Diamond9 Showcase - Orlando - this coming weekend - anyone done this before?

ScottyDont said:

There are 400+ teams attending and 200-250 college coaches expected. I don't think it's a waste of money at all, if your players do their due diligence and get their letters/emails out. We have had several players recruited and verballed as a result of this showcase in the past.

Being on the four main fields at WWOS is a pretty big deal. That's where the majority of the coaches hang out. We have been off-site in the past and have not seen many coaches. But I know they do come if they're looking at specific players.

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Unfortunately this concept is lost on most people. Your players did not get recruited because of D9 attendance numbers. They got recruited because they worked the process. The number of coaches and teams attending is a moot point. What matters is if the coaches you have contacted are attending.

Tons of teams from NJ and PA are attending.. Good luck!

riseball said:

Unfortunately this concept is lost on most people. Your players did not get recruited because of D9 attendance numbers. They got recruited because they worked the process. The number of coaches and teams attending is a moot point. What matters is if the coaches you have contacted are attending.

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I'm wondering if the coaches will be there but they won't go to the field because it's too inconvenient. We got the Winterhaven location. I have to say that after reading this thread and other posts on this, I'm disappointed.

Does anyone know how the teams get picked for the "premier" location? Just curious about this DD team talked about going but passed on it. Are the top locations normally reserved for the big time orgs or older age level teams 16U and older? DD team is a first year 14U so I am wondering if the younger teams just get tossed aside?

learning said:

I'm wondering if the coaches will be there but they won't go to the field because it's too inconvenient. We got the Winterhaven location. I have to say that after reading this thread and other posts on this, I'm
disappointed.

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Winterhaven is not convenient - the coaches who will be there are going to be there to see someone specific. They may hang around to watch a few games for a few minutes, but at that point it is more 'I already came this far, I may as well see if there is something else here before leaving'.

As Riseball said - it is the players/coaches/recruiting efforts pre-event responsibility to make sure the coaches are motivated to come out to see you.

However - and I had a long conversation with a different showcase organizer about this last week - it should also be the tournaments responsibility to make the teams job easier by making sure teams get a reasonable opportunity to make it feasible to for a coach to leave the 'main park' or the park they are at to come see you - or to make sure there is one day where you are at one of the main park even if it is for just a game or two. If your organization doesn't have the 'reputation' and is not on the preferred team list you can absolutely accept and understand the need of paying your dues to get better fields or getting placed in better divisions, but that doesn't mean you deserve to get nothing for the same money (or sometimes more) than other teams.

D9 in Orlando certainly fails a large number of teams every year in this way.

DRDRODD said:

Does anyone know how the teams get picked for the "premier" location? Just curious about this DD team talked about going but passed on it. Are the top locations normally reserved for the big time orgs or older age level teams 16U and older? DD team is a first year 14U so I am wondering if the younger teams just get tossed aside?

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Totally about who the organizers know and the reputation of the teams among this group. It is self-fulfiling - everyone sees these teams are getting the fields and these teams then use this to recruit the best players (see: Riseball's comment on Intensity). It is REALLY hard to break through even if you are REALLY good.

14U teams who are not with the big orgs - you are first on the tossed aside heap and told you should be happy just to be allowed to give them a large sum of your money so you can say you were in the event.

learning said:

I'm wondering if the coaches will be there but they won't go to the field because it's too inconvenient. We got the Winterhaven location. I have to say that after reading this thread and other posts on this, I'm disappointed.

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Sorry to say you will even more disappointed a week from today. For a college coach to pack up and leave WWOS and get to the fields in Winterhaven is a minimum 1 hour endeavor. Add in the traffic from the mouse house and it could stretch to 90 minutes. On the up side you will not be subjected to a $30 gate fee or $10 hot dog baskets! Live and learn.

I think their showcase in January is more popular than the others.

JAD said:

I think their showcase in January is more popular than the others.

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My DD has been given an invitation to guest play at the January event. Maybe we will do that. Is it similar though with teams at remote fields?

riseball said:

Sorry to say you will even more disappointed a week from today. For a college coach to pack up and leave WWOS and get to the fields in Winterhaven is a minimum 1 hour endeavor. Add in the traffic from the mouse house and it could stretch to 90 minutes. On the up side you will not be subjected to a $30 gate fee or $10 hot dog baskets! Live and learn.

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Ugh. Good to know now I guess so I can get in the proper state of mind before going there.