Showcase or Travel Baseball

oops... my bad... wow, didn't know I had that much pull...I'll keep that in mind...

 

Agree what showcase is suppose to be about, but the mentality of "its not who wins its how I do" is absolutely killing the teamwork required for the individuals on that team to find success. I see it in the younger guys especially. If you play to win as a team the individuals shine through and accomplish their goal of being seen.

I know you and stretchy are tlaking about folks looking for a trophy and not my point above, but it just kills me the selfishness I see on the field sometimes.

Watch the older SCP play the Dirtbags and let me know if winning doesnt matter.

 

I'm sure Andy would love for people to believe this, but this statement detracts from the many outstanding people across our state that work incredibly hard establishing relationships and credibility with the college and pro scouts in our region.

This comment is probably the one I get the most feedback from with some HS coaches...and I'm sure that people like Freddy Suggs, Don Hutchins, Garry Hill, Scott Bankhead and others that wear out their cell phones speaking to college scouts all day long may think differently.

Anybody can make a legitimate complaint about a particular Impact tournament, but for anyone to make an objection to what Andy Partin has done for the players in NC must have an agenda for doing so. Most of you have no idea what it was like before Andy took the initiative to help promote the baseball players in NC. It was terrible...and frustrating.

 

I tried to make that point in another thread. Initially, AP's Impact teams were for Showcasing individuals. He figured it out that he wanted a "team" concept. The players found out that playing deeper in a tournament like PG's Jupiter event did more for their chances of being seen, then play 3 games of pool play and catch the next plane home.

The rivalries that have been born in this state between programs always lends itself to fun games to watch. Those days of team showcases for the benefit of individuals are long gone...and good riddance.

 

Great Post Dawg

The players should first and foremost be playing the game because they love to play the game. Their focus should be on finding a way to help their team win. A by product of all this is if you take care of business trying to win the games someone will notice and like you as a player.

To me its not about being seen. Its not about "showcasing yourself". Its about a bunch of talented players coming together to compete at the highest level possible for them against the best teams they can find to play. In the process college coaches are going to like what they see and they will have some opportunities.

If your son played on one of these teams you would understand how hard they try to win and compete. You would understand how much it means to them to represent their club. And you would also understand how much pride they have no only in their team mates but in the program they represent.

I will tell you this I will not coach a selfish player. I will not coach a kid that is all about himself and not about the team. And I will not coach a kid that is just out there to be "seen." If this type of attitude is discovered or comes out they will be shown the door real quick. You can get there with a me mentality. You wont stay there with it.

 

Bingo!!!!

 

Observation

These are all good posts that give some excellent viewpoints. I do, though, think elite baseball, showcase, whatever you want to call it, does have a tendency towards self promotion which can definitely affect playing style. A good competitor wants to win no matter where or with whom he is playing. But let's face it - when your kid is trying to "showcase" his talent, that competitive fire can sometimes be directed at a teammate with whom he shares that position. Not so good for chemistry. And if we're honest, as parents we feel it, too, and we'd be lying if we said it doesn't feel good when our kid performs better than his teammate even if the team loses. I'd like to think that school teams promote more camaderie and team spirit because of school pride and tradition, but this venue, too, has been affected by the me first attitude. So, is there a better way? I don't know - I do appreciate what showcase organizers are doing for the kids, and I do think some kids get overlooked, but that happens in life, too. But the bottom line is that the main responsibility lies in us as parents to teach our kids to work hard, play unselfishly, and respect what the game, their coaches, their teammates and their opponents teach them as young men.

 

I see your point and it's one of the issues I have. I don't disagree. But you don't want to get me started. I bite my lip a lot on this subject. BTW, my son plays for a team.

 

For one to say

showcase is about team play must have lost their mind. Yes coaching is a part, attitude is a part, but team. Come on. What team has even won anything with team? Look at the papers this player did this, this player did that. It comes down to the effort of a player. How many players does it take to catch a fly ball? One. How many does it take to get a Hit? One. Point made!! How can anyone make that statement and sleep at night is way past PD BS Translator. Oh.. It is coming out in Jan. after the Pres. election.

 

That

simply speaks for itself.

Just when I think you can't possibly do anything else to amaze me , you go and totally redeem yourself!