Akron & Kent Prospect Camps - Thoughts?

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So for those of you who attended one or both of these camps this past weekends what are your thoughts?

Was the $80 worth it? Pro's/Con's of each camp? Opinions of the facilities at each camp? Did the girls receive good instruction?

Mine attended both camps - she's a freshy. She liked both camps and thought she received good instruction at both. She enjoyed interacting with the coaches and players from each school. Said she liked being able to play all the games at Kent on dirt infields but that was offset by getting to play on Akron's main field. The games on the turf at Akron were hot - glad it wasn't in the 80's or 90's on Sunday.

For me the talk Coach Linder gave on recruiting at the end of the KSU camp was worth at least half the price of admission. Basically pick your school for academic reasons and work in the softball around your academics. I heard a story out of Toledo where a S o c c e r player wanted to go into Pharmacy and after showing her coach her schedule the coach basically said - No Way. The labs were going to interfere with practice. She either had to change her schedule or forget about futbol. After hearing what Coach Linder said it kind of hit home with my daughter. Coach Linder also provided valuable insight to how each level of the NCAA & NAIA handle scholarships and the recruiting process involved with each level.

Both faciliites were top notch. The Kent fieldhouse and softball field are off campus and you have to drive to them. All the facilities at Akron are on campus- and the new stadium at Akron WOW! Each fieldhouse is a mirror image of one another. Akron didn't use the fieldhouse but I've been in both and there's no real difference.

To me it was well worth the money and my daughter will be back at both next year.

 

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Wish we could have made it to Akron camp for comparison, but dd came away LOVING KSU, coaches, players, etc. From that point of view, it was VERY beneficial for her in figuring out "what she wants to do with her life", inasmuch as a 15 year old can really grasp that??

For the $80.00, tough to put a dollar value on that just yet. But it was an excellent learning experience. Glad we went, would do it it again ... I mean we WILL do it again.

Will see what BGSU is all about this weekend. Anyone else going there?

 

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I can't compare both - my daughter just went to the Akron U one as a white shirt. (9th grader) She loved it. I thought the program was well done - my kid learned a lot.

The campus and facilities looked great and the staff did fine as far as I could tell. We went away happy, not sure about other families.

I did tell a dad from Michigan about Swenson's though - and he and his son loved it!

 

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Miami University (Oxford) also had an excellent camp this weekend and had such a great response that they are running a follow-up camp on September 27 (see link below). My daughter went to the one on Sept. 13th (9th grader) and had an excellent experience.

http://www.muredhawks.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/091009aaa.html

 

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Miami University (Oxford) also had an excellent camp this weekend and had such a great response that they are running a follow-up camp on September 27 (see link below). My daughter went to the one on Sept. 13th (9th grader) and had an excellent experience.

Don't hi-jack my thread. Start your own~ :lmao:

 

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My daughter went to both camps. They both were very well run. SoftballDad you are right on about the advice the KSU coach had. Thought this part was very informational and leaves the kids thinking about where their priorities should be. The Akron coach was very profession in her discussion at the end as well but didn't go into the recruiting process.
Like that the Akron camp was right in the middle of campus but then again in the middle in winter KSU showed they have the facilities to be practicing all year round. Like the way the KSU camp had the girls color coded wrist bands so could see who the 2013,2012 and 2011 campers were. (Look like most were 2012 Sophomore class). It was tough getting a feeling about being a campus facility being off campus at Kent.
I think the workout was better at Akron and they played full games versus the 1-1 count at Kent. Was disappointment that Akron had to resort t their all purpose field for the games but I can appreciate what the coach said about having to negotiate with the other organization. That is being in the middle of the city doesn't help with available space. It did feel like more of college setting at Akron which was part of the experience . It does look Akron is continue to build some nice facilities (nice new stadium and look like a new student dorms going in ext to it). L
My daughter like them both. I applauded both coaches and they seemed to get everyone's attention for the positions they are in. Good job to both organizations! Yes, they were worth it.
:cap:

 

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Like the way the KSU camp had the girls color coded wrist bands so could see who the 2013,2012 and 2011 campers were. (Look like most were 2012 Sophomore class)

Akron had their color scheme too. White Shirts were Freshman. Gray Shirts were Sophomores, & Navy Shirts were Juniors.

Obviously both schools knew who they were recruiting out of the 2010 class which is why the 2010 class wasn't invited to attend.

 

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MaxFly - Would you say the level of players was about the same at each camp?

 

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Only made the Kent State camp and they had the Kent State players wearing the different color shirts the campers wore so a kid would always find the leaders of her group by having the same shirt on with the only difference the Kent players had the same Kent State Softball shorts on. One of the Kent players who is only around 5'3" or so was asked by one of the campers when she's graduating high school thinking she was a participant too. An awkward moment for the girl but funny for everyone else. Unless dad was pressed for time to catch a football game afterwards the Allerton sports complex where they concluded with the games is just on the south edge of campus down the hill from the rec center and seeing the campus after the games wouldn't have taken too long for those wanting a better feel of the campus and maps can be found online. Coach Linder is a real deal and she must really love coaching at Kent or otherwise she would have left long ago to coach in the Big Ten and she runs a pretty consistent performing program that usually wins. She also stresses to her players and their families that academics and graduation are the real priorities. She is probably one of the best for taking Ohio girls compared to a certain big name university in central Ohio who snubs a lot of Ohio's best and has picked up players from her camps so it's a good feeling for the girls attending that if they have the skills and perform well they really do have a shot at recruitment providing like Coach Linder said they are certain the school feels like a good fit for them and not just for softball. We'll be back for the big exposure camp in January where the girls can be seen by dozens of college coaches including Akron's for those of you who went to their camp too.

 

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My DD made both. Thought U of A was more fun and more instructive with past players from U of A and other area colleges who are experienced instructors doing the instruction in the morning and U of A players coaching games in the afternoon. She felt she learned more from U of A. Coach Jones was active observer at all games at the softball field, giving praise and constructive comments throughout games. Coach Jones also bragged about her team gradepoint and active participation in campus activities.

DD did like the KSU camp and the talk by Coach Linder could not have been more informative. She seems to want the girls to find what is best for them. Stressing academics in high school above all else and the fact that more money is available through academics then through softball.

One note: KSU camp was very hard on catchers in the a.m. because they had catching instruction followed immediately by having to catch during pitching instructions -- ended up being about 2 hours in catcher's stance, without a break. U of A pitchers had to bring their own catcher. That made the camp better for my DD catcher.

Overall, very glad we went to both and thought each was worth the $$.

 

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The dd will be going to two KSU camps. One this fall and one this winter. Glad to see the feedback. Have only been there once and wasn't impressed with the hitting session. Read post on coaches corner and hitting basketballs. Hopefully they have stopped this drill. Have been to many college camps and now that she is a Freshman, plan on many more over the the next two years. Coach Linder did a good job on the discussion on grades and academics.

 

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Sue99: I would say there was alot talent at both camps. My main focus was on the type of coaching and instruction they were getting. Wish I had known about the shirt scheme for grade level there at Akron. There was definietly good hitters there at both camps.

 

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She learned a lot during her day at Akron U. I could see her incorporating it in her games that day, and today in practice as well.

It's nice to see her respecting the advice given by coaches. Just show she has a desire to get better and better!