Showcase team versus Travel Team

[MSMITH73]

Okay guys I have a question. My DD is 15 y/o. She currently is a starter on her varsity team as well plays on a travel team. The other night at hitting lesson a showcase team coach asked about her joining their 16U Showcase team come Fall. The question that I have is, Is a showcase team worth the time and money? Her dream and goal is to play college ball and we are thinking this could only help that, but do not have any experience with showcase tournaments. Is it worth it? Her travel team is looking at going 16U in the fall and she could easily stay with them. What's everyone's thoughts / experiences with Showcase teams?

 

[MNDad]

They’re usually the same thing. A travel team will play a variety of qualifiers, showcases and national tourneys. Whether it’s called travel or showcase the player still has to contact the coaches ahead of time to get them to the games.



If you’re talking about well known national programs vs local travel teams, then there might be a huge difference. Which is better depends on your daughters goals and the quality of program she’s looking at. Not all showcase teams are better than travel or vice versa.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Not all showcase teams are better than travel or vice versa.

Just look at the schedules (and cost) for each team and see which one lines up with the schools you are interested in. There really is no difference...

 

[FP26]

DD switched teams at approximately the same age. The team she played for during her 1st year 16u (played for this team several years, by the way) was a solid team. She loved the players and is still close friends with many of them. But they had different goals. They played travel so that they could meet their potential at the high school level. DD wanted to play in college. This particular team was not playing in the type of events that would help her accomplish her goals. So she switched to another team that was still basically a "travel team". They didn't want to use the "showcase", "gold", or "elite" names. In fact the coaches made it a point to search out showcase, gold, and elite teams, and beat them In any event, this new team played a more aggressive schedule and allowed her to play at tournaments that were attended by coaches of schools that fit her goals. She is currently playing D3 softball at the school of her choice, and at least in my opinion, this is partially because she had the opportunity to play in front of this coach. Of course, she also took it upon herself to have communication with this coach, attended several clinics, and developed a relationship. It's all part of the equation.

So, long story short. Don't go just because of "the name". Choose the team that better suits your DD's long term goals. But don't forget that the majority of the recruiting process is on her. Not the coaches, and not her parents. She has to take ownership of the process. Best of luck!

 

[Hube111]

Just my personal experience, but a showcase team is going to travel a lot more to large national tournaments, but it doesn't mean they are any better than the local travel team you are on. As other have said, the goals are probably much different. Some showcase teams almost exclusively travel out of state from my area (Pacific NW) and never win anything, but their girls get recruited and signed to colleges in many cases because they are putting the girls in front of the right college coaches. A showcase team for sure is going to cost you more money via more travel and in some cases higher team fees. Just ask a lot, and I mean a lot of questions and do your best to determine the fit for your DD.

 

[Strike2]

By themselves, I believe most showcases are of dubious value. They are most certainly expensive, and typically packed with more good players than coaches to see them. Unless she REALLY stands out, the chances of your DD getting noticed by a random coach from a school she might actually attend are remote. Attending camps and establishing personal communication with coaches and schools you're interested in build the reason for a coach to come out and watch your kid play.

 

[Rick M]

DD still has a few years, but her org separates the "tournament" teams from the "showcase" teams. As I understand it, one differentiator that has not been mentioned is that showcases are typically run differently. There is usually a five-game guarantee, and there are no eliminations and trophies. There aren't any overall winners. Players expect that if a coach that they're hoping to play for is in attendance, that they will play in that game, even if they're not the team's #1 shortstop, for example. The other players and parents on the team understand this.

 

[softball dad 6]

Lots of good advice here. As many have said team names don't mean a lot. DD plays on a team that is called a showcase team. To be honest the organization gave it that name to help draw talent. The goal of every girl but 1 on the team is to play college softball. All the girls range from low-mid D1 talent level to D3 talent level. All but 1 girl is committed or being actively recruited. We play in showcases and other big tournaments that are in places that the colleges they are interested in going to will be. Our HC will call the coach of any team a girl says they are interested in playing at. This team does not go to D9, or Sparkler, or Atlanta Legacy. We talked about it but decided that it was not necessary to play in those tournaments since the schools that would be there would either be above our girls talent level or further away than anyone wanted to go to school. However the girls are getting in front of the coaches that fit the geography of where they want to play and their skill level. We are playing in the same showcases over and over and finally getting on the better fields with better competition.
If your DD wants to play in college ask her where she wants to go to school. Get a fair independent evaluation of your DD as to her skill level and if these schools are a realistic goal. My DD's first list at 13yo was Alabama, LSU, Texas,and Florida. We had to have a talk about realistic goals. Next came the discussion about education and costs coming before softball. Honestly this was the hardest part. Getting a teenage girl who lives text message to text message to sit down and think about what they want to do for a career and what they then want to major in is tough.
After you get your list of schools talk to the travel ball coach for the showcase team and ask if he will be playing in tournaments these schools are likely to be at. If they don't have a good answer then you know to keep looking.
Our experience for being noticed is different from most everyone on here. DD has gotten more attention from schools that she had not previously contacted than schools she did. After the schools initially reaching out she did stay in contact with some of them.

 

[Vertigo]

My eyes were opened up to the vast difference between a travel team vs true showcase team last summer. Dd guest-played for an 18U Gold team that only did showcases, they didn’t play in any actual tournaments where you’d win a trophy. Their coaches were well-versed in the whole college recruiting experience - they had a coach who knew a lot of the college coaches and promoted the girls to them. They got on the main fields at big showcases in the Northeast. It was truly a different experience from her own 18U travel team. Not all showcases are equal. Yes you can email the coaches but they want to go where they can see a lot of talent in one place.

This prompted us to find a similar team closer to home. Very similar experience. Coaches truly promote the players who do their homework and email the colleges. Coaches are very familiar with the process and are known on a first-name basis by a lot of schools. Price was very good for this type of team. Can’t say enough good things about this program.

My suggestion is to do your homework. Ask around. Not all showcase teams are created equal and you might not get what you’re looking for if you go in blindly.

 

[Orange Socks]

Coaches truly promote the players who do their homework and email the colleges. Coaches are very familiar with the process and are known on a first-name basis by a lot of schools.

This right here is one of the most important things that was said all day. How can your team recruiter help you if you don't do your part? The recruited knows who to talk to about certain kids and knows to stay away from others.