Showcase teams

[JAD]

The two showcase teams are not as strong, although one of them could beat the 14U team from time to time. They will play entirely 16U/high school and play a lot of out-of-state showcase. Big rosters, everybody plays a lot. They are not ''big name'' programs, but they are known by college coaches and have sent several players to college ball, generally at lower levels.

I would like to point out that the only qualification to make a "showcase team" is to play in one showcase, regardless of the outcome or talent level of the team......just like to be 18U Gold, all a team has to do is play in one 18U Gold tournament.....even if they get run ruled every game!

 

[laker]

Here is my $0.02 in no particular order....
1) Showcase teams typically play to "showcase" the talent of their players, not to win.
2) College coaches come to watch individuals and usually could not tell you the scores of the games.
3) Showcases do not really start until mid-June after the College World Series.
4) NSA may get you some regional exposure, but you need to play ASA or PGF if you want national exposure.
5) Unless your DD is a STUD, recruiting will not start until she is in high school, and she will have to be top tier to get recruited as a 9th grader - P, C, SS or super fast OF.
6) Playing for a marquee organization helps more than most, myself included, would like to admit.
7) Regardless of which team your DD plays for, YOU need to take ownership of her recruiting.
8) Networking is HUGE for getting your DD seen by college coaches who would otherwise never see her.
9) Playing showcases is expensive, so weigh your options carefully and have realistic expectation of your DD and where she is a good fit academically and athletically.
10) Be careful that you don't spend $20K chasing a $10K scholarship.......

I am new to it all. Don't get me wrong, a scholarship would be great, and this is all great advice and valuable. But, realistically most kids are not going to see a dime, right? I look at the $$$ spent, and to be spent in the future, as a lot more than chasing a scholarship. I'm just thrilled to get to spend every weekend, and most evenings, with my baseball playing Son and softball playing Daughter. I don't care how much it costs. What is all the time, sharing all the ups and downs, seeing them grow and mature socially, athletically and morally worth? It's priceless to me. That's why I'm happy to invest the $$$ and the time. We are only here for a short time, and the time we've got with them as kids is even less. If stick and ball sports is how I get to do it, then that's what I'm going to do.

The kids play, the coaches coach, and I cheer them on doing my best to stay out of the bottom 33%.

~Laker

 

[RubberBiscuit]

I agree with laker on this one:
10) Be careful that you don't spend $20K chasing a $10K scholarship.......

This equation can be dollar-for-dollar for some folks but for me I totally separate the pre-college investment to the scholarship reward.

I would spend $20K all over again for the family time and youth development time TB-A has provided DD. What my daughter is taking with her IS priceless.

 

[PA SB Dad]

Around here, you can't swing a cat in the air without hitting a showcase team. Almost every 16U and 18U team is either a "showcase" team, an "elite" squad, or a "gold" team. Not sure what any of it means anymore other than showcases will certainly cash their checks for the registration fees. My sense is that the programs with a history of getting kids into college are worth the effort, but any 14U team that moved up to 16U and is now a "showcase" team is just another team.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Let me add one more cent, I gave my two earlier.

My last year involved in coaching/managing my girls was our second year true 14u. As much as it hurt, we were/are the closest of family, I knew their best chance was showcase teams with connections. Our core 7 girls, still active in the game, played for 3 feeder showcase teams here in TN. 6 of those 7 are playing college ball this year, the last has signed for 2015 spring.

Exposure tourneys and teams are a different animal if you're use to playing to win, but if your "trophy" is a decent offer on a college education and an extra few years of playing the game you love..............................

 

[Ken Krause]

What's ironic is many college coaches will talk about how all the emphasis on "showcase" tournaments is giving them players who don't know how to compete. It's no longer about winning, it's about getting the scholarship.

But if they really cared, they'd quit going to showcases and start attending competitive tournaments instead.

 

[flarays]

What's ironic is many college coaches will talk about how all the emphasis on "showcase" tournaments is giving them players who don't know how to compete. It's no longer about winning, it's about getting the scholarship.

But if they really cared, they'd quit going to showcases and start attending competitive tournaments instead.

That was the complaint of the day a couple years ago - then many of the big showcases went to an elimination format on the back end of their event to foster a competitive flavor. Usually starting mid Saturday and into Sunday - and guess what......not many coaches stayed around to watch.
My opinion is a little different - the top showcases are ultra competitive for teams and players that are serious about playing college softball. If you don't win you don't get asked back. If you don't win you don't play on the prime fields. If you don't win you don't get games against strong teams...etc. The players on teams that play in these type event compete every practice and every game for playing time so they do get exposed during these big events.
Like many have pointed out - simply selling a team as a showcase team doesn't mean anything unless it is an established program with the contacts needed to secure those invitations. Now if you have a VERY strong first year 14u team and you work the TD's hard that year you might have a chance to work into the circuit. But it is tough for an age specific team to do so. That is why there is a movement to establish a 14u Futures division. Maybe those teams that choose that path will be able to stay age specific and play competitively. We will have to wait and see.

 

[Coach JV]

The key to showcase tournaments is that individually, the team is contacting
coaches of schools that:
a) the player is interested in attending
b)the college coach or an assistant is attending the showcase event

breaking down the above: 12 players/team each player contacts 5+ coaches
2 teams on the field/game makes it a good probability
that several colleges will see the team play-the responsibility
shifts to the player advocate on game day to introduce themselves
to the prospective coach with information on the team and individual players
so he/she can briefly 'sell' the players to coach and put her on that team's radar.


Showcases are a waste of time if the team is unprepared for this type of event.