Boulder

This kind of reminds me of the State Games a couple years ago at UNC-G stadium.

There are many who played at those Games who are now either playing D-I or have committed to D-I programs. The Games that particular year were loaded with top-flight players--ALL NC players, of course.

This would be an outstanding showcase for NC players. It wouldn't take long at all to attract coaches from around the country. This is an opportunity that needs to be promoted. I would love to see the State Games have a permanent location. UNC-G's central location would be great but I predict that an even larger facility would be needed before long. And the focus on courting the coaches could really be done up.

Even though the Games were just in their second year the level of talent there was great. Imagine what it could be if that would become THE tournament to play in. It would definitely expand--no doubt!

Maybe someone can find the State Games rosters from year before last and see how many future D-I, D-II, etc., players were on it.

This could easily be NC's best venue to see NC's best players.

 

YES!.. Coach Reinalda (Yale) spent what time I saw her in Boulder watching CA teams.. particularly the Bat Busters.

The Penn coach Leslie King told me this year and I quote: "I am recruiting the same players as Stanford".

For years Princeton when Barron was coach had a pipeline with a San Diego travel ball organization ( I could look this up but won't)

Shall I go on?

 

Correct

Good post and let's clear one thing up that has been said several times, College Coaches never go to a showcase without having a number of kids to see. They may watch 50+ kids and at Boulder maybe more with the complex setup so well for watching multiple games. NC kids get seen as they watch kids from all over country.

 

Nope, you proved my point. Yale coach was out there looking for talent at CA teams. Looking for girls they can not get at home. Yale coach not going to travel that far to look at girls from Connecticut, just like NC coaches would not go there to look at girls from NC. They can see local girls in their own backyards and save the recruiting money for when they need to travel out west, or Florida, or wherever, and try to attract talent they can not get at home.

 

Then perhaps you should phrase your question a bit more clearly, but in any event you have made it easier than ever to settle the matter.

Most of the girls on the LB team were being watched by Carolina schools. WHY? because they had been exchanging e mails with them and were on their radar screen. My first year in Boulder I was a bit shocked as to why the schools from our area were spending so much time watching "local" kids and this year it became clear to me when in one specific instance it was told to me by the coach that she wanted to see the LB player bat against a kid who was going to a Pac 10 school. I think you can extrapolate the logic in doing this. Certainly there are kids who get to play at local colleges who don't go to Boulder but to say it doesnt enhance your chances is to deny reality... just look at the roster of LB kids who went this summer.

Rodney and some of the other parents can give the list but the stands were full of mostly Carolina schools when we played our games in Boulder... ergo to put it plainly ... they go to Boulder and DO watch kids from "their own backyards".

 

They want to see the "locals" play against "big time" competition in "big time" situations. Just like travel ball tournaments prepare kids for playing in high school playoffs, these high level tournaments show coaches how a player can handle the pressure.

 

Well, I stand corrected. I guess my information from other high level TB orgainzations is either wrong, or they don't tell you the truth. I will admit that I can see how a kid playing IN a tournament like Boulder could raise a kids stock, but if what you say is true, that a Coach from NC has to go to Boulder to look at a local kid to see how they perform in "BigTime" situations and see how they handle the pressure, that should tell you alot about the high level of play in the Showcase tournaments in NC.

 

No right/no wrong

y

There is no right or wrong answer to attending Boulder it is entirely a decision to be made by each organization or team. Lot of good exchange but the same two or three arguments or opinions keep cropping up.
Against: cost, why head west, NC tournaments are sufficient
For: Play the best, enhance recruiting chances, 200 college coaches from all over America attend
Anyway, the post has created great exchange and we can agree to disagree but anything that makes all of NC softball better, more marketable, and provides NC girls more opportunity, we will do!

 

I was told of a young lady who played for the Cardinals who was recruited by and signed with Villanova by playing in Boulder. Villanova was not on this young ladies list, but after seeing her playing in CO, the Villanova coach made her an offer she couldn't refuse.

I heard that other Cardinal players received much larger scholarship offers by playing well against the strong competition you see in CO. So if a young ladies offer can go from 50% to 85% or to a full, then the trip to Boulder is well worth the money.

I think the Cardinals have been going out there for over 10 years, so there must be a huge benefit or neither they or the blues would continue to go.

I was also told whenever the Cardinals or blues finish the tournament, there is always a long line of college coaches waiting at the dugout to talk with players. So again, there are just more benefits for a team that plays in CO that you can't get in tournaments locally.

 

This is true and perhaps the more intruiging aspect of this situation was that the coach had shown up early (she was going to watch a player in the next contest) and just happened to catch part of a Cardinals game in which this young lady performed well.