Freshmen at showcases

[default]

With TB starting soon I've seen alot of showcases the past few months for the girls, I was just wondering should I be looking to put my freshmen DD into any of them?, is it worth it just for the experience going into next year?

 

[default]

If you got the $$$ it definately won't hurt...may draw some interest that will guide her toward some schools of interest. If she knows what schools she likes I say you better off spend your $$$ getting her in front of those schools as often as you can!!!

 

[default]

Yep. Go.

After getting a few out of the way, she'll be more comfortable when they "count". Plus, colleges are usually looking for players 2 or 3 years down the road. 16U gets more attention than 18U. So it may not be as early as you think.

 

[default]

Yes it is worth it. Mine started early. Keep in mind the D3's can contact her and you will be surprised how many contacts you will get if she shines. Plus you can start the fun part ( hard part) of trying to figure out what is the best fit for her. Then start going to the college camps that she is interested in. Many have asked my dd where she is playing this summer , because they can talk to you if you go to a camp.

 

[default]

I will take the contrarian view.

Unless you would also consider giving your DD a few hundred bucks and putting her on a bus to Hollywood to "be discovered" then save the money on showcase camps.

Invest the money in lessons to build skills.

Find a legitimate hitting coach that has a track record of producing outstanding hitters. If your DD can't consistently hit well above .400 in high school or close to it in travel ball, she is not good enough.

Yeah, slapping lessons are great, but if that is all she can do, she is a one-dimensional player, and won't attract big fish. I do think that it is worth seeing if you can develop some switch hitting capability if she is not yet hitting from the left side.

For goodness sake, teach her how to get a bunt down EVERY TIME. She may be a power hitter in HS, but she could be batting 7th in college.

Build her fielding skills. Really fast players often end up in the outfield if they aren't at the top of their infield position. College is a bad time to learn the position.

If she is a pitcher - get a real pitching coach. Create a plan to develop pitches over several years, and a plan on how she will use those pitches. Learn your limitations to highlight your attributes. However, if Division I is your goal, and you really can't throw 62+, you can probably forget it - right or wrong.

PICK A MAJOR. PICK SCHOOLS THAT HAVE STRONG PROGRAMS IN THAT MAJOR. Assess your abilities against the school's current roster (where are the girls from, what does their bio say about them). If you are a fit, then actively solicit the coach to come see you play in the summer. Send them updates. Be a pest.

If the school has a camp - go to it. The coach can talk to you there.

Get on a decent team in the summer that plays in tournaments where coaches are likely going to be. The ASA state tournament is always a safe bet, and it must take all comers. GAPSS and Lasers and Stingrays are good in central Ohio, but you don't have to do all of them.

If it is all about you, you probably aren't a good fit for college ball. Most rosters are 20 girls. Most freshman don't do much. If that is not for you, now is a good time to find out.

The big thing I believe is that getting on a college team is about building a long-term relationship based on trust and mutual understanding about what both parties can expect.

If some person that reads stats and watches videos on YouTube shows up and wants to take my DD on a four-year softball date to Southeastern Wahoo State, it probably isn't happening.

 

[default]

Absolutely freshman should be at Showcases - both camps and tournaments. But "buyer beware" certainly holds true. Make sure the colleges you are interested in are attending. Simply showing up and hoping coaches discover your daughter is foolhardy. But coaches will definately go watch freshman.

 

[default]

The freshman age is a tough call to make, you want her at the highest level of TB you can afford for her to play. Lets face it if a kid is good enough they will build a rep for themselves just like an Org does. The tournies listed above are excellent ones to attend and will get your dd all the attention she could possibly want if those tournies are mixed with the right camps and clinics.

At the age of a freshman its tough for them to decide on what to wear to school much less where to go to school. And her mind will change a dozen times over a dozen schools in the next 3 years.

Theres alot of homework to accomplish at her age but as she progresses she will soon discover where she belongs and what she wants.

Just start the recruiting early, it dosent hurt to send out info her freshman year it puts her on the radar. Chances are the coaches reading her info now wont be there when she is ready to go to school. Seems to be a revolving door about every 3 to 5 years unless the program is Uber Successful.

Bottom line keep her at the highest level of TB you can commit to. and achieve the highest ACT scores she can get over the next 3 years and this will all take care of its self.


Tim

 

[default]

Tim is a wise man, and has some excellent words of wisdom - he is just a little misguided about pitcher's dads .

The two biggies are 1) Play at the highest level of travel ball you can achieve, because college coaches want "battle tested" kids, not trophy chasers. 2) Have suitable SAT/ACT scores that won't scare college coaches away. Those test scores tell the coaches how much of an academic risk you are, and they have enough on their plate without having to deal with ineligible players.

All of the top teams are already going to showcases - so your goal is to just polish your skills and get on board one of those teams.

P.S. - Tim - love the avatar (proud papa)

 

[default]

Still hard to think of my buddy as a Northern Hoosier!

 

[default]

Just had a sit down with the softball coach from my SEC alma mater, trying to get information on when to start my DD in showcases and what is a realistic age for colleges to start looking for recruits, and was blown away at what he told me...20 + years ago when I was being recruited for my sport, colleges didn't even look your way until you were a junior or sophomore. This coach advised me that they look at freshmen and sophomores, and for most D1 and D1A level programs, if they haven't shown interest in a player by their sophomore year, they weren't going to. Doesn't mean that a late blooming stand out can't be recruited, but he indicated that most of their looking was done by a players junior year. He did advise that is not indicative of EVERY D1 program, and stated that a lot of D2 and D3 programs do look well into a players junior or even senior year. SOOOOOOOOO, long answer short ...I would say getting your DD involved in showcases in her freshman year can absolutely be beneficial to her.

 

[default]

P.S. - Tim - love the avatar (proud papa)

Just a smidgen lol thanks

 

[default]

Still hard to think of my buddy as a Northern Hoosier!

Imagine how the northern hoosiers feel :lmao:........... Hillbilly's invade Lake Mich. News at 11

 

[default]

Thanks for the advice gang.:yahoo: Will do our homework and look for one this summer that she wants to attend.

 

[default]

Sounds like you're talking about attending camps/clinics, not necessarily tournaments. I will guarantee when your DD begins recruiting correspondence with college coaches one of the persistent questions she will be asked is "What tournaments are you playing in this summer, and who are you competing against?" The answer to that question will greatly influence coaches. I cannot stress enough the importance of competing at a high level. If her team is not doing that, college coaches will want to know why. That could possibly be a strike against her that she will have to overcome.

The decision about which camps/clinics to attend rests primarily on what level of player your DD is - some HONEST soul searching needed here. Go where she has the best opportunity to be seen by coaches who will HONESTLY recruit her. Go to the summer OSU camp - IF she has a shot at that level. If she seems to be more comfortable fitting into a D3 program, by all means shift your focus to attending as many of those that make sense.

Believe me, most camps/clinics are set up to be money makers - and there's noting wrong with that. Many programs desperately need that cash to support their program. But by attending the RIGHT one at the RIGHT time, these camps can be a great way for your DD to meet coaches of programs she has a shot at, and make an impression on them. But as far as the "best" camp? That all depends on your DD's skill level. If she hits like Bustos and pitches like Fernandez , you probably should have your sights set on major DI programs - and their camps.

 

[default]

Imagine how the northern hoosiers feel :lmao:........... Hillbilly's invade Lake Mich. News at 11

I lived in NW Indiana for a few years in the mid-80's. Trust me, they have their own variation of hillbillies there.

 

[default]

Sounds like you're talking about attending camps/clinics, not necessarily tournaments. I will guarantee when your DD begins recruiting correspondence with college coaches one of the persistent questions she will be asked is "What tournaments are you playing in this summer, and who are you competing against?" The answer to that question will greatly influence coaches. I cannot stress enough the importance of competing at a high level. If her team is not doing that, college coaches will want to know why. That could possibly be a strike against her that she will have to overcome.

The decision about which camps/clinics to attend rests primarily on what level of player your DD is - some HONEST soul searching needed here. Go where she has the best opportunity to be seen by coaches who will HONESTLY recruit her. Go to the summer OSU camp - IF she has a shot at that level. If she seems to be more comfortable fitting into a D3 program, by all means shift your focus to attending as many of those that make sense.

Believe me, most camps/clinics are set up to be money makers - and there's noting wrong with that. Many programs desperately need that cash to support their program. But by attending the RIGHT one at the RIGHT time, these camps can be a great way for your DD to meet coaches of programs she has a shot at, and make an impression on them. But as far as the "best" camp? That all depends on your DD's skill level. If she hits like Bustos and pitches like Fernandez , you probably should have your sights set on major DI programs - and their camps.

VERY good advice!!!