Younger kids at college showcases/camps

Good question.

I suppose it depends on turnout.  If the 7th to average 9th grader is taking up a spot that an upperclassman would fill, and the event is sold out, probably not so great.  But if the event isn't sold out I would imagine they appreciate the $$$$

My son will be a 9th grader in the fall.  We aren't having him Showcase until there is something to showcase.   Definitely looking into instructional camps for a year from now though, and we'll see where his development, growth & measureables are at in 11-12 months from now as far as showcasing goes.

He wants to attend Showcases yesterday.   He thinks it'll be fun and wants the experience, especially getting into the batters box vs more advanced pitchers.   Patience, grasshopper.

I've been told, and support the position, that the top 10% of recruits are so good or projectable that they almost don't need to go to showcases (because they are already getting on coaches' radar), the bottom 10% really don't belong and unless something changes radically in a short period of time, they are straight-up wasting money. The other 80% are in a somewhat stratified lump and need to distinguish themselves at the camp and other routes. And the odds that a 7th to 9th grader will be in that top 10% are really, really small. And the odds they appear to be in the bottom 10% are pretty darn good. So why waste the money?

And camps get expensive unless they are "day-trippable." I sent my son to a very local D1 camp to see how it was run, level of competition, etc. Everything after that was highly targeted.