At what age is too early to attend a College Showcase Camp?

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Feb 4, 2015
641
28
Massachusetts
DD is an 8th grader playing 14U. She won't move up to a showcase team until the 2016-17 season. Her club puts on New England's Finest Winter Showcase in January with many colleges attending. I'm debating whether I should send her or not.

One thought is she may not get any looks from coaches, but she could get a feel for what a showcase camp is like as well as a chance to measure herself against older players.

The other thought is to save the money, it will all come soon enough next year.

Or am I wrong and she could actually get some looks by doing well?

Side note: her club is among the best in New England and well recruited, so that would be a plus for coaches knowing the program she's in and the training she's getting.
 
Nov 15, 2014
7
1
chicago suburbs
My daughter is in 8th grade and playing first year 14U. I have taken her to one college camp so far this winter and we are planning to go to one more in January.

My goals for her at the camps are to
1. Get her some experience playing in front of college coaches.
2. Walk up to a coach and introduce herself. (Get over the nerves)
3. Ask a question during the q&a.
4. See how she stacks up to the older girls.
5. She gets another full day of playing softball in the middle of winter.
6. This is a way to her to think about college and her future? Does she want to play in college? How big of a college does she want to go to?
7. Learn to take and apply instructions from a different coach.

Yes it is expensive but is worth the expense. She really enjoyed herself, and I learned a ton of information.
 
Last edited:

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
If you have the time and resources it could be a positive experience. As others have mentioned, just temper your expectations that your DD is just going to get some experience playing in front of college coaches and it will help her when she reaches high school.
 
Feb 4, 2015
641
28
Massachusetts
My daughter is in 8th grade and playing first year 14U. I have taken her to one college camp so far this winter and we are planning to go to one more in January.

My goals for her at the camps are to
1. Get her some experience playing in front of college coaches.
2. Walk up to a coach and introduce herself. (Get over the nerves)
3. Ask a question during the q&a.
4. See how she stacks up to the older girls.
5. She gets another full day of playing softball in the middle of winter.
6. This is a way to her her to think about college and her future? Does she wasn't too play in college? How big of a college does she want to go to?
7. Learn to take and apply instructions from a different coach.

Yes it is expensive but is worth the expense. She really enjoyed herself, and I learned a ton of information.


Kellyc23 - I like the idea of giving her a few goals during the camp to help stretch her experience and build confidence. This is where I was wondering if it makes sense it to go and this sounds like a great approach to get the most out of it! thanks.
 
Apr 16, 2010
924
43
Alabama
My daughter is in 8th grade and playing first year 14U. I have taken her to one college camp so far this winter and we are planning to go to one more in January.

My goals for her at the camps are to
1. Get her some experience playing in front of college coaches.
2. Walk up to a coach and introduce herself. (Get over the nerves)
3. Ask a question during the q&a.
4. See how she stacks up to the older girls.
5. She gets another full day of playing softball in the middle of winter.
6. This is a way to her her to think about college and her future? Does she wasn't too play in college? How big of a college does she want to go to?
7. Learn to take and apply instructions from a different coach.

Yes it is expensive but is worth the expense. She really enjoyed herself, and I learned a ton of information.

Totally agree with all of this. My DD is a 7th grader who will play 12U this year. She has reached the age where she can start attending camps and clinics with the HS girls. I think it is a great experience for her even though she is not going for the purpose of getting noticed. It will also help temper the nerves for the day she is at a camp trying to catch a coaches attention.

She attended her first catching clinic for HS girls a couple of weekends ago at UAB. She was probably the youngest girl there and did a great job. I think it was a great learning experience as a couple of the older players were high level catchers.
 
Last edited:
Oct 19, 2009
1,277
38
beyond the fences
As a parent of a 1st year college player, your points are valid, however, my personal opinion
is that 7th/8th grade is a bit young unless: Your DD is athletically better developed than her
peers in the 14U age group. D1 coaches recruit earlier than d2 and D3. While it is good for
her to release the butterflies, I would only send her if the camp is local. Flights and hotels
are not worth it when so young
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I'm planning on sending mine to a camp at a college near our house this summer. She's 9. :p It's for fun and development for her though, not to try to get her noticed by the college (we're not THAT crazy). I wouldn't think 14 would be too young for that though.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
I'm planning on sending mine to a camp at a college near our house this summer. She's 9. :p It's for fun and development for her though, not to try to get her noticed by the college (we're not THAT crazy). I wouldn't think 14 would be too young for that though.

A sophomore on our HS varsity team just received a D1 scholarship. More incredibly, a kid that my middle-schooler played against this Fall during school ball recently accepted a scholarship offer to one of the best D1 programs in the country. Personally, I think that's insane, but it seems to happen for some players. I wonder how many kids get scholarship offers before even getting to HS, and what percentage end up playing for the team that awarded it? Much can happen in four years, or even two.
 

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