Showcase playing time..

[Softball scholar]

We were at a showcase this weekend and this particular showcase was actually legit with a fair number of college coaches watching. My DD was pitching well and had the attention of a college coach. Also verified after the game the coach is interested. This is good.

So its her turn to bat, and the situation is runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs in a close game. The college coach was watching at this moment. This was a early pool play game and not a bracket game. Coming from a biased dad and probably sounds arrogant, but DD is a decent hitter IMO. So I think the college coach was interested in seeing how she bats. Of course our coach calls for the sacrifice bunt. Maybe not the worst call strategically, but do you do that in a college showcase? Fortunately she got a good bunt down, and the coach knows she can bunt but doesn't know she can hit. Isn't there an unwritten about not sacrifice bunting in showcases?

But I think this is a good example of the coach more concerned about winning than showcasing the girls. This probably didn't hurt her chances, but it could of been a great opportunity to show her hitting skills when a college coach was watching her.

 

[Lenski]

Let's say it's not a showcase but a PGF qualifier and there is a college coach who wants to see the #3 pitcher for a few innings. How do you coaches handle that situation. This happened to one of my daughters PC students who never got in the game when the college coach was specifically there to see her play.

I am not trying to be funny, but the young lady needs to find a team where she is not the #3 pitcher on the team.

 

[_MIA_]

Why have "games" if who wins or loses doesn't matter? Sounds to me like a better idea would be to just have a pre-tourney practice day, making sure their is live pitching, where coaches just show up.
21st century amateur sports is messed up...

 

[Lenski]

This sounds like one of our games from last week. D1 Coach comes up and says to me and the other coaches "can you help me out, I want to see this kid make contact and check her power" So it's meatballs down the middle.

What if there was a college coach there at the same time looking at the pitcher? What difference is her power if she can't make contact? Like Riseball stated: If the coach wants to see her power then have her hit off of a tee. Let the pitchers pitch and the hitters hit. I've been to showcases where college coaches want to see certain pitchers and players at certain positions. I've been to showcases where college coaches have requested that a player bat multiple times in an inning. I've never been to a showcase where a college coach asks a pitcher to groove one so they can see a kid's power, or ask a pitcher/catcher combo to try to steer a ball towards a defender.

 

[Lenski]

Why have "games" if who wins or loses doesn't matter?

Then explain to me soccer and hockey.............

 

[_MIA_]

Then explain to me soccer and hockey.............

Huh?? If you are referring to ties, then the difference in those games is that the players/coaches are making every attempt to win. Look I am not denouncing the
idea of prancing girls around for a scholarship, only the way it is done. Other than situational stuff, which can't be scripted anyway, the suggestion I made
really would have the same effect if college coaches really are just treating it as an NFL combine (which I have a hard time believing...)

 

[Lenski]

Look I am not denouncing the
idea of prancing girls around for a scholarship, only the way it is done. Other than situational stuff, which can't be scripted anyway, the suggestion I made
really would have the same effect if college coaches really are just treating it as an NFL combine (which I have a hard time believing...)

They already do that at many showcases. They're called recruiting camps or something similar. They happen before the showcase starts. Also, many showcases have 4 game guarantees with a "one and out" attached to it. If the player is worth anything, they are playing just as hard at at showcase as they are at a qualifier or national. The only difference honestly should be the coaching, not the playing at a showcase.

 

[_MIA_]

They already do that at many showcases. They're called recruiting camps or something similar.

Great they should just stop there then and the players and coaches should treat the actual games like they would any other tournament. I never said kids are not
playing hard but it simply won't be the same if everybody knows they are mainly for recruiting.

 

[Lenski]

Showcases have their place, otherwise they wouldn't exist. College coaches overall must like the format, otherwise they would not attend. Recruiting camps run $100 or more per discipline. The player gets a number and it is run much like a combine.

 

[Rocketech1]

I am not trying to be funny, but the young lady needs to find a team where she is not the #3 pitcher on the team.

Fair enough. Let's say she is the #2 pitcher but this is the only game the college coach can watch and they are riding #1 to advance in bracket play? The point is when is it about getting your players recruited and when do you go for the win with your best 9 players?