Looking to Change Organizations...what are the right questions to ask?

riseball said:

I think the idea that you can take a group from 10/12U and keep them together through the showcase process is nonsense. Kids change in so many ways as they get older, which is why the attrition rate for 2nd year 14U is substantial. A good friend of mine has one of the best 14U teams anywhere and he had to make cuts and bring on new talent in their 2nd year. You find out at that age some kids are not cut out to play at a high level, or some not at all. My DD had to leave quite a few friends behind on her journey to realize her goals.

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fastpitch said:

That's interesting. I wonder why no one from the original org is on top showcase teams? Are they not good enough? Or is it something else?

I seem to find that after 14U players need to find a showcase/exposure team that suits their goals. I'd say its pretty rare that a young 10 or 12U team stay together through 18U without holding players back or not really showcasing them to the schools they are probably best suited for. Unless everyone on that young team wants to and has the talent to basically attend the same type/group of colleges, in my experience after 14U players/families end up needing to find the showcase/exposure team that is the best fit for their student-athlete.

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fastpitch said:

Agree. Around/after 14u somewhere is when some kids/families have to leave the team they have been with to accomplish what they need to do as far as showcasing and getting the opportunity to play in college.

The scenario I most commonly see are good dad/mom coaches through 10/12/14 who have been somewhat successful with the team, are happy and all close friends try to hit the showcase circuit. That is where they usually have little or no clue what to do. In that scenario as well meaning as they probably are, they usually end up doing a disservice to those kids/families who feel they need to be "loyal" and stay who might want to reach a little "higher" for lack of a better term.

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AngelsFan01 said:

Just to make sure I understand...when you say that the org has showcase teams, are you referring to the teams that get the single invite from showcases where they only invite one team per org? In our org we have an ungodly amount of 14u and 16u teams, and one of the 16u teams calls itself the "premier" team that will get represent our org at an invite-only showcase like that. Otherwise, though, all of the other 16u teams can go to as many showcases as they want. Our coach still calls our team a showcase team, regardless of who the designated "premier" team is. This Fall, we are expecting to be in five showcases. I guess around here it's what you make of your team...and the contacts that you and your players are making with colleges to get them to come to your games.

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abbygale said:

I'm still a little lost. Are these showcase teams made up of girls whose regular day job is to play for a team within the organization until specific showcases come up, or is the showcase team it's own team with tryouts and whatnot just like any other team. I'm unclear what actually differentiates the teams and gives them the showcase designation.

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