What showcase to Start with?

Unless you're the top shelf stud everybody wants don't think showcases. List the colleges you might want to have see you then figure out the least expensive way to get in front of them.

Where my son played high school ball, had he wanted to play local he could have got in front of 50-75 programs in one local showcase and two individual college prospect camps for $500 without leaving town.

If money is an issue go earn some money. The walls weren't put here to keep you out. They're there to prove to yourself how badly you want it.

Like that advice. I'm working full time, and going to school right now. I'm not sitting around moping about not having money, I'm saying that I don't have money to throw at things that aren't unnecessary.
Thanks for your advice

Alex, what position do you play? Showcases tend to be better for pitchers and catchers, although I assume there are some exceptions.

Sme showcases are better for DI or DIII colleges. How are your grades? The answers to these questions are part of the equation.

If you are going into your sophomore year, showcasing is not all that helpful.

My advice would be to focus on improving whatever the weakest part of your game and work hard in the classroom. Think about that list of colleges. And enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
Unless you're the top shelf stud everybody wants don't think showcases. List the colleges you might want to have see you then figure out the least expensive way to get in front of them.

Dead ON.

In my mind, its also arguable that if you are a top stud you might be better off just getting in front of a ML scout or two to earn a spot on an Area Code or Summer Rivalry Classic or Lynn Invitational. The result will be low fee (Lynn) to no fee opportunities to strut yourself. From there you will get noticed assuming your 'studliness' shines through.

If not, as RJM says, target where you want to go to school and then figure out how to get in front of THEM!

quote:

Originally posted by Alex1235464545:
Like that advice. I'm working full time, and going to school right now. I'm not sitting around moping about not having money, I'm saying that I don't have money to throw at things that aren't unnecessary.
Thanks for your advice

You have the right attitude and work ethic. The more you're personally invested the more you will want it.

I have to offer an additional opinion.

Although I agree that it is not necessary to throw tons of money at going to every showcase out there, I have heard so many stories from parents on this site whose sons were recruited because the player was first seen at a showcase.

One advantage of attending a few quality showcases is that you can get a better idea of which level you should/could pursue and contact. When you perform against other college-hopeful players at a credible showcase, that is a more realistic measuring stick for college coaches and recruiters on whether you would fit in their program.

Julie

Alex,

My two cents....Try going to some recruiting camps, tryout for some Area Code or Summer Rivalry Classic teams as RedSoxFan21 suggests. If that is not getting you the exposure you want/need....step it up a notch. Research and select the best targeted Showcase which includes most of the schools YOU are interested in. I believe this is a good use of your money to get the exposure you need.

Recruiting camps by themselves may not be the answer, and showcases by themselves may not be the answer. But, if you leverage both recruiting camps and showcases together you pretty much have your bases covered if you have specific targeted schools in mind. Use the resources at HSBBWeb to research the camps and showcases.

There is no one size fits all approach to college baseball recruiting. It is trial and error for many, so don't get discouraged if something doesn't work at first or even second. Be flexible in your approach and willing to try something different.

Recruited = skill + passion + exposure + persistence + luck.

Good luck!

My son's first college camp and showcase were this year his sophomore year.He went to the UCSD prospect camp back in November since it was close by and it was not very expensive.He was the only sophomore player in attendance.All the other players were juniors and seniors. It was a good experience for him.There was no pressure at all and he competed and had fun.

In January he went to his first real showcase. The Trosky 30 College showcase at Palomar College.Again, he was about the only sophomore at this showcase.The showcase was very well run and since he was only a sophomore, there was no pressure on him. Just went out competed and soaked up the experience. I believe it was a great first showcase to attend.

This summer my son did the Perfect Game Sunshine West Showcase,Stanford 2014 Future Stars Camp,and The 2012 San Gabriel Arsenal SoCal Cup. All three of them were great experiences and worth the dough in my opinion.Also,they were all in California so there was no need to travel too far.

My son gets bombarded by showcase and camp invites. I think he's on every mailing list there is.LOL ! I researched all of the showcases and I believe we chose the best ones for him.Also,I relied heavily on this board and the members input when researching camps and showcases.

I realize the OP is in Virginia and what I wrote is better suited for someone here in California.

Great advice from everyone, much appreciated. Sorry about the dumbness of the question, I just am new to this, and I'm going to have to do everything recruiting-wise on my own. My GPA is a 4.0, I play OF. REdsox, great advice.

Alex -

A little more information about what level of school you are targeting and your playing level may help. There are some camps/showcases in Virginia that may be a good first experience.

Nick Boothe runs one at Virginia Wesleyan College (in Virginia Beach) in the Fall (usually early November) that has both Major League scouts and college coaches. It is a bit pricey at $300 but you will get an assessment of your skill, the opportunity to talk to the scouts and coaches about what they are looking for, and some great advice about the recruiting process.

If you are looking to stay in Virginia, you may also want to try out for the Commonwealth Games next Spring. This will get you in front of a lot of in-state coaches at a low price.

By taking ownership of your own recruiting process, you are already ahead of many young men your age. Good luck!

Also the Best in Virginia Showcase is held every at Hampden-Sydney in July. You'll have time to research it for next year at http://www.vabaseballcamps.com/

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:
Also the Best in Virginia Showcase is held every at Hampden-Sydney in July. You'll have time to research it for next year at http://www.vabaseballcamps.com/

I should have mentioned BIV. My son attended after his sophmore year in high school and absolutely loved Hampden-Sydney. Which actually worked out great because the coach noticed him that Fall at the HSC camp, followed him through his Junior season, and my son will be starting college there in less than two weeks.

And what does Mom think?

Make sure you also check out the Virginia Forum on these message boards. A lot of good information there about things going on in Virginia.

Great! I did some research, and found out the cheapest ways to get in front of the schools im interested in, as RJM suggested.

Just make sure you research whatever option you chose (if it is a showcase). They might say that a lot of schools are attending, but then they send a coach who really doesn't have a say in the recruiting process (something I learned on HSBBW).

Others could probably give you better advice here but the bottom line is to research the "showcase" and who will really be there carefully.

Hello and welcome to the forum.

You have received some very good advice already.

I would add that some get caught up in the chicken vs. egg scenario. If you are not sure what level you are projecting in(not that you should limit yourself to one coaches/persons opinion), then going to a showcase and/or camp might help. Then again some of these places have predominately one division of coaches there, some specifically with only one.
So obviously if that level is not right for you, don't waste your money. That said, probably the best organization for getting out the most coaches/scouts(real decision makers) is Perfect Game. Their event in Jupiter later around October is considered the Mecca of top recruiting coaches and pro scouts. There are also other benefits to attending PG events such as getting evaluated by respected staff that will put your info on their website that coaches trust, and can easily verify. You can also receive a rating at certain events which can also help to at least get a coach interested in seeing you.

There are a few other places that are as advertised to where X amount of schools will be present, but in some cases, the coaches attending are not decision makers.

Now if you know what level you can/want to play in, it certainly makes sense to attend a camp or two at one of the schools you feel would be the best fit(i.e. academics, location, cost).

For my son, a showcase as a sophmore was just what he (and I) needed. His first showcase was the PG Underclass Main event in Ft. Myers at the end of December. We were blown away by the level of talent. He received a rating which helped him identify where he stood. This has also motivated him to work harder at his deficiencies.

It was good for him. As with most things regarding recruiting and exposure, if nothing comes from it, it will at the least give your son a great experience and memory and let him know where he stands. Good luck!

My son's first showcase was the summer after his sophomore year. He showed okay and it informed him about where he needed to be. He's a LHP so his radar gun numbers came in handy because he injured his elbow and missed almost his entire junior year (100% of his pitching year). He was still only 75% arm strength by fall of his senior year but it was pretty much his last chance to showcase. After our physician and physical therapist cleared him, he participated in two more showcases that fall (DeMarinni and an individual college camp) in the fall. These netted him offers from three DIII programs.

I think the showcase experience helped him in two ways: (1) he looked good enough to be "projectable," especially as a pitcher and (2) it gave him the confidence to return to the showcase experience 15 months later and do really well, even when he was less than full-strength.

I guess my advice is to not overdo or over-spend on showcases. Freshman year is too early. After sophomore year is okay to consider. Junior year (maybe fall but certainly summer after) is a time when the kid needs to start showing himself to college coaches. I believe strongly in showcases, but it is important to be strategic and selective in choosing them. Your son should participate when he's in good baseball shape not in the off-season. And he should pick a camp or two of his top schools and those showcases where at least a few of his targetted schools are attending.

If you have 1 tool that you are able to make stand above everyone else, it is worth it to go to a showcase, IMO. Some guys can run in the 6.7+ range, some have plus arms, some plus pop. Doing AT LEAST one of these things well warrant a visit to a showcase because it will put you on someone's radar!

Hi Alex,

Congratulations on those grades! Keep it going, that will do more for you than anything else!

Two college camps that worked out well for my son were the Wake Forest camp and the George Mason camp. Since you are in VA, those are fairly do-able.

Of the two, I think Mason had more attending, with just about every CAA team represented, plus a few outside the CAA (Georgetown, Richmond). This was late October last year so take a look at their web site to see when it is this year. Great recruiting seminar the 1st night, too.

Wake Forest camp was a fantastic experience as well. He did that one back in fall of sophomore year, and it gave him a great feel for his potential. Big motivator!

Both camps had quality instruction, very little 'down time' and both led to some decent contacts for him. And they were not budget busters.


On the academic side of things, I suggest you get a little head start on the PSAT now, so you are ready to take it in October of this year if your HS lets you. (Some don't let you take it until Junior year but an early run at it is good for strong students.)

Also consider what honors classes you are taking this year and if you should be preparing for an SAT subject test this coming spring. (math? science?) If your college plans include some highly selective colleges, you might be very happy to have one subject test out of the way this year.

Good luck, keep us posted.

quote:

Originally posted by VaRHPmom:
They might say that a lot of schools are attending, but then they send a coach who really doesn't have a say in the recruiting process (something I learned on HSBBW).

When VaRHPmom posted this the other day, I didn't have time to respond; but, I do now.

As VaRHPmom's parenthetical comment suggests, this notion of the "right coach" not attending showcases pops up from time-to-time. As I've had an opportunity to view the recruiting process more from the assistant coach's perspective the last couple of years, I thought I might share some thoughts about this (Please note that this is a Division I perspective.).

First of all, some context: At the Division I level, the NCAA allows only 3 coaches to be paid from the same university-based funding source. The third assistant (often referred to as the "volunteer assistant") has to be paid from other sources. In most cases, camp proceeds provide the lion's share of this assistant's compensation. ("Volunteer" is a misnomer. NO ONE works that hard for no compensation.)

Related to this, the NCAA only allows 3 coaches to travel to recruit. In most programs, those 3 would be the head coach and 2 assistants paid by the university. The third assistant, therefore, must confine his recruiting to on-campus visits and permitted types of communications. However, a third assistant can travel to instruct at a camp.

Knowing this leads to a couple of observations/conclusions:
(1) Virtually all coaches who attend showcases have a meaningful role in determining who is or is not considered a "recruit." They have traveled there on a tight budget to make a first-hand evaluation of the players present. They return with what they have observed and heard; and their input is vitally important.
(2) Camps that hire a number of college assistants to instruct may involve third assistants; and, sometimes, their voice may not be as influential in the determination process as the other 3 coaches. However, you should not assume that to be the case; as it is not unusual for a Head Coach to give his third assistant a full seat at the recruiting table for the purpose of discussing recruits.

Bottom line: The coach observing you almost always has an important voice in determining whether or not you're considered a "recruit."