Boulder

I don't believe the primary reason that the NC college coaches are going to Boulder is necessarily to see NC players but since they are there it obviously makes sense to watch the NC players compete against the "higher" level competition.

The more I read about it the more sense it makes to go there.

Side note: the TB teams that are going to those type of tournaments will be able to do their own recruiting/attracting of players here in NC. The cream rising to the top.

 

Quick Question

Love the Boulder tournaments and hope my daughter is qualified to go when she is a little older.

Just curious - I know the tournament decision are made on a team basis but:

1.) Do you have to be careful about making sure a player is ready for this level of competition?
2.) Have girls ever been dropped from consideration by a college based on a weak performance at a tournament such as Boulder? What about the player that goes 1 for 21 and strikes out 12 times?
3.) Are there girls not quite ready for this competition that have blown there chances at getting an offer?
4.) Do you ever find a good player that is totally overwhelmed by the elite tournaments?
5.) I know these tournaments are not for every team but are they right for every player on a great team?
6.) Would the staff of one of the elite teams ever tell an individual on the team that it is best for that player to not attend this type of event?

I am not bashing, as I love these tournaments. I'm just wondering about the negative effects of a bad performance at an elite tournament.

 

Point

You make a good point, we have taken younger players with us and give them limited playing time at first so they can get comfortable. Going 0-12 does not mean you are not a good softball player and can not play at next level, even the best have slumps and the coaches look for defensive skills, base running, quality swings, attitude, team players, etc. The main thing is playing with a passion, hustling on and off the field, keeping a positive attitude and all things will work out.
Cardinals, TFS, Dominators, and others have gone to Colorado for Sparklers, Boulder, and other tourneys before Blues formed so some of them maybe able to give feedback as well.

 

Boils down to this.

I've read all this and tried to keep my mouth shut, but:
Not every team can go to Boulder, or Aurora, or NJ, or TX, or Rising Stars or CA, and compete at the level a college coach might come expect at these high level tournaments.
Not every team can afford to make the trip.
Not every player on every team needs to go.
Every single player will not get recruited at these tournaments.
Not every player warrants recruitment at these tournaments.
These are not for everyone, folks. That's why I started our East Coast Fireworks, so the rest of us have a place to play that will draw some coaches regionally.

We are however, stepping up our national recruitment strategy by traveling to some of these tournaments and it's paying off.
We have tried to get all our kids recruited in-state but unfortunately the NC schools don't need all our players.
So, when there is a chance someone in NY can use one of our players, offers big money to have her come, why would you not seize the opportunity. I feel it would be an injustice on my part not to give the kid every opportunity to shine, coast to coast, if necessary.
It is a fact that Boulder is a recruiting haven. It is the single best venue in the country. That's why the LB's go, that's why Ray's Cardinals go, heck if I could get in, we'd go too.
We are off to the Rising Stars this weekend and the Ronald McDonald next weekend.
NC State will be there, UNC will be there, Campbell will be there, Elon will be there, and so will JMU, Oklahoma, Kansas, FSU, Texas, the list goes on and on.
Expensive? Yes. Worth it? IMO, Yes.
Theres my 2 cents not that it amounts to much.
Good luck in Boulder next year Rodney!

 

You do an excellent job! Other than allowing tie games I don't think anyone could ask any more of you. Keep up the great work; we need more people like you! But I do wish you'd eliminate ties.

 

Rick I think you made a great point here in your statement," NC schools don't need all of our players". There has been a great talent base developed here by people like yourself and the fact is there are more girls qualified to play at some collegiate level then then there are positions available in the NC schools. This is something I wished I had realized earlier, and I would have probably allowed for my daughter to play on teams that do play outside NC and our border states. Just my two cents on the matter but I think you nailed it.

 

I'm not knocking it or putting it down, I'm just stating what I've been told, "....that you do not have to go play those kinds of tournaments to get recruited..." AND also, that a BIGTIME college coach is not going to spend a TON of their recruiting budget to travel all that way for the SPECIFIC (operative word here) purpose to look at a kid they can see in their own backyard. It's makes sence. Now if a DD wants to go play and can in those types of tournaments....more power to her. I'm glad that folks like the Cardinals and other have developed enough as organizations that a kid has an opportunity to do it. Lastly, there are a TON of great colleges at the DI, DII, DIII levels in our great state, and being the parent of a player, if my DD is going to play college ball I would hope that it's close to home so I can go and see the games, and still get a fantastic education. Not some far away place that I can not get to. JMHO, and everyone keep up the good work! Lots of good people out there.

 

Coaches

Please don't mention the recruiting budget for the colleges. I have had the pleasure of going to Boulder, New Jersey and Plantation. You would be surprised to not only see the head coaches but also the rest of the staff. UNC will send all three coaches, Coach Navas would have her assistants and LSU for instance had four (three coaches and operations director). The olympians that also coach in college are there. If you get the chance; go, you will be amazed. If you do not have the opportunity, you will be seen. Good luck to all

 

Rick much respect for what you have accomplished but if you were referring only the top players athletically warranting "recruitment" I must offer a different perspective.

As I am sure you know there are coaches at Boulder from every level program. This thread talks a lot about the UCLAs, Stanfords, LSUs etc etc but... IF and i say IF you are willing to go to the best college academically and not be committed to only playing in the Carolinas Boulder can be a ticket to an education that a young lady may not be able to get otherwise.

A coach from a small but top 25 D3 school in MN talked to two LB players after our last game. This is not for everyone to be sure but if this is a ticket to get an incredible education....

I respect those who want to stay close and perhaps this is what you were referring to. It is their life and their family but I say that virtually any girl playing 18U showcase ball in NC could play for the progarm I mentioned above.

There is a place for everyone as has been said many times on here if you really want to play softball in college. Boulder has the full gamut of programs in attendence... from UCLA to JC's.

 

First off, I am new to the NC softball furum but I'm very impressed with the knowlege given on this thread by the NC Fastpitch community! There is some great insight on recruiting, competing and the overall enjoyment of attending National level events such as the showcase in Boulder. I have been to Boulder once in 2007 with my 2nd of 4 DD's, and it was a great experience for every family involved! Hopefully no one will take offense seeing that I'm an outsider from Ohio, but here are some of the things we've done differently in the past 2-3 years that has helped prepare us for national type events and the recruiting process.

1) The top level teams have all but stopped playing N$A...everything is geared towards qualifying and attending ASA Nat's. N$A thought they had us cornered because they have the NSA "A" Nat's in Columbus, Ohio everyother year similar to how they have it in Charlotte, NC every couple of years. But now the majority of teams are trying to qualify and play in big time ASA events, and NSA events are on the sharp decline. And now the mid level travel teams are following suit and the overall level of play in our state has started to rise at every age group.

2) More teams are also applying and getting accepted to national level events such as Boulder, Oklahoma City ect. in preperation for recruiting & competing at ASA Nat's. Teams are also traveling to Chicago Illinois, Raleigh NC and New Jersey for large showcases for both recruiting & competing purposes.

3) The top level teams have also cut back on there fall tournament schedule's (saving much needed cash for the summer season) by only playing in a couple of Fall showcases and using the rest of the weekends playing in 4 and 8 team "One Day Friendly's' with only other top level teams. You play only the best, it's a one day 3 game event, with no Hotel/Motel expense. If players are doing there homework and emailing/communicating with college coaches they will come. One example was a 4 team Friendly with 3 out of state teams from Michigan and Illinoise, using the University of Michigans varsity softball field, and there were at least a dozen college coaches in attendence, who stayed the whole day watching 50 girls from said 4 teams.

I know this part is a little off topic, but our team also played at the Carolina Cardinal Classic down in Raleigh, NC this past summer. It was a great experience for our team. Great facilities, ample amount of college coaches, super nice TD. Heck, even the state trooper who pulled me over at 1:00am for speeding (because I was lost) just gave me a warning. The only negative was we only played 3 great teams (Carolina Wildcats, Carolina Cardinals and a NJ team) out of the 7 games we played. At these 3 games there were plenty of college coaches, but at the other 4 games only a coach or two attended for an inning or two, because the teams were not true ASA type teams. So a team needs to make sure they are being matched up well in a showcase format, because it is better to lose a game 3-2 with a dozen college coaches watching then to win 16-3 with no college coaches watching.

Now the reason we traveled to this Showcase is several of our players are very interested in southern schools and they would've never had the oppotunity to be seen if we didn't travel south. It worked out well as a top North Carolina program watched 2 of our games and became interested in a couple of our players and the assistant coach kept her promise and watched a couple of our games out at the ASA 16U Nat's in Sioux Falls, SD. Later this month we play our final fall showcase down in Chattanooga, TN and these coaches have ask for our game times to see our girls one last time, this is an awsome opportunity for the 2 girls. So traveling to an out of region showcase can surely open up opportunties with different programs that never before existed!

It would be nice to have a "Boulder East" showcase. From a competition standpoint, I know that if teams such as the Carolina Wildcats, Carolina Cardinals, Virginia Shamrocks and Carolina Crush were ever to play teams like the Indiana Shockwaves, Louisville Sluggers, Ohio Lady Lasers, Ohio Valley Extream, Indy Dreams, Ill Homer Hawks ect. at an eastern regional showcase before nationals; the college coaches from everywhere east of the Mississippi would try to attend and it would better prepare eastern teams for ASA Nat's. Because this (ASA Nat's) is where all the college coaches attend. I know it had to help, at least a little, for the Indiana Shockwaves who finished 4th at ASA 16U out of 164 teams and everyone of there players are going on to college to play softball.

Thanks for letting me rant with IMHO.

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