[Stardust]

Reprinted from the HSBBWeb Message Boards
Coach Johnson posted on 12/19
Showcases are a waste of time?

I am the head baseball coach at a mid size school in the west. I am just giving by honest opinion, on this as I have been asked several times. I do not wish to put my view on you, only voicing my opinion, for whatever that is worth. I think that they are expensive and most of the kids that attend are not going to receive scholarship money. It is a pipe dream for the parents, (and a money maker for the directors), who continue to hand over there hard earned money for these showcases. If your kid is good they will find him. Don't worry there are very few diamonds in the rough out there. Please parents save your money, play summer travel ball, fall ball, send films to schools of interest, that will do alot more then what you think.


southpawmom posted on 12/19
re: Showcases are a waste of time?
I think it depends entirely on the situation. If you have a kid that goes to a school were baseball scouts don't come, then you need the showcases for exposure. It simply is not true that they will find you. Maybe they will find you if you high school coach has connections and he makes phone calls but that's about it. I also believe you can send lots of letters but that doesn't necessary mean that school will be interested in you. Chances are they will sent you information about their camp because they want to SEE you. Now a showcase is a good way to be seen but the issue is are you there because mom and dad think you are good enough or because you really are good. You go to a showcase to be seen but thee college coaches and scouts and they are really evaluating you and if you don't get something you keep trying because it takes one coach to make a match. Personally I think the best bet is to try and get an honest assessment of the kids ability and send him to camps at colleges that may be a fit. This gives the college a full week to look at him and is the best bet. But back to showcases, they do work as my kid got several offers and has only been to two showcases, but accepted a college whose camp he had been to and none of these places would have been to see him so he went to them.


TRhit posted on 12/19
re: Showcases are a waste of time?
Coach
Is that mid size school a high school or a college? if it is a college what division is it?

How long have you been coaching?
How long as a head coach?


BBMOM2002 posted on 12/19
re: Showcases are a waste of time?
I hear you but how do you explain the notations of about 1/2 of the player questionaires that my son has received to date that have the showcase noted either at the top or bottom of the form? Several have T96 (my guess is Top 96) the other have had Select (College Select?). These were the 2 showcase he attended as a Soph.


playerparent posted on 12/19
re: Showcases are a waste of time?
I agree that showcases CAN be a waste of time and money. If a player is seen by scouts and colleges in his regular schedule, then a showcase may not give him any additional exposure. In my son's case, he was injured in his jr. year and had a solid but not exceptional spring. He had written a few schools and got the usual form letters back (with camp info), but he received NO real interest. In the fall season he played in a very good wood bat league that culminated in a local showcase with some of the area jr. college players. He performed well at the showcase and within two weeks he was contacted by 3D1s, 1D2s, and 6 jcs (he has received offers from all 3 that he has visited so far). And oh yes, he was visited by the mlb scouting bureau and 2 mlb teams. All from a local showcase with limited attendance by scouts. All of these scouts and coaches said they saw him at the showcase. No one strategy works for all kids, but in my son's case, I think it is possible that he would not have had the opportunity to be seen and noticed without this showcase. (at the very least, he made up for lost time of his jr. year). He now has been invited to a "national" showcase and will attend. Try telling him that showcases are a waste. The bottom line is that talent and ability rule, but someone must hear that tree that falls in the forest.


BeenthereIL posted on 12/19
re: Showcases are a waste of time?
I disagree vehemently with Coach Johnson. I have some connections so I would suppose that that would put my son in a category where he would not need to be "seen".

However.... It is IMPORTANT for him to compete against the best in the local area, region; and, yes, in the country, if his aspirations are to play professionally or at a major D1 school.

I have no vested interest in any showcase, nor do I know any of the men/ladies that run these showcases personally. It seems, however, from talking with most parents who have sons who participated in several different kinds of showcases, it was well worth the few hundred dollars for the exposure which resulted in a greater amount of interest shown by the various schools/coaches who attended the showcases. Of course, as the Coach suggests, some have had their bubble burst. Isn't it better now than later?

There are several posters who have had their sons "noticed" and have received far more substantial college offers than would otherwise have materialized if they sat at home and waited for the phone to ring.

My guy is looking forward to next spring and summer. We'll see how his spring and summer go this year (he's only a freshman) and that will determine whether he is invited as a result of his own "on field" performance; or, whether we have to spend an additional few bucks to go to some of the showcases to get him "noticed"

As a matter of fact, we will be traveling a bit over the holidays to a hitting camp and to see campuses...and be back in time for Christmas dinner at 2:00 p.m., on the 25th. Just father and son.


Scdad posted on 12/19
re: Showcases are a waste of time?
If as a parent you can afford to send your son to national type showcases, I certainly would encourage you to do so. My son attended, even after committing in the early signing period, in order to determine how he compared to other national talent; as it turned out, it gave him confidence for his summer season with a higher profile traveling team. As with most issues, there is no right answer for all. In parting- in defense of MOST showcase promoters, the love of the game is the driving force, not monetary rewards.