Finally...it has to be said (A TBR Classic)

EXCELLENT POST Coach!!!

 

I've never seen this before

I'm relatively new to TBR so I didn't see or participate in this "discussion." I see both play when I have time. It looks to me like the Legion programs in our area get the seniors who have already committed and want to spend their last summer before college ball at home. The Sophs and Juniors are primarily off playing in showcases. True, some showcases are just AAU/USSSA with a different label but the showcase ball that has been referenced going on in Jupiter and Ft. Myers is unmatched. It's really not up for debate. Jupiter won't have 12 or 15 scouts there. They'll have 350. Let me spell that out so there's no misunderstanding. Three Hundred and Fifty Scouts. IF you want to be seen by scouts (college and pro) Jupiter is a pretty good idea. These teams have the best 1 or 2 players they can find from each high school. The kids are baseball players only. The football players are usually too busy with Friday night lights. This is the place to see a lot of kids at one time. The irony is that with scholarships and out of state tuition being what it is maybe we would be better off just playing in front of the local college recruiters. That's where most are headed anyway. From a development perspective I believe that playing with the best makes you a better player. The Legion teams I have seen are generally sharp but again they are 18 and 19 vs. Juniors in HS. The caliber of play is generally better in the showcases. There are two reasons the 350 scouts are there. 1. is that there are lots of players to see all in one place, BUT 2. is that these are typically the kids that are most serious about baseball and are playing at the highest level. If you can compete in Jupiter you can play college baseball. If you can excel in Jupiter you may even have a chance to play professionally. If you excel ANYWHERE they will find you. It's the next layer that have to do a little self promotion if they want to get an opportunity to play in college. Everyone just calm down and be nice! IT'S A GAME!

 

Well coach, you are wrong. You are taking one thing I said out of context. I am saying that Legion players play for their community and so forth. I am asking do Showcase players have the same things to play for and the answer is NO. To say that I am the kind of person that would injure or blackball a kid is AMAZINGLY far from the truth. Anyone that knows me will agree. In this area, there were two prominate baseball players that played Showcase ball over legion and NEVER have I felt bad towards those two guys and I see them everyday.

And to say that playing showcase ball is always what a kid wants to do is crap too. I have seen Showcase people sell kids a bill of goods and promise the world just to get their parents money. Which brings me to the question. Why should you have to pay to play baseball when legion kids get noticed just fine?

Now to say that my opinion is ignorant because it differs from yours, well thats just wrong too. The world is full of differing opinions and I have just as much a right to express mine as you do yours.

I will continue to argue at the top of my lungs that Legion baseball is at worst on par with Showcase baseball until someone proves me wrong.

 

theres a point there

downsouth makes a point about the showcases that i've been asking a little. most showcase teams charge kids to play. now i grasp uniforms, travel, umpires, equipment, etc. but some teams are turning a profit. ie that is their business. so i think sometimes kids are sold on a particular showcase team.


this is obviously a very emotional topic to some folks. i once again ask you to remember the kids. they're why we all do this, whether we coach hs (which i do), legion (which i do), or showcase (which i probably would do). each kid is different and will have different results.

we had one kid in our program that never finished a season with our legion team. he always left around the time the playoffs started because of legions duel participation rule. he unfortunately caught too much crap for this. he wasn't turning his back on his teammates, he was doing what was best for him. had he decided to stay with us wouldn't he have been turning his back on his showcase teammates? its definitely a pickle

we had another kid who was begged to play showcase ball. he didn't want to. he enjoyed legion.

oh these two scenarios one is in the sec and one is in the acc. so both roads can lead to some bigtime college baseball.

 

Rose colored glasses

I am not talking about some of the top level showcase teams we have in this state, ones that go to Jupiter etc. If your kid can play on one of those teams... GO FOR IT.

There are just so many "showcase" "elite" "travel" teams, that I believe the original poster was saying don't just throw your money around because you believe you HAVE to have your son on a team.

So your son is a really good player and everyone knows it, but if he doesn't have the grades for D1, the SAT, or can't get through the clearinghouse what good does it do that you spend 5k and up for him to play on one of these teams? The top level teams will tell you this.

I just don't see a right or wrong for Legion/showcase/travel. Some kids will always stay local, and yes may miss an opportunity to be seen so each family has to decide what is right for them and their son.

I realize recruiting budgets are tight, but if you are most likely a NAIA, D3, D2,
Juco, or even a small D1 player, I BELIEVE (me, my opinion) you need to write letters to those schools you are interested in, call those schools to see if they have their own camp, and if not what camp they may be attending.

Alot of us parents gasp at the cost of a college education, you may get some baseball money, you may get a great package. I want mine to have that sheepskin. They have played with guys who have made it and made it BIG. They have played with guys who were drafted once, low, and never again. They have played with guys I knew, you knew, EVERYONE knew were going to be drafted and never were, played a bit of indy ball and sent home. Thank goodness they had that sheepskin!

Take off the rose colored glasses, get an honest evaluation, go out an watch college games at the different levels and ask yourself if your son is as good or better than the kid who is playing there.

I am just a mom.

 

Thanks Coach27.

 

Does anyone recognize the following quote???:

"I think any kid who is unsigned or who has a genuine desire to play college baseball should attend this event. There are gonna be several schools from across NC. If you are not getting the exposure you need this will be one of your last chances.

Believe me, college coaches will get involved with their own teams in January and do not come up for air until about April or May. there will very little scouting at your high school games unless they are there to see an individual player.

Last year I saw several kids who we ended up recruiting from this event. Many I had never heard of before"

Just in case you didn't recognize this post, it was posted by olefty on 09-20-06, @ 06:38 PM while talking about the Belmont Abbey showcase.

As most of you are aware, olefty is a college coach/recruiter. Even though he started this particular thread, he admits in his above quote that showcases (in particular the Belmont Abbey showcase), is the way to get exposure. In his own words, "many I had never heard of before" were found at this particular showcase.

Having quoted and said all of the above, I have to say Coach 27 seems to have put things into perspective better than anyone. The kids should be able to decide which way they want to play without harassment form either side. After all, baseball is a game that is meant to be played for fun... Ask the pros that win the World Series? Most quotes will be we worked hard to be prepared but what mattered is when it came time to play we had fun playing the game and winning the World Series was the reward for our work and fun...

Let kids decide what will be best for them!!! But most important, support their decisions and allow them to have fun. We all know, the vast majority will never play beyond high school or college so don't pressure them into something that is NOT fun for them...

 

I agree with Coach 27....let the kids play where they want to play...but,

I've said this a few times but never really get a response...it does not matter if you are playing Legion, Showcase or even High School...if the Coach is not promoting his players and putting your name out there or getting you in front of the right people to been seen it is going to be tough to play at the next level.

 

redsoxfan

I do not consider a one day pro style try out as showcase baseball. When I talk about showcase baseball I am talking about the teams that play tournaments all summer long and every weekend during the fall.

The belmont abbey "showcase" is really a personal workout. I will have legitimate 60 times on every player who shows up. I will be able to grade evey position player at their primary and secondary positions. I will see every catcher's pop time. I will also have a general description and velo rating on each pitcher.

I understand how I might have sounded contradictory but to me, these are two completely seperate devices. I attend several of these a year and I personally badck up the Belmont Abbey showcase because they are a coaching staff that knows what they are doing. I beleive these are a great way to spend your money for your kid to be seen.

 

I'm not sure that it is a coach's responsibility. I think it depends on the situation....and on the player. They should do all they can to help, but to place the burden on the coach is asking a lot. First, the assumption is that the coach has contacts and credibility with the recruiters and scouts (many do not).

My advice is the player and their parents must do there own homework and map out a plan based on one's talent. But remember this (and this is the toughest part to acknowledge), if one is not talented enough to play at the next level, then it doesn't matter who one plays for and what kind of exposure one may receive.

A coach has to be very careful in who he recommends and at what level they recommend the player to. His future credibility is on the line and they don't want to risk that just because they are friends with a player's parents.

The funny things is....prior to Andy Partin starting Impact and Mike Shildt starting On Deck, both with the intention to helping the NC players gain more notice, there were never discussions about showcasing, recruiting and ......






















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