Showcase Advice for Coaches

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Aug 13, 2013
344
28
Sayville
1) Please bring profiles to the showcase tournaments. Nothing more frustrating than seeing a player you like and you cant figure out who she is
2) Please hang or bring the profiles to the coaches that are watching. I love when a coach brings me a profile and asks me what I'm looking for and that if I want to see someone hit again or play a position just let him/her know.
3) Please let the college coaches talk to the players before your meeting with them. Sometimes we need to get to another field or facility.
4) Don't waste too much time arguing calls. It wastes time from letting us see more players play. A coach argued for 5 minutes at one showcase and I and some other coaches were saying move on already
5) If its a bad call on a strikeout then let the player hit again immediately. Its a showcase so you can do almost anything with the lineup
6) Rotate your players a lot in different defensive postions
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
You mean I shouldn't be trying to win each game? Screaming at my players and ignoring everything else? Sounds like you have the silly idea that it has something to do with the players and not all about me and building a name for the organization so we keep playing on the "good fields"!

To your points, they are dead on. When I meet a coach for the first time I tell them we are not there to win a "Showcase National Championship" and we are actually there for them. Most find that quite refreshing. I explain that I will be happy to answer any questions and to please let me know if they would like to see players in specific positions or situations. As a result we have yet to even win a single Showcase Championship, not gotten any medals, no t-shirts but seem to do well on the other stuff like getting kids signed.

We do not play PGF, ASA, etc. to chase plastic. If it does not have a direct impact on getting a kid recruited, we do not do it. Instead of parents dumping upwards of $2K to go to a National Event they use the money for camps. $2K will get you to quite a few camps.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
1) Please bring profiles to the showcase tournaments. Nothing more frustrating than seeing a player you like and you cant figure out who she is
2) Please hang or bring the profiles to the coaches that are watching. I love when a coach brings me a profile and asks me what I'm looking for and that if I want to see someone hit again or play a position just let him/her know.
3) Please let the college coaches talk to the players before your meeting with them. Sometimes we need to get to another field or facility.
4) Don't waste too much time arguing calls. It wastes time from letting us see more players play. A coach argued for 5 minutes at one showcase and I and some other coaches were saying move on already
5) If its a bad call on a strikeout then let the player hit again immediately. Its a showcase so you can do almost anything with the lineup
6) Rotate your players a lot in different defensive postions

4) Rewritten: Don't waste ANY time arguing calls.
6) Rewritten: Unless asked for something different or unless a coach is there to see someone at some position, in a 6-7 inning game you should have got into the game 3 pitchers, 3 SS, 3 catchers, 3 CF and so on...

7) Don't waste a pitcher early in a day unless there is a coach there to see them specifically or a coach asks to see more. You don't want to tell a coach that you overused someone earlier in the day or put them out there without anything left.
8) In the RARE case you need to pull a pitcher, give her break and put her back out there ASAP.
9) Same goes for fielders having a tough day - quick break to get their head together and out again in a different position or even the same position.
10) Make sure you warm up where you can be seen by the coaches.
11) Don't let anyone walk - if they will let you re-bat, re0bat.
12) Bunts... unless you are showcasing the speed of a player or you need to show some sort of of 'following signs' behavior (yes, I had a player who needed to show this to a coach) why are you bunting. Hit away.
13) Put your fast girls out on base to show what they can do. If the showcase has a 'anyone can courtesy for anyone' do it. Or do it anyway.

14) If you didn't get a player into a showcase game then you as a coach have failed.
15) If a college coach asks to see ANYTHING, make it happen and make it happen now
16) If the opposing coach asks for ANYTHING to help showcase his girls, make it happen and make it happen now


....And if your parents are NOT used to showcases, sit them down and tell them how it is going to be.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
11) Don't let anyone walk - if they will let you re-bat, re0bat.

At the Legacy two years ago, we literally had an opposing team intentionally walk a batter (''last batter, finish the at-bat'') to avoid the possibility that she drive in the game-winning run from second base. She threw 4 straight balls over the batter's head. They salvaged the tie.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Another tip that you'll never hear, but I think is a good one:

Don't coach your players to hustle and show good attitude. If those things don't come naturally to a player, it's better they not to fake it and mislead any coaches who might be watching.
 
Feb 3, 2010
5,752
113
Pac NW
Another tip that you'll never hear, but I think is a good one:

Don't coach your players to hustle and show good attitude. If those things don't come naturally to a player, it's better they not to fake it and mislead any coaches who might be watching.

Not sure I completely agree on this one. I tell all my kids to hustle, show up early, be prepared and why it's important as a teammate, a family member or employee. Not everyone gets it, but I've seen a few who have taken the advice and it's nice to show up at one of their games, practices or tryouts and see them show pride in their game, team, etc... Sometimes it's just awareness.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
Not sure I completely agree on this one. I tell all my kids to hustle, show up early, be prepared and why it's important as a teammate, a family member or employee. Not everyone gets it, but I've seen a few who have taken the advice and it's nice to show up at one of their games, practices or tryouts and see them show pride in their game, team, etc... Sometimes it's just awareness.

I was being a little sarcastic and should've worded it differently.

It's always good to hustle, have great attitude, etc., and you need to teach the value in that.

My point is that if we have to say, ''this is a showcase, and this is how you should conduct yourself at a showcase,'' then there's something fake in that. You want players who hustle and have good attitudes every time they step on the field, not just when people are watching. If they have to be told at that point, something is amiss.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
Absolutely! No infield balls, 1 and down, no celebrations or toss around after a K. Cut out all the theater and other BS. Just pay ball.
 
Oct 2, 2015
615
18
You mean I shouldn't be trying to win each game? Screaming at my players and ignoring everything else? Sounds like you have the silly idea that it has something to do with the players and not all about me and building a name for the organization so we keep playing on the "good fields"!

To your points, they are dead on. When I meet a coach for the first time I tell them we are not there to win a "Showcase National Championship" and we are actually there for them. Most find that quite refreshing. I explain that I will be happy to answer any questions and to please let me know if they would like to see players in specific positions or situations. As a result we have yet to even win a single Showcase Championship, not gotten any medals, no t-shirts but seem to do well on the other stuff like getting kids signed.

We do not play PGF, ASA, etc. to chase plastic. If it does not have a direct impact on getting a kid recruited, we do not do it. Instead of parents dumping upwards of $2K to go to a National Event they use the money for camps. $2K will get you to quite a few camps.

Great advice guys! Thanks!
 

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