SHOWCASE TEAM? pros and cons

[Coach JV]

This forum is the best place to get opinions.
DD has been selected to play on a showcase (ASA)
team. There are lots of practices proposed, but very few events.
Do I keep her on the summer roster of her USSSA travel team?

I am planning on speaking with both of her coaches before committing
to the showcase team. There has been no talk of playing showcase
beyond this summer as all the girls selected will be entering HS
in the fall.

What is the experience of forum members and showcase teams?

 

[starsnuffer]

Two kinds of showcase teams. Those with organizations with a long proven track record of college contacts and placements. . . . and daddyball "teams" that attempt to ride on the coat-tails of their opponents to try to get their girls "shown".

Truth of the matter is college coaches pay more attention to the warmups then the actual games, so the daddyball showcase teams don't really work.

I don't have enough info but it sounds like a "team" and not an "organization". I would avoid "teams", I'm assuming this is 18 gold?

-W

 

[Coach JV]

It is 16U-A, details are a bit sketchy, but neither
coach has a daughter on the team. Both coach daughters
are playing college ball and they are starting a team, hoping
to build an organization. The team is well funded, very minimal
out of pocket costs. What is the 'norm' regarding expenses
for showcase teams?

 

[coachdan]

Two kinds of showcase teams. Those with organizations with a long proven track record of college contacts and placements. . . . and daddyball "teams" that attempt to ride on the coat-tails of their opponents to try to get their girls "shown".

Truth of the matter is college coaches pay more attention to the warmups then the actual games, so the daddyball showcase teams don't really work.

I don't have enough info but it sounds like a "team" and not an "organization". I would avoid "teams", I'm assuming this is 18 gold?

-W

I say stay on your current team and attend as many summer camps of schools your daughter is interested in attending. You will get much more exposure than at a showcase tournament. The only way showcase ball can help is if you are on a top notch team and you are playing the best teams around. If not showcase can be a waste of time and money. Coaches only go to watch the best teams.....exceptions would be D3 and Jr colleges.

 

[D.G. OutLaws 16u]

Top talent that get most college intrest are "Gold". SHowcase IMO are wanna be Gold. The team your haveing intrest in, being new, could be on the path to being Gold. Could be a great move for your daughter. In my area the best Gold team is the Beverly Bandits coached by Bill Conroy, former owner of the NPF Chicago Bandits. I know 2 kids on his team both seniors this year and have D1 rides to the Big 10. There travel include Fla, Vegas, Colorado and Southern Califonia.....all Gold tourneys against Gold teams. Parents pay for themselves. The team is hand picked....no try-outs and have generous sponsors taking care of team travel expenses and tourney fees. I don't know how other Gold teams are financed. Kids (and parents) on Gold expect full rides and the organisation sees to it they stay on track off the field while keeping in tight communication with their 'network' of recruiters. As clueless as I am I often wonder if Gold teams are a financed farm system.....

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

at 16U-A (ASA) I don't know what "Showcase Team" means. Are they playing in 18U/18Gold showcase tourneys?

DD played on a team last year that was 16U-A (ASA) and competed mostly in showcase tourneys. What an epic waste of time and money that was! The only good thing that came of it was the experience she got pitching against 18 year old batters (she had just moved up from 14U-B (NSA)).

Repeating what others have said here: It is the college contacts that an organization has that will get your DD seen. Organizations that have a good circle of college contacts and have a good reputation for college placement will be your best bet if that is your DD's goal.

I would personally stay far away from a start up.

 

[shockcoach]

Truth of the matter is college coaches pay more attention to the warmups then the actual games
-W

Ding, ding, ding, ding! This is so very true. They get to see way more throws, catches and swings during this time. They also get to see attitudes of girls and how they interact.

As for your question, research the team, coaches and organization. The showcase tournaments are running during the fall season. That's when the coaches get a chance to get away and out to watch games. If they have no plans during the fall tournament season, I would hesitate to call them a showcase team. Yes, you have the Firecracker and and Indy tournaments in CO during the summer. They are big and attract allot of coaches. They also attract allot of teams.

There are other tournaments on the east side, too. Find out what they're going to attend. Research those tournaments. Do your homework and find out if they're doing the right things or blowing hot air.

Good luck

 

[theaddition]

Truth of the matter is college coaches pay more attention to the warmups then the actual games, so the daddyball showcase teams don't really work.


-W

On recent visits with D1 coaches we've had 2 current head coaches and 1 former head coach tell us exactly that. One stated that he might see a recruit walk a couple of times and have no idea what his recruit's ability is. He said it doesn't do him any good to see a girl walk. That's why he scouts the warm ups. He said it's very important for a recruit to do well in warm ups as he can judge the players ability fairly well. He said games play a part in the recruiting process, but they don't have that big of a role. Also, a different college coach told us that "All Star" showcase teams are the worst of the lot from a recruiting standpoint.
He wants to see how a player does when the game means something, like at a ASA tournament for example.

All of them also said it is important to attend clinics put on by the college coaches.

That's been our experience so far.
I hope this helps.