College Showcases

default · Mar 8, 2010

Most of ya'll know me. I am a huge supporter of getting the girls seen by college coaches. I am just trying to simulate some thinking.

Should a showcase also be a qualifier to a national tournament? Should a showcase have an elimination bracket?

What is everyone's thoughts. I am not picking on any particular tournament, team, or organization.

My thoughts are that if you have a showcase and also make it a qualifier, then some coaches will be more concerned about winning a berth instead of getting a particular girl at a particular position so she can be seen.

I am split on the elimination bracket. I feel that you will have coaches thinking more about winning than getting girls seen but on the other hand, will teams come if there is no trophy? If you can play 4-5 pool games that really don't matter for seeding and then play elimination, then you could accomplish both winning and getting your girls seen. But 2 or 3 pool games and then elimination??? I don't think that is enough to warrant the expense of entering the tournament.

Just my thoughts and ramblings.

default · Mar 8, 2010

Bill,
If they are a qualifier, do you have to take every application vs an invitational?

default · Mar 8, 2010

Bill, I think a showcase should be just that, with no qualifier attatched. If you want a showcase champion, then do a 5gg w/4 of them for showcase only then have a blind draw for brackets/seedings. This way there is more stress on showcasing than winning. JMHO

default · Mar 8, 2010

I have often wondered about this one myself. My feeling is that college coaches will get a better idea about a player if they see them actually competeing for something. Nothing brings out the true competive nature in an athlete like having something to play for. I'm afrais that if showcases become just about coaches seeing a player play then that edge may be minimized.

I for one would like to see Showcases also include a true national qualifier. Play your pool games and seed into a true tournament. These players train hard not just to be seen, but to be seen competeing at the highest level.

Thats just my humble opinion.

default · Mar 8, 2010

Having only been to one showcase, I can only offer a small opinion. The Toldeo Tune Up last year offered a showcase. The games played had nothing to do with the tournament itself. The showcase was an add on 1 game where all girls were randomly placed on a team. The girls all payed with kids they most likely did not know. My DD played and had a blast at it. Her two pitchers that day were from Michigan, 1 girl was from Canada and other were from out Ohio. It was fun to watch them work it and play ball. INtsructions and timing drills in the am game in the evening.
T

default · Mar 8, 2010

Another thought. If its a true college showcase why have 10u and 12u divisions. Why not limit it to 18u, 16u and maybe 14u. Take more teams at the older age groups to give more a chance to be seen.

default · Mar 8, 2010

College coaches want a set schedule. They dont want to be hanging around the bracket table to see when a team plays next.

College coaches want to see certain players against certain teams. College coaches, will come to you in the middle of a game that they want to see little suzie play x position.

They just dont show up. They actually have a game plan.
8am -suzy is on diamond 3.
8:30 - mary diamond 6
etc...

default · Mar 8, 2010

Lionsfastpitch said:
Another thought. If its a true college showcase why have 10u and 12u divisions. Why not limit it to 18u, 16u and maybe 14u. Take more teams at the older age groups to give more a chance to be seen.

Agree there should only be 14u 16u and 18u teams something along these lines as well:
14u maybe 12 to 16 teams
16u 20 to 24 teams or more
18u 12 to 16 teams

16u is what most college coaches want to see, at 18u more of the girls are already picked for college or skipped by for the obvious reasons,,,but not all

default · Mar 8, 2010

Hilliarddad3 said:
Bill,
If they are a qualifier, do you have to take every application vs an invitational?

If it is an ASA Qualifier (for USA/ASA or for Eastern Regionals), then any ASA team has to be accepted.

default · Mar 8, 2010

All good points. In my first post, I stated that I wanted to stimulate some thinking and we are getting it. I know a couple of the TDs of showcases and they tweak their tournament every year based on past events and also on what the softball community is looking for.

Hopefully, all of the showcase TDs are reading.

default · Mar 8, 2010

wvanalmsick said:
If it is an ASA Qualifier (for USA/ASA or for Eastern Regionals), then any ASA team has to be accepted.

Colleges go to those now anyway, Bill.

I'm like Akadema... they come to see certain players and if someone pops up on their radar.. that is always good.

I like to see a round robin format and leave it at that.

College showcases with 10u I personally don't understand. It is used as a filler more or less. 12u is getting them in line to understand how important it is to have a great season so they CAN get invited down the road to a College showcase and be accepted.

Obviously 14u and 16u is the "top dog" here.

18u is there for a girl who has not committed and has contacted some coaches herself to say , "Hey, I'm playing at such and such tournament if you wish to see me in action".

default · Mar 8, 2010

Bill: I have been working on a college showcase idea for two years now... and you know me.. I really think out of the box. And believe me, this is WAY out of the box.

Getting the last details down for the past five days. Got about two weeks before I announce it. Two in Ohio and one in West Virginia actually. Waiting on one location in Ohio to confirm a date.

default · Mar 8, 2010

wvanalmsick said:
I am just trying to simulate some thinking.

Me too!

default · Mar 8, 2010

In my opinion the major thing to consider in this discussion is the behavior of the college coaches. My observation has been that the farther into the weekend and deeper into elimination play, the fewer coaches are present. Certainly this has to do with the number of team/players decreasing, but it also has to do with basic human nature. Most people don't choose to work 7 days a week if they have a choice. While this may be off season for college coaches, they still have plans to make for the coming year, fund raising, clinics etc. The largest showcases we have attended have always started games during the week, sometimes by Monday or Tuesday. This lets coaches scout/recruit during the work week. Many (not all) are gone by Saturday, and even on those showcases that start say on Thursday, there seems to be very few that stay through Sunday. The other thing is that the major showcases limit the number of games played during the showcase period to maybe 2 per day. There are no marathon sessions. In college they generally play 2 games a day. None of the endurance tests of fighting your way out of the losers bracket.
In my opinion this means 2 different events. A showcase is just that. Let a team showcase their athletes however they deem best. Qualifiers are to win.

default · Mar 10, 2010

There is no point in a showcase being a qualifier. A qualifier would have to take any team that applied - and that is not what would attract coaches.

I don't see a point in a showcase having an elimination bracket. As teams leave, it does cut down on the ability of coaches to see players. And here is a not so subtle point that keeps getting missed. Coaches come to see PLAYERS - not teams.

Foe at least the first day, the schedule should be carved in granite so the players can notify the coaches as to where to find them. Probably for the second day too.

I could tolerate some seeding later on Sunday to create better "games" which might help the coaches, but it is a stretch.

default · Mar 10, 2010

Akadema1 said:
College coaches want a set schedule. They dont want to be hanging around the bracket table to see when a team plays next.

College coaches want to see certain players against certain teams. College coaches, will come to you in the middle of a game that they want to see little suzie play x position.

They just dont show up. They actually have a game plan.
8am -suzy is on diamond 3.
8:30 - mary diamond 6
etc...

I agree, also I dont think the travel coach wants to try and juggle, showcasing the player while trying to set his or her team's line-up to win the tournament.

Most kids I've seen play who have ambitions to play college ball or those who are just softball junkies compete everytime out on the diamond at the 16/18U levels, they play hard if its a showcase or a qualifier.

So I say leave it a showcase!

default · Mar 10, 2010

I know that I'm in the minority, but my dd (who is 10) is playing in a showcase. Now granted, I understand that most will say 10 and 12U are fillers. When I talked to my dd that there are college coaches there, there was a smile I won't forget. I also told her that they will not be there to see her, but the older girls. Her response, "I'll get them to notice me then."

Now I know girls thoughts change as they get older. Maybe my 10U dd will change her mind, maybe knowing she is playing in a showcase, and seeing the older girls will help her make that final leap. I'm not just talking about my dd. Seeing those older girls also will help these girls see what they can become.

JHMO

default · Mar 10, 2010

ohioquakerman said:
Bill: I have been working on a college showcase idea for two years now... and you know me.. I really think out of the box. And believe me, this is WAY out of the box.

Getting the last details down for the past five days. Got about two weeks before I announce it. Two in Ohio and one in West Virginia actually. Waiting on one location in Ohio to confirm a date.

Don't forget the one your going to in Canada Quakerman!

Our Showcase is attached to our USFA World Series Qualifier. There is slush time put aside to run a seperate skills event and showcase game which does not conflict with the remainder of the tournament. Same example as someone mentioned for the Toledo Tune Up. Girls play on their regular teams for regular games but get randomly put together for the showcase piece. Coaches do have the opportunity if wanting another peak to see the player with the own team during the remainder of the weekend if they choose to stay.

We also run all age groups and run them at different parks as the Showcase is only run out of one specific park where the majority of the 18U games will run for the rest of the tournament. All other parks are very close by.

This has been very succesfull for us.

default · Mar 10, 2010

Mu umpires are looking forward to it and I'll be looking for a team to sponsor the entry fee into the event.

June 24th - 27th correct.. just outside of Toronto. I found out that 18 girls was signed in last year's event by college coaches.

The one's I'm scheduling Kate is in the Fall. Been working on the detail since 3 am this morning and still working...LOL

default · Mar 10, 2010

Kate .. put the link in here for people to go see. That link that Ed sent me.

I think it is http://www.leaguelineup.com/usfapartners

College Showcases

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