Thread: college elite camps

so..my daughter is going into her sophomore year and received an invite to a d2 camp. she hasn't made a list of schools yet and she went to a college prep tourney and this coach saw her pitch there and contacted her tb coach. this school is relatively close 4hrs away. my question(s) is what do i expect from this camp? do i drop her off and leave? she is still pitching since summer ball ended in early august but she plays varsity volleyball and doesnt have time to play fall softball, will she hurt her chances since she isnt playing games now?
thanks for any imput

D2 coach can't talk to her about playing until 6/15 end of sophomore year. Probably time to get an understanding of NCAA rules through the Eligibility Center and get her registered. These camps are about making money for the team. If your daughter is interested in going there, and has majors she might be interested in then it might be worth a 4 hour trip. If it's not an overnight you just hang out and watch. My DD is a junior now and we did 4 different camps this summer that had overnights and at D1, D2 and D3 schools. Hope this is helpful.

i understand that she cant recruit her til her junior year i was just wondering if these type of clinics are worth the time to attend..thanks for the response

If this is a school your daughter would consider attending (maybe do a college visit before or after the camp) then definitely go. While camps are often money makers, they are also ways a coach can observe a girl's skills close up and talk directly with them. When a girl is on campus a coach can say virtually anything they'd like, including making offers. Many coaches use their camps as both a money maker AND a recruiting tool. If it is a one day camp you'll find most parents stay and watch.

well camp was only 115 dollars for 7 hours it is divided into pitching, hitting and fielding there is a campus tour in the middle ill let you all know how it went...dd have volleyball tourney on sat so she will probably be really sore.

I would agree with the idea that she should go if she is really interested in that school, or if she knows that the level of instruction will allow her to really learn something. As your kid goes through high school, she will receive countless "invites" to attend camps. These will be from coaches who have access to mailing lists, or schools that she has emailed and she is now simply in their database, or less frequently, from coaches who are interested in her. Most camps are money makers for the school so they invite everyone. And they get very repetitive with their instruction. They do, however, offer your DD a chance to get a coach's attention. We began to narrow down the camps we attended. Some we thought we were truly wanted, and DD ended up being just another number. Unfortunately, coaches will even act interested in you so that you will pay for their camps. Other times, my DD was able to use the time to get the coach to notice her and she ended up being recruited by some of those schools and will play at one school that saw her at camps twice before finally getting out and seeing her play live. Camps can be expensive, so go in with your eyes open but always go only if you can use them to your advantage.

camp went good there were 5 girls at pitching part 2 jc 2 2013 and my daughter 2015, she loved the camp. there were 19 in the hitting camp( i think 3 were 2015). talked to coach afterward she gave some good insight on recruiting process and dd had a blast. so it was worth it for this camp.

My DD went to a DI camp and learned a bit. Coach talked a lot to the players and parents. Learned that in 7 years the coach has yet to offer a player that had not attended their camp. She gets to see the girls and set up her recruiting list. She is also a big believer in taking girls that feel "it" when they step on campus, meet the coaches, talk with the team, etc. If a girl likes the school package then they will perform well as a player. If she has any reservations then the experience will not be good.

My DD loves the school package but is concerned that the freshman, stud pitching pair they have will still be there in two years and the coach will not need another pitcher yet. We will keep in constant contact though.