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

[Sparky Guy]

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.

The verbals offers to the really young kids is getting nuts. I think some of the madness will slow down in the future with the advent of the NCAA making athletic scholarships a 4 year guarantee now. There will be coaches who get severely burned by this and will have to re-think the age at which they start making offers to the younger kids. My guess is it will take 4 - 5 years for the effects to become apparent.

Personally, I wish the NCAA would legislate something to limit the contact until after the girls are done with their sophomore year going into their junior year. Until that happens the recruiting Arms Race is going to keep escalating. The coaches have learned how to circumvent the current recruiting rules.

 

[quincy]

We are not going to chase a schooler ship at this age but it is sure fun to see the players

There are some really good players out there.

 

[smddad]

UW's Heather Tarr verballed a 13 year old.

Creekside Middle School softball star a rare recruit

 

[bucket pinata]

This is a perfect example of why recruiting that early is crazy, and to accept is even crazier, my DDs team chased this phenom out of the circle after 3 innings at PGF Nationals last year. She is a great kid and hard worker but I highly doubt she will ever start as a pitcher in the pack 12. Tarr needed a pitcher for her 14u Team so she can recruit travel around and when it normally isn't allowed. Just because you can verbal does not mean you should.

UW's Heather Tarr verballed a 13 year old.

Creekside Middle School softball star a rare recruit

 

[smddad]

This is a perfect example of why recruiting that early is crazy, and to accept is even crazier, my DDs team chased this phenom out of the circle after 3 innings at PGF Nationals last year. She is a great kid and hard worker but I highly doubt she will ever start as a pitcher in the pack 12. Tarr needed a pitcher for her 14u Team so she can recruit travel around and when it normally isn't allowed. Just because you can verbal does not mean you should.

I'm pretty sure this kid is a position player. She's definitely not on Tarr's 14U team, because she lives outside of the 50 mile radius that is allowed. Did you face the lefty on Tarr's team?

 

[Mark H]

D1 coaches recruit earlier than d2 and D3.

With great variations for both academics and level of athletic success yes. Even within the top 25 type programs there are variations due to the coach's philosophy and academic level. Top academic schools run later than your top state schools just because they can only make contingent promises until they see grades and test scores and even then the agreement is the student has to continue that level of academic success. Also I know some schools reserve some money for late bloomers and or kids who decommit. But in general, your statement is quite right.

 

[flipper14]

This is a perfect example of why recruiting that early is crazy, and to accept is even crazier, my DDs team chased this phenom out of the circle after 3 innings at PGF Nationals last year. She is a great kid and hard worker but I highly doubt she will ever start as a pitcher in the pack 12. Tarr needed a pitcher for her 14u Team so she can recruit travel around and when it normally isn't allowed. Just because you can verbal does not mean you should.

She's not a pitcher. She's a second baseman/outfielder.

 

[bucket pinata]

Maybe the player we faced in the circle was not the one in the link provided but the pitcher we faced was verbal by Tarr 3 months prior to PGF and was on the 14 u team. She previously played on another well known 16u TB team in the area. cant remember if she was a righty or a south paw.

She's not a pitcher. She's a second baseman/outfielder.

 

[smddad]

Maybe the player we faced in the circle was not the one in the link provided but the pitcher we faced was verbal by Tarr 3 months prior to PGF and was on the 14 u team. She previously played on another well known 16u TB team in the area. cant remember if she was a righty or a south paw.

That would be her lefty. You're correct, she's not a PAC-12 pitcher.

 

[JAD]

This is a perfect example of why recruiting that early is crazy, and to accept is even crazier, my DDs team chased this phenom out of the circle after 3 innings at PGF Nationals last year. She is a great kid and hard worker but I highly doubt she will ever start as a pitcher in the pack 12. Tarr needed a pitcher for her 14u Team so she can recruit travel around and when it normally isn't allowed. Just because you can verbal does not mean you should.

My DD has played against several pitchers verballed to top D1 programs and to be honest only two have really impressed me, Kelly Barnhill and Amanda Ablan. We stomped one verballed to an SEC school into a mudhole, but she is tall (6'+) and left handed, so I guess the coaches figure they can "coach her up"....