OK, what's with this Showcase Scenario?

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Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
DD (first year 14U) was asked to pick up in a local showcase this weekend. Unfortunately, the games scheduled for Friday were rained out. This caused some problems re: today's games b/c at least one field at one of the parks was unplayable today.

TD shuffled everything and we wound up being at an entirely different park than we were scheduled to be at today. Some teams moved around to multiple fields today.

So, there were NO (and I mean none) college coaches who were identifiable anywhere around the park we were at today. This was not such a crowded park that they could have just blended in; it was clearly just the usual parent audience watching the games. I don't know if any showed up at any of the other fields or not.

We are in GA and there were teams from as far as NYC there. I can't imagine how I would feel after the time and expense of such a far trip to be showcasing for no one.

What am I missing? Do you think coaches didn't show up b/c the Friday games were rained out? This is new to us, so I'm just wondering if this was a poorly run showcase or whether the weather (that's funny) could have affected college coaches' attendance.

Those with older DD's, give me the ins and outs so I'll know better for next time.

ETA: Friday games were not rescheduled. But those were just pool games and did not count in terms of placement for bracket games.
 
Last edited:
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
A few things to keep in mind.

1) buyer beware - most "college showcase" are money makers for the organizations that run the program. Many have very few college coaches that attend.

2) the big softball orgs get special treatment (i.e. Play on the best fields attended by the most coaches.

3) few players get "discovered" at a college showcase.

4) propspective college players need to do all of the leg work to get seen and recruited by colleges.

5) join a travel ball program that has many college contacts. Networking can get you in touch with colleges. Don't overlook D2, D3, NAIA and jr college

6) attend the college softball camps of the schools your DD is interested in

7) do your home work before playing in long distance showcases. Ask families who have attended previously what their experience was like?

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
Good advice. This was a last minute invitation for us, so there wasn't a lot of time for planning on our parts. We've done several camps and will continue to do so. This showcase has a good rep.

Literally just got a text saying they cancelled for tomorrow. I guess everyone played three games today so they don't have to refund money to anyone. We got eliminated today anyway (single elimination), but sucks for those who thought they had another chance for exposure.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
DD (first year 14U) was asked to pick up in a local showcase this weekend. Unfortunately, the games scheduled for Friday were rained out. This caused some problems re: today's games b/c at least one field at one of the parks was unplayable today.

TD shuffled everything and we wound up being at an entirely different park than we were scheduled to be at today. Some teams moved around to multiple fields today.

So, there were NO (and I mean none) college coaches who were identifiable anywhere around the park we were at today. This was not such a crowded park that they could have just blended in; it was clearly just the usual parent audience watching the games. I don't know if any showed up at any of the other fields or not.

ETA: Friday games were not rescheduled. But those were just pool games and did not count in terms of placement for bracket games.

Apart from the above...

This is Colorado Firecrackers/Sparklers weekend. Most of the coaches are there. Got a few teams in our org at a Showcase in Jacksonville - lots of assistant coaches from colleges in two states which is great - but when asked they are saying their head coaches are in Colorado.

When you schedule a showcase you have to know what else is on that weekend and decide where the coaches are going to be that weekend.
 
Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
Yeah, I know that the tippy-tippy-top Atlanta 14U teams were in CO this week (I honestly only know of two, but I'm sure there are more). I would say that these were mostly "A- to A" teams in this showcase as opposed to the few "A+" teams in the area. I don't know the reasoning for the overlapping/conflicting weekend.
 
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JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
Good advice. This was a last minute invitation for us, so there wasn't a lot of time for planning on our parts. We've done several camps and will continue to do so. This showcase has a good rep.

Literally just got a text saying they cancelled for tomorrow. I guess everyone played three games today so they don't have to refund money to anyone. We got eliminated today anyway (single elimination), but sucks for those who thought they had another chance for exposure.

Sunday is a travel day for most college coaches, so they are lightly attended regardless.
 
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
Sunday is a travel day for most college coaches, so they are lightly attended regardless.

The other thing with the coaches is they run brackets on Sunday. For the coaches it's too much to try any figure out where 20+ potential recruits are going to be playing at or how far they will go in the eliminations. That's why they get there for the pool and practice games. They know where everyone will be.
 
Dec 12, 2012
1,668
0
On the bucket
The other thing with the coaches is they run brackets on Sunday. For the coaches it's too much to try any figure out where 20+ potential recruits are going to be playing at or how far they will go in the eliminations. That's why they get there for the pool and practice games. They know where everyone will be.

Actually, my experiences differs here.

The tournaments are adapting to what Coaches have been asking. The bracket (usually single elimination) is a result of the loss of competition in showcases where teams are rotating in all players and batting the lineup. Coaches want to see their potential recruits in a competitive environment too. Hence the now common format of two days of showcasing and one day of tournament.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
Was in a showcase in JAX this weekend. Last game was scheduled for 12:30 on Sunday. Was expecting to see little to no coaches. Was shocked to see at least a dozen down by the fields and was told there were at least that many if not more eating pizza in the tower. The Backwards K showcase gets better each year. :)
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
113
Orlando, FL
The other thing with the coaches is they run brackets on Sunday. For the coaches it's too much to try any figure out where 20+ potential recruits are going to be playing at or how far they will go in the eliminations. That's why they get there for the pool and practice games. They know where everyone will be.

I think the brackets on Sunday are more about stroking the egos many of the TB coaches in search of that elusive "Showcase National Championship" than accommodating college coaches. You know, the ones who spend their time calling pitches, screaming at their players, and arguing calls instead of interacting with the college coaches. :)
 

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