Does girls have to play showcase?

Does girls have to play showcase?
Ironic that this is followed by a question about getting into college.

 

many good posts..

here are my observations:

- first, pay attention to what Duke says. Nothing teaches like experience and he has it!

- I am sure what you meant by recruiting is can you get $$ to play D1 or D2 softball without showcase play... the answer to that is NO! Is there the odd exception to this .. I am sure it happened at some point but... read on.

- you can play D3 or juco at NON COMPETATIVE programs without showcase play but be aware.. even D3 schools without a history of softball success go to the biggest tournaments like Boulder.

- You MUST recruit your school.. UNLESS you throw it 65+ or bat in the 1, 3 or 4 hole and play an up the middle position for one of the top programs in your region. At a national tournament like Boulder you are more likely to get interest from a college you havent recruited if one of the above apply. If you play for a national type organization like the Batbusters and one of the above apply then the you will have mega interest.

- some colleges will recuit based soley on your athletic look. I have observed this first hand but be aware we are talking about the top 1% of the human gene pool... in other words look like Natasha Watley... 6ft, 2.5 to first.. you get the picture. Osterman and Abbot are two other examples. I stood next to Osterman in Charlotte several years ago. She's 6ft4 and her arms were to her knees!

- HS ball can matter in terms of accolades such as team captaincy... which shows leadership. HS Stats may be meaningless but many recruiting forms still ask for them!

Your question remains focused on showcase ball and its impact. The bottom line is the better the team you play for the better "exposure" you get at showcase tournaments. Colleges develop relationships with certain organizations... they trust the judgement of those who coach those teams.

I had a brilliant law school professor who expressed the answer to every problem in terms of being at some point on a continuam... with absolute white on one end and absolute black on the other and varying shades of grey in between. For your question the answer is simple: the higher the level your TB experience the more likely you will be recuited... the further you move to the other end of the spectrum, ie less showcase or no showcase the less likely you will be able to play ball in college. Can you get lucky and have your Schwab's drug store moment? Sure... but dont bank on it!

 

Hey T.H.

I think you and Charlie Dobbins drink from the same well, your comments and explanations are always fun to read, and keeps everybody on their toes !!

 

Thanks for the English lesson Cervo. I noticed the error after the fact and figured somebody would take a shot at me. I actually have two college degrees, scary huh!

 

Showcases mandatory? No, but coaches do want to see a kid play against good competition. They don't care who wins or what the records are, they just want to see how a kid handles herself in a good, competitive game. Coaches come to showcases with a list of kids that they want to see. They do sometimes find a kid who wasn't on their list. But, the reason that most coaches come to showcases is that the girls have sent out their emails letting the coaches know where they will be playing.

You can really make some hay at camps and clinics. Camps and clinics are great because you can actually talk to the coaches of that school (at any age, even before the summer before your senior year) and the coaches/instructors can get a good view at your skills.

 

I don't think showcase tournaments are necessary for girls to get a college scholarship. If you are good the word gets around, and the scouts will come to see you play, even in HS. I've been at HS and local tournaments where there were scouts there to see a particular player. Do your homework, attend camps. When it comes time, let the coaches know you are interested in their college. Always keep your grades at the highest level possible.

 

Sting is dead on, when college coach attend showcase tourn. they are there to see kids play that there is already a previous interest. There is alway the possibility that durning there time in attendance they may spot a kid that attracts there attention.
Winning or losing team makes no difference, a football coach thay some of you may have heard of by the name of Bear Bryant, made the comment that when he went to see a recruit, he actually hoped that the team he was on lost, he said, you can tell more about a kid as to what they really are after a lost than after a win..