WWBA 17u and LakePoint

djacks,

 

Yes, it is frustrating. I wish every team could play there, but it is not possible until the next 4 fields are ready.  Hopefully, your team will have a make up game there or better yet make the playoffs.

We enjoyed going to the "main venue"  (the East Cobb complex at the time) when Keewartson wasn't playing to watch other friends or former teammates play.  Try to get to LakePoint if you have the time.  (also, we enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of watching games our son wasn't playing.. !)

That is surprising, I got the general impression during the 15u events my son played in that they were making it a goal to get everyone there at least once (I confess to not having done the math to see if that's really possible in a week).

 

It's not that special a venue at this point, really, beyond the novelty of the turf (and it's being essentially weather-proof). Don't get me wrong, it's light years ahead of some of the conditions you'll find on other fields you'll end up at, but my son prefers the well kept HS fields, all things being equal. Maybe it'll be more interesting once they've got more of it built out.

9 is there right now playing in the Elite round robin.  He says its really really nice.  They will be staying for the 17 WWBA as well, not sure if they are scheduled at Lakepoint for that one or not.

We have a specialty venue here that one of mine has been scheduled to play on 7, yes 7 times and has not actually ever played a game there, even in bracket finals.  Yes, it was disappointing for them at first, but he has survived and enjoyed the tournaments anyway.  Now his team pays to use it as their outdoor practice facility, so he'so there a lot!    PG, I'm sure, does the best it can to get as many schedule there as possible.  Hopefully your son will enjoy the competition and feel of the tournament no matter the field.

I really don't care so much about LakePoint vs. East Cobb vs. Other, so much as just that some of the venues are just too darned far flung. 

 

I feel like we're going to be driving an hour or more from our hotel to go to a game with an audience of a few parents and virtually no scouts, because the scouts are going to skip the distant games and catch up with us when we're more easily reachable. 

 

I just don't see how you can expect a scout to give up 2 hours out of a day just driving back and forth to a venue to see one game.  It's not going to happen.

 

If this can't be made more geographically compact, then it's just too darned big of a tourney field.  Going forward, there's going to have to be something done about how many teams are involved, so that once all the LakePoint fields are on line, teams can actually hope to play most of their games there.

2015 is playing in the WWBA 18u and in the Elite Round Robin.  Played at Lake Poin last nigt. Nice place to watch a game.  All of the RR games are at Lake Point.  ..and it's only 30 minutes from my house.   Then off to the WWBA 17u on Friday.  Looking forward to seeing some of our "ole" friends from TX.  

 

Do colleges even make it to the other fields? Our nearest field is 30 minutes away, a couple games are an hour

Scouts do make it to some of the outlying games, particularly if they want to see someone on their radar...but the bulk of scouts have always been centered at the ecb complex and now will be at LP im sure...just saying while impossible for every team to get on LP something seems wrong with some teams having 2,3 or even 4 games there while others have none.

Now that PG is running a retail venue with thousands of customers, I bet his next '10,000 posts' will happen faster that his first.

PG seems to be continually taking hits here.  This is a new complex and with any new endeavor, things need to be worked out.  Rather than taking pot shots at him here in public, why not send him a private PM and voice your concerns that way?

 

PG is one of our main technical experts who posts on this site and no doubt our main financial supporter.  He does not ask anything in return for all that.  He is a patient man but it is not unlimited.  Let things work itself out in due course.  It is my hope these type of threads will cease.  Write PG in private if you have a concern and I am sure he'll get back to you. 

As big as PG is its very hard to believe that they aren't using a software program for scheduling.Hell we use one for our town teams at lions park.There should be no reason one game for all is not happening when others are getting multiples.

I didnt want this to be another bash Perfect Game thread...  I read this site everyday....and this is a wonderful site...and PGs ontributions here are fantastic and he certainly DOES get too much grief on here...and i believe Perfect Game is first class all the way...but im gonna fight for my kids when i feel strongly about something...and this is one of those times.

First of all we do have a scheduling program.  It is difficult answering questions when I don't know which team or teams we are talking about.  I do know that when the next 4 fields are finished everyone will play at LP.  4 fields doesn't allow for that in the bigger tournaments. I also know that some teams have actually requested to not play at the complex for one reason or another.

 

That said, I really don't get involved in the actual scheduling.  however, I'm not going to throw our people under the bus.  So if anyone has concerns about scheduling please email staff@perfectgame.org

 

That email is received be several people including myself and those involved in scheduling.

 

One more thing, I have been to fields all over the area and seen some games at far away distances with well over 100 college coaches and scouts.  If there is someone they want to see they go see him.  So you could be on a team that happens to be playing in that game and get surprised.  Guys like Buxton, Frazier, Aikens, etc., draw scouts like flys. It doesn't matter where they're playing. Where the complexes are most packed with scouts is the night games. It should also be interesting to see what affect the new NCAA three coach rule has this year. In the past colleges could only send two.

 

I will be honest, there is some luck involved in the schedule.  If I were on a normal talented team, I'd want to play as many of the high profile teams as possible. But no matter what, if you're a good prospect,  it is almost impossible to play a week in the tournament without people knowing it.  

Players and coaches need to understand that college coaches are not just going to drive around Georgia taking in random games in hopes of spotting someone.

 

You have to send your schedule to coaches whom you hope will take an interest.

 

If you do that, some will show up at your games no matter where they are.

 

The concern I have is that if, e.g., you have a pitcher going who's already committed, and your field is a ways away from the LakePoint and East Cobb complex areas, then the odds of having someone show up to look at, e.g., your shortstop are not all that great.  More than likely, the interested scouts will wait until you're playing somewhere more accessible.

 

This puts us coaches in a quandary.  Do we throw an uncommitted arm, in hopes he'll draw coaches to a venue an hour's drive away?  What if no one shows up to see that uncommitted arm -- so that the idea backfires?

 

Obviously not all the games can be played at the two larger venues.  But I long for the days when a game away from the main complex meant going to Sprayberry HS, 5 minutes away.

 

As the tournament field has exploded in recent years, and the need to identify fields has grown along with that, we have experienced more games with few or even zero scouts in attendance. 

 

My main request would be that, in 2015 and beyond, the new LakePoint fields be devoted to addressing this problem, and not to expanding the tournament further.  Maybe the more far-flung fields could just be held in reserve in case you had weather from hell like last year and found yourself needing field slots to catch up.  But the thing that made this tournament what it was, was the tremendous scouting opportunity.  If this gets spread too thin, we're going to lose more and more of that, at least on a per-team or per-game basis. 

 

P.S.  A recent NCAA rules change may help -- college programs can now send as many as three coaches to scout this event, up from two in past years.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will really help.

Keep in mind that pretty much all games get write ups.  Outstanding performances will be highlighted in those writeups.  I believe PG also keeps behind the scenes notes on the players who make an impact in games and these notes are available to recruiters and scouts.  I would imagine that there are times that a recruiter has two guys he needs to see and they are both playing at the same time.  He may toss a coin and see one, then research how the other did.  Then maybe make a plan to see him later.

 

What I'm saying is, when you are playing in this tournament, go all out every game whether there are no scouts, one scout or 100 scouts.  There are more ways to be noticed than having a scout see you at one particular game.  Back when my son played at the WWBA events, I don't think he ever played at the East Cobb complex.  He still got seen and still was mentioned in some of the write ups and I'm sure that helped in the long run when his coaches were doing research on him.

BFS Jr. played in the 15u WWBA a few weeks back...his team received two games at LP, one being at night, and there were a lot of people there.  The other 5 games were at HS fields, and pretty scarce with the exception of parents watching...one of the 5 games was rained out, so we made it up at LP, so for the week, 3 of the 7 games were at LP.....LP is a great facility, most would be very pleased to play there...I know we were.  Great customer service there....and a very professional atmosphere.

 

It appears looking at the broad picture, that with so many teams allowed entry it will be almost impossible to accommodate that many teams at LP, even after the expansion is complete.  Normally the majority of the scouts will be there since they can watch over multiple fields at one time, rather than just two teams at a HS field.  I read a thread that was closed regarding the mounds...and although I do think there is a big difference in dirt mounds versus turf mounds, I could not fathom what metal spikes would do to the batters box, and turf mounds with the amount of play they will get at LP.  It is a necessary evil, and griping about it will likely not change it....it's just not practical.

 

Some good advice given in this thread, to play your best, the great performances get write-ups regardless of where you play....there are just so many teams in these events, it will always be a challenge, unless they limit sign ups....Here is an interesting fact that I read on the page where they selected the "All Tournament" team, there were 2,700 15u's with a minimum of one plate appearance.....that is a lot of players for one event!!!

We speak to coaches religiously regarding our players while down there (as well as leading up to the event).  Our nights usually don't end until the last text convo is done.  We've never had an issue on the fields or the college coaches showing up.  Running a tourney of this magnitude is unbelievable.  I applaud PG for their efforts.

There are 304 teams....it would take 152 games to get everyone a game at LakePoint...obviously that's not possible.  I guess the most glaring thing I see is that the EvoShield Canes with 22 of their 24 players committed to "big" D1's is playing 4 games at LakePoint out of their 7 pool play games.  They don't need to be in front of  the scouts...why not let some teams who don't get that kind of exposure play in front of one of the bigger groups of coaches???

Buckeye,

Actually, it's 23 of 24. Polansky is a Va Tech commit.

With that being said, I'm pretty sure the tourney locations and matchups are done via a software (ie randomly)

Buckeye,

You are 100% correct on this, Our team will be playing on high school fields for the week... seven games of pool play...and One game  at East Cobb Complex..looking forward to Atlanta. we are small single 'A' compare to Canes who could be 'AAA' or quad' AAAA' team.. who goes and who doesnt go to play at the BIG House???

 

 Hey last week we played at Vanderbilt and even met some players..took a few photos etc.

enjoy your week and 4th.. WOO HOO!

 

With 6 days of pool play, 4 fields at LakePoint, and 7 games per day on those fields (that appears to be what they have scheduled), you get 168 possible pool games at LakePoint.  If getting every team to LakePoint is a priority, it is possible to get at least 1 game for 304 teams there, though certainly very difficult.  I don't think there is any doubt more coaches are likely to see players at LakePoint, I also don't think anyone should count on being randomly discovered by a coach who just happens to see you at the right time.  You need to let the coaches know when/where you will be playing so that interested coaches come to see you.  LakePoint makes it convenient, but players need to take advantage of all their opportunities.

We were at a field way down south today, did not see a single college down there.  Kind of a waste for any of the boys from a scouting perspective.  Yesterday we were at a field much closer to Lake Point, had 10-12 colleges there.  I have no seen radar guns from Perfect Game though at either game.

1) College coaches go where they know there are players so I would suggest your coach get on the phone. 

2) There were 30+ coaches/scouts at our game. 

3) PG had a radar gun at our games.

Back when my son played WWBA events the rule of thumb was if you were good enough to be seen by Colleges then you most likely would see some at the game. If not, then son nor anyone else was on their radar list. Easy as pie. I figured that was still true today.

 

 

It's easier for scouts to watch at Lakepoint or east cobb where 4 teams r playing at once. That 8 teams total to see versus just two at game at HS
They rotate quickly several times in those few hrs they r there

Wish more places would turn on scoreboards
Lakepoint and only one at East Cobb is all I've seen

My update from WWBA, played games yesterday and today at Cambridge HS.Alphretta.

Saw just a few college scouts there..

I think they came out to watch a kid from one team then another..

with radar guns in their hands I dont think they were here to look at a 2nd baseman.

But I think if you win or lose and show a great game as a player you could get a look.

Maybe then the attention could turn to yourself making a great play or having a great at bat. ?

Tomorrow we play at Legion Field here in Alphretta, Ga. then Monday  over to play

at East Cobb... I hope that field at East cobb will have more college scouts there.

Like all the other teams we have top of the line players but they could get lost in the soup if a scout doesnt have a team interest or player of interest on the radar.

 

Joe

Also to add, we dont play at the new PG fields the year, so since my wife and I paid the  $55.00 each for the gate fee to watch our son and his team play this week.

 We will go up to the new PG fields just to look around and maybe watch a game or two.

and a few stud players.. (oh wait thats right my son isnt playing there)....ha ha ha

just to say we have been to the 'Field of Dreams'

and you know I am going to buy a t- shirt and hat...ha ha ha

 

 All in all we are having a great time here enjoying the time we have as a family traveling and see some great baseball...we even went to a braves game on Friday..

 

 

good night,

Joe

For some reason, I get a sense that some people are losing sight of this. A coach is not going to show up at a field and hope to be able to randomly identify talent. That is a very inefficient way of evaluating and recruiting. Coaches have a pre-made idea of the talent they're searching for, the talent available, and where the talent is. Quite frankly, if you want a specific coach to come watch you play, you need to let him know when and where you're playing. Sitting back and expecting to get attention just because you're at an event won't benefit you in the long run.

 

Sorry if that sounds harsh, I've come across a lot of people who aren't proactive for themselves and then complain about not receiving what they feel they "deserve." I'm not saying anyone is doing that here, but it certainly exists. Be proactive. Coaches will come where the talent is, regardless if it's at a multi-million dollar turf facility or a high school in rural Georgia. The only reason the process may be "unfair" is perception. Beat the perception by doing what is best for you, not complaining about it.

 

 

 

http://www.semissourian.com/story/2096416.html

Josh great post because it's the truth.

       
       


Wow. My son had played in around 40 PG games and 2 showcases and I NEVER saw a game where there wasn't a PG guy there keeping score and running a radar gun. I'm very surprised at that.

To back Josh's post at my son's team's two games we have had about 10-15 college coaches at both of our games.  Teams #1 threw the first game and all of the schools that he has been in touch with and have shown interest were there to see him throw.

 

My son is the team's closer this week.  A school that he has talked to previously and there is mutual interest was there just hoping he would pitch and he did.  While there I know this school asked our coaches about our SS based on what they saw that day.  They had never seen him before yesterday.  They had a coach at our game today as well.

 

The process works if your son is proactive about reaching out and targets realistic schools. They will come out and see kids play who they think can possibly play for them.   BTW we were nowhere near LP for either game.

Suds,

 

I assure you that there was one of our scouts taking notes on players and we had a radar gun on every pitch.  If not, someone is in deep dodo!!!  

 

We can't do accurate pitcher reports without a radar gun. Was your game scored on Game Changer?

My son is playing right now....and there are 40-50 coaches there...and they aren't at EC or Lakepoint.  It's against a good team...and our starting pitcher has a lot of interest, but you don't have to be at EC or LP to see coaches.   Yesterday we played at a field 30+ miles from town and had a few coaches, including one that my son had talked to earlier in the week who told him he would have someone there to watch.  Agree, that if you're going there hoping to "be discovered" it's not likely to happen...you need to have contacted coaches ahead of time and let them know where/when you're playing

I cannot speak for your game as I was not there. However my previous experience has shown that every game of every event we were at, had at least one PG employee taking notes on kids, and a Stalker radar gun going as well. Could wires have gotten crossed, as in a car breakdown to a distant field or something like that? Possibly, but based on my previous experience, it is more likely the personnel was there, not just as visible as is normally the case.

 

The bottom line is that PG tourneys/showcases offer some of the greatest exposure possible for your son. Not every game will have 30+ scouts, but the numbers of scouts at PG events on any given day far exceed other showcase type of events.

 

PS - One other thing I forgot to mention. The "scouts" that attend some other companies showcase events are a mixed bag. Some will have what I term as "non decision makers" that will attend. That is not to say if your kid is a stud they will not be on the phone to the HC and/or recruiting coordinator, because most of them presumably can spot talent. However at PG events you have the coaches who are decision makers and listed on the colleges websites as the HC/RC's. That can make a big difference if your kid does not play at a bunch of events.

 

Good luck to your son, and take comfort knowing he is at one of the best events to get exposure.

One thing you have to remember that this isn't a showcase, it's a tournament. If you want to be seen, keep winning and you'll be seen. 

 

My son played this morning at 8:30am.  Not at EC or LakePoint.  Played a good team...and our starting pitcher has had a lot of interest.  50+ coaches at the game.  We played yesterday one of the fields furthest from town. My son had a coach who had said he wanted to see him come all the way out there.  You can't expect coaches to just show up....if you're interested in a school...and haven't had some kind of contact with them by now (for 2015's), they're likely not looking at you.  Sure a huge game in front of a bunch of scouts can easily get you some serious interest...but to expect 50+ coaches to show up at a random game is unrealistic considering the amount of games going on at any one time.