enjoy the Journey!
Last edited by gitnby
Ok, I will kick in my $.02. I agree with gitnby.

If you can afford Jupiter and AZ, by all means go. Jupiter is loaded with teams and scouts, both college and pro - and mostly non-west coast schools. AZ at the Sr session seemed less so to us than the Jr session, but there were still colleges attending - from all over. By October, many D1s seemed to be finishing up their recruting for the Sr class, but that does not mean that there won't be plenty of coaches to look at your son. And besides, these are prestigious events and not everyone gets the chance to go to them. What your son has accomplished sounds to me like he is on the right path.

If by "TC" you mean "telephone call", then to me, that means there is a high level of interest from the coach. I did not get the sense that they would waste their valuable time calling a player that they were not serious about. If your son has interest in these schools, by all means, he should return the call and talk with the coaches. Now is the time for him to start being proactive in his responses to the coaches, and not wait for them to call again.

Other than these two October events you mention, if your son has TC interest from colleges, and if he is interested in those colleges, it seems like he might have plenty to chose from. Perhaps attend a camp (or another camp) at college in which he has interest. And hopefully he will like them and they him even more.

But then again, advice is worth what you pay for it...and this is only MHO.

Best of luck to you!

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