...driving in my car this morning and I swear, for some reason, started singing that dumb song... "Ding, Dong, the w... "
It's bad enough I'm a terrible singer. For a second, I'm thinking "where did that come from?"
What's that commercial? "Wanna get away?"
joemktg posted:Chicago643 posted:Look, can we just address the elephant in the room? PG has as many people who doesn't like the business model, or the monetizing of the college baseball recruiting process as those who feel your kids are where they are because of PG.
Show me the data.
I will be the first to admit that I am not all in 100% on some points in the business model. But I also admit that my son greatly benefited from Jupiter WWBA and a few showcases.
He landed up at Clemson because of being seen at a tournament. Not the only factor but he was seen and that is the idea, correct? PG played a role and that's what counts. Frustration comes when things dont work out, and that's not helping anyone. I suggest to anyone, regardless of the business, take your frustration out on the phone, to an email. It's what's fair for everyone.
We all know that Jerry Ford is the benefactor to this site. I have made a personal appeal to him regarding badly needed updates and changes to our site, over the phone as I felt that was the proper avenue to take.
I hope that he is reading.
cabbagedad posted:...driving in my car this morning and I swear, for some reason, started singing that dumb song... "Ding, Dong, the w... "
It's bad enough I'm a terrible singer. For a second, I'm thinking "where did that come from?"
What's that commercial? "Wanna get away?"
Well...at least you're not that guy driving the ball hopper cart at the driving range with people hitting the balls at you. My son loves that commercial. LOL.
I’m gonna step in here and give my 2 cents which I am usually very careful to do on this board. PG is certainly not the only way to learn about and participate in the college recruiting process but I will say this. Son has been excited to perform in PG tournaments because we know in most cases he will be facing top notch competition. He has been given feedback via trackman that has taught us a lot about his delivery, strengths and weaknesses in pitches we wouldn’t have gotten for free any where else. He has NOT been to a PG showcase only tournaments, and he has verbally committed to an outstanding D1 program during his sophomore year. Those same coaches were able to monitor him and see him pitch twice last summer at PG events in Lake Pointe and Ft Myers against strong competition hopefully reinforcing their decision to offer him that young as a good decision. None of that cost me any more than being in any other travel event we have been in. As son enters his junior year we decided in this his final summer travel season we could only do a couple things beyond his normal summer team schedule and the first thing out of his mouth was he wanted to do the National Showcase at the Trop if invited. Because of that, and the fact that he just happened to receive the invite 4 days later, dad has agreed to take him and pay for his first showcase as a reward for his hard work. So in my world PG has provided my son the chance to be seen, the opportunity to show his skill set against the best competition, receive feedback via electronic data and from his potential college coaches, and also give him confidence in himself, and an avenue for reward from dad, all at no cost to me to this point. I also have received feedback from Jerry in a PM within 24 hours of asking a question about my son last October. For those of you who want to drive him away from this website, go find your own place to provide your noise!
I think where these waters get muddy is when we mix in Jerry with PG and the industry. No doubt, from everything I have seen, Jerry Ford is a stand up guy with a big heart. On the flip side, the industry as a whole has monetized a kids dream. For better or worse Jerry is the founder of the industry leader Perfect Game. Absolutely having the founder available for feed back has value. Yes, the 1%er's all love the industry. The industry was made for the 1%er's. BUT, the industry wouldn't be what it is today without all the 99%er's.
Being a parent is hard. Probably why being a parent is so darn rewarding. The industry creates a lot of stress on the parent of 99%er's. Parents want to provide every opportunity for their kid to succeed. The common theme to be the best you have to play the best. To support this costs BIG dollars. Many times dollars families can't afford or at least stretch the budget. Parents will do everything they can to help support their son's dreams. Many times it's easier to pay the freight than tell your son he is only average and it doesn't make sense to spend the money to travel across the country. Again that's on the parent, but the industry put the parent in that position. In the past the game made it obvious when it was time to hang them up.
I know in the end that what event, tournament, showcase, coach, travel team my son plays has very little to do with when my son will no longer be asked to play.
2019Lefty21 posted:I’m gonna step in here and give my 2 cents which I am usually very careful to do on this board. PG is certainly not the only way to learn about and participate in the college recruiting process but I will say this. Son has been excited to perform in PG tournaments because we know in most cases he will be facing top notch competition. He has been given feedback via trackman that has taught us a lot about his delivery, strengths and weaknesses in pitches we wouldn’t have gotten for free any where else. He has NOT been to a PG showcase only tournaments, and he has verbally committed to an outstanding D1 program during his sophomore year. Those same coaches were able to monitor him and see him pitch twice last summer at PG events in Lake Pointe and Ft Myers against strong competition hopefully reinforcing their decision to offer him that young as a good decision. None of that cost me any more than being in any other travel event we have been in. As son enters his junior year we decided in this his final high school season we could only do a couple things beyond his normal summer team schedule and the first thing out of his mouth was he wanted to do the National Showcase at the Trop if invited. Because of that, and the fact that he just happened to receive the invite 4 days later, dad has agreed to take him and pay for his first showcase as a reward for his hard work. So in my world PG has provided my son the chance to be seen, the opportunity to show his skill set against the best competition, receive feedback via electronic data and from his potential college coaches, and also give him confidence in himself, and an avenue for reward from dad, all at no cost to me to this point. I also have received feedback from Jerry in a PM within 24 hours of asking a question about my son last October. For those of you who want to drive him away from this website, go find your own place to provide your noise!
No question the PG model works for the guys like your kid. They are the top % of players destined for D1. But what does it do for the average HS kid who'll end up at the local D3 college less than an hour from his house? Sure the competition, travel, team stories and life experience will all count for something. But I know several players/families that have spent thousands traveling the country only to go to a small school in their back yard. I also know a few that never left the "neighborhood" and ended up at the same place.
I don't understand the disdain or criticism being leveled at "monetizing" the desire to play higher level baseball. The only way to monetize something is to offer a service or product that people find valuable and will pay for. In other words, pretty much everything that exists in the private sector economy. Perfect Game is the industry leader in baseball showcases and tournaments, and not by a small margin. That means one thing for sure: their service provides value.
keewart posted:PGStaff is still around. With a couple of clicks, he last posted in November and was on this site yesterday.
Now, to get JH back on now that he has moved on out of baseball.
I saw that. I hope JH does well in new venture. RFF
Golfman25 posted:2019Lefty21 posted:I’m gonna step in here and give my 2 cents which I am usually very careful to do on this board. PG is certainly not the only way to learn about and participate in the college recruiting process but I will say this. Son has been excited to perform in PG tournaments because we know in most cases he will be facing top notch competition. He has been given feedback via trackman that has taught us a lot about his delivery, strengths and weaknesses in pitches we wouldn’t have gotten for free any where else. He has NOT been to a PG showcase only tournaments, and he has verbally committed to an outstanding D1 program during his sophomore year. Those same coaches were able to monitor him and see him pitch twice last summer at PG events in Lake Pointe and Ft Myers against strong competition hopefully reinforcing their decision to offer him that young as a good decision. None of that cost me any more than being in any other travel event we have been in. As son enters his junior year we decided in this his final high school season we could only do a couple things beyond his normal summer team schedule and the first thing out of his mouth was he wanted to do the National Showcase at the Trop if invited. Because of that, and the fact that he just happened to receive the invite 4 days later, dad has agreed to take him and pay for his first showcase as a reward for his hard work. So in my world PG has provided my son the chance to be seen, the opportunity to show his skill set against the best competition, receive feedback via electronic data and from his potential college coaches, and also give him confidence in himself, and an avenue for reward from dad, all at no cost to me to this point. I also have received feedback from Jerry in a PM within 24 hours of asking a question about my son last October. For those of you who want to drive him away from this website, go find your own place to provide your noise!
No question the PG model works for the guys like your kid. They are the top % of players destined for D1. But what does it do for the average HS kid who'll end up at the local D3 college less than an hour from his house? Sure the competition, travel, team stories and life experience will all count for something. But I know several players/families that have spent thousands traveling the country only to go to a small school in their back yard. I also know a few that never left the "neighborhood" and ended up at the same place.
My first thought then is who's fault is this? You can't suggest it is Jerry's fault. Parents have to be honest with themselves and I'd suggest that most really know the abilities of their sons but still reach for this slight chance that something bigger might come along. TB Coaches also should be held accountable. PG is offering a service. Buyer beware. Parents if you are honest with yourself, you know the level of play your son can play at. JMHO!
CoachB25 posted:Golfman25 posted:2019Lefty21 posted:I’m gonna step in here and give my 2 cents which I am usually very careful to do on this board. PG is certainly not the only way to learn about and participate in the college recruiting process but I will say this. Son has been excited to perform in PG tournaments because we know in most cases he will be facing top notch competition. He has been given feedback via trackman that has taught us a lot about his delivery, strengths and weaknesses in pitches we wouldn’t have gotten for free any where else. He has NOT been to a PG showcase only tournaments, and he has verbally committed to an outstanding D1 program during his sophomore year. Those same coaches were able to monitor him and see him pitch twice last summer at PG events in Lake Pointe and Ft Myers against strong competition hopefully reinforcing their decision to offer him that young as a good decision. None of that cost me any more than being in any other travel event we have been in. As son enters his junior year we decided in this his final high school season we could only do a couple things beyond his normal summer team schedule and the first thing out of his mouth was he wanted to do the National Showcase at the Trop if invited. Because of that, and the fact that he just happened to receive the invite 4 days later, dad has agreed to take him and pay for his first showcase as a reward for his hard work. So in my world PG has provided my son the chance to be seen, the opportunity to show his skill set against the best competition, receive feedback via electronic data and from his potential college coaches, and also give him confidence in himself, and an avenue for reward from dad, all at no cost to me to this point. I also have received feedback from Jerry in a PM within 24 hours of asking a question about my son last October. For those of you who want to drive him away from this website, go find your own place to provide your noise!
No question the PG model works for the guys like your kid. They are the top % of players destined for D1. But what does it do for the average HS kid who'll end up at the local D3 college less than an hour from his house? Sure the competition, travel, team stories and life experience will all count for something. But I know several players/families that have spent thousands traveling the country only to go to a small school in their back yard. I also know a few that never left the "neighborhood" and ended up at the same place.
My first thought then is who's fault is this? You can't suggest it is Jerry's fault. Parents have to be honest with themselves and I'd suggest that most really know the abilities of their sons but still reach for this slight chance that something bigger might come along. TB Coaches also should be held accountable. PG is offering a service. Buyer beware. Parents if you are honest with yourself, you know the level of play your son can play at. JMHO!
Yes and no. Sure the parent has to say "no, this is nuts" at some point. But the showcase organizations keep opening up more and more spots. At some point maybe they need to say less is more.
Golfman25 posted:2019Lefty21 posted:
No question the PG model works for the guys like your kid. They are the top % of players destined for D1. But what does it do for the average HS kid who'll end up at the local D3 college less than an hour from his house? Sure the competition, travel, team stories and life experience will all count for something. But I know several players/families that have spent thousands traveling the country only to go to a small school in their back yard. I also know a few that never left the "neighborhood" and ended up at the same place.
I don't know how you define average but on my sons D3 team many of the boys were all-league, all-area and what not...that is not average.
From a PG perspective I would agree many D3 kids could have ended up at the same place without PG - maybe the source of your frustration should be from the travel program that put them there or the parents who allowed them to play on a team that took that route.
From my perspective PG is a luxury company, they have a high end product and it is worth every penny to some people...the problem is the value isn't the same to everyone and those same people don't always realize it until it is purchased and used. Much the same as people who buy an exotic car and complain about the cost of repairs. They probably should have never bought the car.
I put the blame on the organizations more than PG. Organizations won’t/don’t communicate honestly with parents and players. They need them as fillers to support their D1 guys that they are focused on, who they put at the top of their lists of alumni so that they build their prestige.
D1 folks also get suckered into playing for certain programs because of past alumni and current teammates and bragging rights. Kids can showcase at any PG, PBR event with any team. Doesn’t have to be Evoshield or Team Elite. One of our past teams, whom I still love and respect as Christian brothers, had three PG all-Americans this year. They proudly put that in their alumni section as if they had something to do with it. LOL. Others do the same.
I debated as to whether of not to post anything on this topic. I dare say that having 4 that went through the recruiting , travel ball, PG events I have been to more and seen more than 99% of the parents. of course that in it's self does not make me an authority on the subject but close.
It seems the issue is with parents that really do not understand the landscape. First of all to blame Jerry for creating PG , attending his events, and then complaining that your son did not get multiple D1 offers is ridiculous. So let's drop the PG is suckering parents , that is simply not the case.
It should be required reading for every new parent to read the posts that PGStaff, TPM, and many others have posted. I my 8-9 years on this board I have had to often times learn the hard way. But what they say is true, parents just refuse to hear it. 1.) PG is not for everyone. 2) go to a school that if baseball ended prematurely for you that you can still attend and get your education. 3.) for most 95% of the players looking to play in college , have good grades. Good scores and grades will take you further than relying on a travel team coach, PG , PBR etc. 4.) Control what you can control.
Furthermore, I often wonder if not most of the time the parents are wanting this more than the student/athlete. Wow there's a term you don't hear much, student/athlete.
I ask the question, do parents really feel that attending a PG event is going to get you noticed and get an offer? PG provides the venue, they do not decide for the multitude of coaches, teams, RC's and HC's who is going to go to what game and if your player is even going to perform to the level .
If they capped the teams , then people would complain that they are elitist.
i would guess that if you asked the players that go to these events they realize the chances they get an offer is low. But there are other reasons to go. doing your best, maybe beating a Team Elite or Evoshield. In the last Jupiter tourney TE lost 2 or maybe 3 games. Being in Florida, hoping it doesn't rain. Batting against a Hankins or Rocker and busting a double on them. The experience and sharing that with your son.
Not one of my boys went to a PG showcase... we did go to PG tourney's with their travel team. Oh and my older son, he was on the OVC championship team last year , went to Florida State regional and his team beat FSU. His summer/travel team was regional to Nashville. My second son played on the same regional travel team with Kyle Wright .. surely you have heard of him. He did not play for the Canes or TE. But he had the goods, the it factor , the talent. The old saying is true, if you are good enough they will find you.
Here’s who I feel should be at major PG events ...
... The player so good any coach or scout would notice.
... The player good enough his credible and connected travel coach recommends him to college coaches and they come to watch.
Anyone else is trying to bust through a wall. It can be done. But in the big picture the numbers are few.
Teaching Elder posted:I put the blame on the organizations more than PG. Organizations won’t/don’t communicate honestly with parents and players. They need them as fillers to support their D1 guys that they are focused on, who they put at the top of their lists of alumni so that they build their prestige.
D1 folks also get suckered into playing for certain programs because of past alumni and current teammates and bragging rights. Kids can showcase at any PG, PBR event with any team. Doesn’t have to be Evoshield or Team Elite. One of our past teams, whom I still love and respect as Christian brothers, had three PG all-Americans this year. They proudly put that in their alumni section as if they had something to do with it. LOL. Others do the same.
I get your point but I think the parents should take the majority of the blame for being blind to their darling child's ability or to easily cough up $$$ to an unscrupulous travel org to play at every event that there could be a scout.
Jerry has never needed this site to gain credibility for PG.
It has always been the other way around.
His willingness to share his wisdom here has made this site more useful and credible.
I've read through the whole thread, this is the best nugget out of the bunch, and it was by Real Green "I think where these waters get muddy is when we mix in Jerry with PG and the industry."
Yes, that's where it gets muddy. Jerry Ford the person...never heard anything bad about him. PG is a business, and not even the business he intended....there are always going to be people that don't like a business for whatever reason. Starbucks charging $6 for a cup of coffee comes to mind, if it wasn't for that darn pumpkin spice latte they would never get my business....grrrrr...miss pumpkin spice lattes 
CaCO3Girl posted:I've read through the whole thread, this is the best nugget out of the bunch, and it was by Real Green "I think where these waters get muddy is when we mix in Jerry with PG and the industry."
Yes, that's where it gets muddy. Jerry Ford the person...never heard anything bad about him. PG is a business, and not even the business he intended....there are always going to be people that don't like a business for whatever reason. Starbucks charging $6 for a cup of coffee comes to mind, if it wasn't for that darn pumpkin spice latte they would never get my business....grrrrr...miss pumpkin spice lattes
I wasn’t aware you’re a racist. At least that’s what some liberal organization said of pumpkin spice coffee drinkers. Donald Trump owns some buildings that lease space to Starbucks and Dunkin. Therefore, if you drink pumpkin spice coffee you are contributing to the welfare of a racist, making you a racist.
Why the other Starbucks and Dunkin products don’t apply doesn’t make sense to me. They also pay the rent. But extremist political wackos don’t often make sense to me.
CaCO3Girl posted:I've read through the whole thread, this is the best nugget out of the bunch, and it was by Real Green "I think where these waters get muddy is when we mix in Jerry with PG and the industry."
Yes, that's where it gets muddy. Jerry Ford the person...never heard anything bad about him. PG is a business, and not even the business he intended....there are always going to be people that don't like a business for whatever reason. Starbucks charging $6 for a cup of coffee comes to mind, if it wasn't for that darn pumpkin spice latte they would never get my business....grrrrr...miss pumpkin spice lattes
Things get even muddier when we lump Jerry and PG in with Lake Point. They are separate entities. Lake Point is responsible for playing surfaces, parking fees and admissions fees to their facilities.
This has gotten ridiculous. In most cases, nobody here has a kid playing college baseball (or professional) that hasn't had some help along the line. If you did, you're a minority. So PG puts on tourneys....and it's expensive to go there....but how "expensive" is "expensive"...and what percentage of your $$$$ that you spent over the years in travel ball did PG get?
I know guys who have their kid go to a pitching coach year round....and a couple of those kids never started a meaningful game in HS....and didn't end up playing in college. How "expensive" were those lessons....and they ended up being completely worthless.
I know a kid who went to exactly ONE PG event...had an ok event....not great....BUT was seen by a coach that would have never seen him if he had played only here in Ohio.....got offered (his only offer) and ended up with a nice scholarship. How much was that one trip to a PG event worth?
My son went to the WWBA twice....once as a 14U player on a horrible team. We didn't go there for exposure....heck, my son is the only kid from that team that ended up playing in college....but he was maybe 5' and weighed 100 pounds at the time. He threw a complete game 3-hitter against one of the East Cobb teams....and still considers that game maybe his best pitching outing EVER. We used the trip as a family vacation with 2 other families ont he team...."expensive"....nah, we would have taken a vacation anyway...and the kid still talks about that game....well worth the cost
He went again as a 17U player....had a nice outing and 2 days later got a call from the RC at the school he ended up at. They saw him there....against good competition and liked him. Offered and accepted within a week. Guess what....the school is 45 minutes from our house....and up until that day at LakePoint, they had never seen him play....even though by that point he had been gettng looks by some other D1's. The coaches were at LakePoint because that's where coaches go....they can see 100's of kids in one place in a short amount of time. Makes sense to me. My son went to PG that year with the team....we couldn't make it. We probably had $300 invested in the entire trip for him....and based on the team entry fee and how many kids were on the team.....a whopping $60-70 of that amount went to PG...the rest went to hotels, team fees, food, coaching staff etc....but PG is still "expensive"??? Not from our perspective....4 years of baseball money easily covered that $70 that Jerry's company took in.....with some to spare 
It's all about perspective people....what is "expensive"....depends not on $$$ spent....but on what return you may or may not get for spending that $$$
CoachB25 posted:Golfman25 posted:2019Lefty21 posted:I’m gonna step in here and give my 2 cents which I am usually very careful to do on this board. PG is certainly not the only way to learn about and participate in the college recruiting process but I will say this. Son has been excited to perform in PG tournaments because we know in most cases he will be facing top notch competition. He has been given feedback via trackman that has taught us a lot about his delivery, strengths and weaknesses in pitches we wouldn’t have gotten for free any where else. He has NOT been to a PG showcase only tournaments, and he has verbally committed to an outstanding D1 program during his sophomore year. Those same coaches were able to monitor him and see him pitch twice last summer at PG events in Lake Pointe and Ft Myers against strong competition hopefully reinforcing their decision to offer him that young as a good decision. None of that cost me any more than being in any other travel event we have been in. As son enters his junior year we decided in this his final high school season we could only do a couple things beyond his normal summer team schedule and the first thing out of his mouth was he wanted to do the National Showcase at the Trop if invited. Because of that, and the fact that he just happened to receive the invite 4 days later, dad has agreed to take him and pay for his first showcase as a reward for his hard work. So in my world PG has provided my son the chance to be seen, the opportunity to show his skill set against the best competition, receive feedback via electronic data and from his potential college coaches, and also give him confidence in himself, and an avenue for reward from dad, all at no cost to me to this point. I also have received feedback from Jerry in a PM within 24 hours of asking a question about my son last October. For those of you who want to drive him away from this website, go find your own place to provide your noise!
No question the PG model works for the guys like your kid. They are the top % of players destined for D1. But what does it do for the average HS kid who'll end up at the local D3 college less than an hour from his house? Sure the competition, travel, team stories and life experience will all count for something. But I know several players/families that have spent thousands traveling the country only to go to a small school in their back yard. I also know a few that never left the "neighborhood" and ended up at the same place.
My first thought then is who's fault is this? You can't suggest it is Jerry's fault. Parents have to be honest with themselves and I'd suggest that most really know the abilities of their sons but still reach for this slight chance that something bigger might come along. TB Coaches also should be held accountable. PG is offering a service. Buyer beware. Parents if you are honest with yourself, you know the level of play your son can play at. JMHO!
I agree with Coach B here. One of the things that is told to almost all newcomers. Is get an unbiased opinion of your sons abilities. If that is D3 or local D2, maybe PG is not for you. We never did PG. But is was more from lack of knowledge than anything else. But he did end up at a D3 in our back yard. He was also interested in staying close to home. He did not want to go more than 4 or 5 hours away.
BishopLeftiesDad posted:He was also interested in staying close to home. He did not want to go more than 4 or 5 hours away.
I lived this, we went to Virginia several times, then Omaha (actually a great trip don't regret that at all), then GA, then the FT Myers WWBA in October...then the boy realized, even though he had the option to, he didn't want to go to a school down south...the only one he missed was Jupiter and by then to be honest neither one of us gave a damn!
all in all it was worth every dine we had a great time and if it was waste of money so be it, it was not a waste of time!
old_school posted:BishopLeftiesDad posted:He was also interested in staying close to home. He did not want to go more than 4 or 5 hours away.
I lived this, we went to Virginia several times, then Omaha (actually a great trip don't regret that at all), then GA, then the FT Myers WWBA in October...then the boy realized, even though he had the option to, he didn't want to go to a school down south...the only one he missed was Jupiter and by then to be honest neither one of us gave a damn!
all in all it was worth every dine we had a great time and if it was waste of money so be it, it was not a waste of time!
Spending quality time, with family is always worth every dime. When my son was going through it, I saw so many unhappy or stressed people. Here they were away from home in a nice location, watching their son play. And the son has an outing not up to par. Son is frustrated, and Dad is mad. Or scouts they hoped, did not show. Any number of things. Even though my son stayed close to home we still spent our share of money. I don't regret a dime we spent. Would I do some things differently? Sure, but I would never give up those summers with my son and his team mates.
RJM posted:CaCO3Girl posted:I've read through the whole thread, this is the best nugget out of the bunch, and it was by Real Green "I think where these waters get muddy is when we mix in Jerry with PG and the industry."
Yes, that's where it gets muddy. Jerry Ford the person...never heard anything bad about him. PG is a business, and not even the business he intended....there are always going to be people that don't like a business for whatever reason. Starbucks charging $6 for a cup of coffee comes to mind, if it wasn't for that darn pumpkin spice latte they would never get my business....grrrrr...miss pumpkin spice lattes
I wasn’t aware you’re a racist. At least that’s what some liberal organization said of pumpkin spice coffee drinkers. Donald Trump owns some buildings that lease space to Starbucks and Dunkin. Therefore, if you drink pumpkin spice coffee you are contributing to the welfare of a racist, making you a racist.
Why the other Starbucks and Dunkin products don’t apply doesn’t make sense to me. They also pay the rent. But extremist political wackos don’t often make sense to me.
Dude, have you tried the pumpkin spice latte? It's A-MAZE-ING.
My point wasn't to pick on the price of PG, it was to say every business has its hatters. McDonald's had a whole movie made and a new group of haters appeared. It doesn't stop my 8 year old from wanting to know what the toy is this week, or not want to play on their playground. You can love a business, like a business, be indifferent about it or loathe it until your dying breath, it's a business and no one business is made by one person...or IS that person.
Golfman25 posted:CoachB25 posted:Golfman25 posted:2019Lefty21 posted:I’m gonna step in here and give my 2 cents which I am usually very careful to do on this board. PG is certainly not the only way to learn about and participate in the college recruiting process but I will say this. Son has been excited to perform in PG tournaments because we know in most cases he will be facing top notch competition. He has been given feedback via trackman that has taught us a lot about his delivery, strengths and weaknesses in pitches we wouldn’t have gotten for free any where else. He has NOT been to a PG showcase only tournaments, and he has verbally committed to an outstanding D1 program during his sophomore year. Those same coaches were able to monitor him and see him pitch twice last summer at PG events in Lake Pointe and Ft Myers against strong competition hopefully reinforcing their decision to offer him that young as a good decision. None of that cost me any more than being in any other travel event we have been in. As son enters his junior year we decided in this his final high school season we could only do a couple things beyond his normal summer team schedule and the first thing out of his mouth was he wanted to do the National Showcase at the Trop if invited. Because of that, and the fact that he just happened to receive the invite 4 days later, dad has agreed to take him and pay for his first showcase as a reward for his hard work. So in my world PG has provided my son the chance to be seen, the opportunity to show his skill set against the best competition, receive feedback via electronic data and from his potential college coaches, and also give him confidence in himself, and an avenue for reward from dad, all at no cost to me to this point. I also have received feedback from Jerry in a PM within 24 hours of asking a question about my son last October. For those of you who want to drive him away from this website, go find your own place to provide your noise!
No question the PG model works for the guys like your kid. They are the top % of players destined for D1. But what does it do for the average HS kid who'll end up at the local D3 college less than an hour from his house? Sure the competition, travel, team stories and life experience will all count for something. But I know several players/families that have spent thousands traveling the country only to go to a small school in their back yard. I also know a few that never left the "neighborhood" and ended up at the same place.
My first thought then is who's fault is this? You can't suggest it is Jerry's fault. Parents have to be honest with themselves and I'd suggest that most really know the abilities of their sons but still reach for this slight chance that something bigger might come along. TB Coaches also should be held accountable. PG is offering a service. Buyer beware. Parents if you are honest with yourself, you know the level of play your son can play at. JMHO!
Yes and no. Sure the parent has to say "no, this is nuts" at some point. But the showcase organizations keep opening up more and more spots. At some point maybe they need to say less is more.
Of course you are right about this and, interesting enough, before I read your response, I was talking to a college coach who said the same thing. How does a parent know what is right? Now, it has progressed into a parent not knowing which sport is best for their child. My answer to this coach is that after some of the TB tournaments where you've faced quality opponents, it is my belief that a parent knows that this or that player is better or worse than their son. Then they have to factor in how many are out there. As you said, often these young men end up at a school in their area.
BishopLeftiesDad posted:old_school posted:BishopLeftiesDad posted:He was also interested in staying close to home. He did not want to go more than 4 or 5 hours away.
I lived this, we went to Virginia several times, then Omaha (actually a great trip don't regret that at all), then GA, then the FT Myers WWBA in October...then the boy realized, even though he had the option to, he didn't want to go to a school down south...the only one he missed was Jupiter and by then to be honest neither one of us gave a damn!
all in all it was worth every dine we had a great time and if it was waste of money so be it, it was not a waste of time!
Spending quality time, with family is always worth every dime. When my son was going through it, I saw so many unhappy or stressed people. Here they were away from home in a nice location, watching their son play. And the son has an outing not up to par. Son is frustrated, and Dad is mad. Or scouts they hoped, did not show. Any number of things. Even though my son stayed close to home we still spent our share of money. I don't regret a dime we spent. Would I do some things differently? Sure, but I would never give up those summers with my son and his team mates.
As you know, my daughter has finished her college career. Still, she/we seem to talk about all of these times on the road. It was mostly a Father/Daughter because my wife had to stay home to take care of the horses. Those memories are better than gold. What I have never understood is those parent who wanted to make it more than it should have been and ruined it for both their child and themselves.
