Are Showcase tournaments obsolete?

DD just went to a UNC pitching camp and I was able to chat with some of the parents there. They said that most college coaches do not go to showcase tournaments to see new prospects, they go there to see their prospect(s).

I kinda sorta agreed as in the past several showcase tournaments DD has been in, there was a derth of college coaches watching. yes, there were the usual 'agency' head-hunters, but few, if any college coaches.

So to get noticed, you MUST go to the college's camp. is that right?

My thought would be that coaches go to 18U showcases to see their prospects, but 14U/16U they go to recruit prospects.

FastPitchCat said:

DD just went to a UNC pitching camp and I was able to chat with some of the parents there. They said that most college coaches do not go to showcase tournaments to see new prospects, they go there to see their prospect(s).

I kinda sorta agreed as in the past several showcase tournaments DD has been in, there was a derth of college coaches watching. yes, there were the usual 'agency' head-hunters, but few, if any college coaches.

So to get noticed, you MUST go to the college's camp. is that right?

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No... you must do all the work to GET the coach to want to come to your showcase.

They aren't just going on the hope to see someone - they re going because they know there is someone or a group of someones that they specifically want to go see. They will come see someone new if they want to because you emailed them, contacted them. sent a video. replied to their queries, sent schedules, etc, etc.

Too many parents think 'go to showcase, coaches will be there and my kid will be seen' - that is the WRONG way to think about it. It is "Do all the work, coach will come to specifically see DD play at showcase venue X"


You have to put the work in. Being at a camp may be part of the work needed for a specific target college.

Not sure what tournaments you've been attending but we see plenty of coaches at them. The agency head hunter, not so much. At Pennsbury, Team NJ and Boulder we averaged over 50 coaches watching our games.

This is the list of coaches signed in from DD's last tournament. NE's Finest

marriard said:

No... you must do all the work to GET the coach to want to come to your showcase.

They aren't just going on the hope to see someone - they re going because they know there is someone or a group of someones that they specifically want to go see. They will come see someone new if they want to because you emailed them, contacted them. sent a video. replied to their queries, sent schedules, etc, etc.

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Super post!

InsidePitch said:

Not sure what tournaments you've been attending but we see plenty of coaches at them. The agency head hunter, not so much. At Pennsbury, Team NJ and Boulder we averaged over 50 coaches watching our games.

This is the list of coaches signed in from DD's last tournament. NE's Finest

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Our team was there also and had over 10 coaches watching our 730am game. The opposing team could not understand how we got so many coaches there. Email, email, email, and once they have come to watch you then email some more

InsidePitch said:

Not sure what tournaments you've been attending but we see plenty of coaches at them. The agency head hunter, not so much. At Pennsbury, Team NJ and Boulder we averaged over 50 coaches watching our games.

This is the list of coaches signed in from DD's last tournament. NE's Finest

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i'm talking about USSSA, NSA, ASA showcases, not the more independent ones.. thanks for the link BTW. interesting info

I'm not sure if the coaches are using showcases differently, or if this is how coaches have always done it. Probably the latter, although maybe moreso than ever, with an increasing dependence on camps.

For coaches, it's like shopping for a car and having a limited amount of time to find the right one. You don't just go to a dealership and start looking around randomly, hoping that something catches your eye. You get as much information as you can ahead of time, have a list of prospects and then go see a limited few up close. Coaches have to be very efficient with their time. Watching a game with players they know nothing about is a waste of time.

murphdog said:

Our team was there also and had over 10 coaches watching our 730am game. The opposing team could not understand how we got so many coaches there. Email, email, email, and once they have come to watch you then email some more

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You've definitely got to work they emails. But emails don't guarantee that the coach will come or even read them. Coaches (or their assistants) delete dozens of emails a day. I would assume there is something about your team, or something in those emails, that made the coach want to come besides the mere invitation.

FastPitchCat said:

i'm talking about USSSA, NSA, ASA showcases, not the more independent ones.. thanks for the link BTW. interesting info

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Yep, they come to these also. Our 16U team had 10 coaches at one game in a USSSA Elite tournament (not even a showcase) last year because they did ALL the work - and we are not even a well known organization.

Note: our now 18U team has 6 girls verballed/signed/whatever you want to call it. None to D1 - all to D2 or NAIA. The others are all planning to sign at D3 schools. I am pretty sure they have got more opportunities and money for these girls than some of the more flashy orgs have done for better players.