Parents Pryor To Showcase Years

situations

If your daughter is not a pitcher, and really even if she is, it would be good for college coaches to see players in the field handle defensive situations. Put some pressure on the defense, especially if a pitcher is blowing them away.

I have recommended this to the coaches in the Southern Star Team Showcase, but umpires said one coach would want to and the other not because the one coach did not want to give up any runs. (Afraid to lose or look bad). I am going to poll my college coaches prior to this years event to see if it is something they want to see implemented.

For my all-star events, we require and set it up ahead of time just for this reason and that is why a lot of coaches love the format we use.

Coaches as well as the parents and players needs to be educated on what is and what is not important. We had a parent jump in the press box this weekend in Chattanooga and start keeping the board. I walked by once and said something to her and asked why she was there and she said because I want everyone to see if we beat ya'll. And I said it is a showcase why does it matter and she said, well we have never beaten a gold team before, so if ya'll start winning, I will turn it off. I just laughed and walked off. I think we tied (as we always seem to do in drop dead showcases).

Ty

 

Thanks for the info. Yes our girls' spirit was definitely deflated. I understand the coaches wanting to see defensive plays, but in the game there is always going to be a "situation" to be handled. going to play Trek, you are right some parents dont understand what "showcase" means!

 

My daughter has played showcase ball for 2 years, and there are showcases out there, when every player has a band on their arm to show their age, and there would be MANY MANY college coaches there, wanting to see EXACTLY that.

Situations, strikeouts, attitudes (parents AND players), players in their 2nd or 3rd choice positions, etc....

On the showcase team she played with last fall, the coach played them in their primary positions for 2 innings, then switched them up. We had 3 catchers, so each of them played 2 innings, then went to another position.

Showcases are to SHOWCASE the ladies talents. The pamplets that are printed for the coaches are for them to choose their options of what they need in particular positions for their team. If they need someone with power to be able to lay down a bunt, they want to make sure that the girl is able and willing to do that and the effort they put forth. They want to see flexability and versitility....

They want to see how they react to 2 strikes on them, with bases loaded....see if they put the ball in play, or if they strike out. And the IMPORTANT thing there is NOT IF they strike out, but how they handle the strike out. Does the girl argue with the ump or throw her bat or helmet in the dugout? Or does she react with dignity and class and take it in stride?

You would be amazed at the young ladies I have seen curse, hit their bat on the ground, or throw their bat in a showcase... or the parents acting like idiots (another thread ENTIRELY)

Attitude is everything! And that is from my DD's hitting instructor, which is also a former college coach.

Showcases are not all about winning. Winning is great! I'll give you that! But a showcase is there for our DAUGHTER'S to be seen....isn't that the reason we are here? They want to see the catcher gun it to 2nd when the girl on 1st tries to steal.....or to see the center fielder's arm when she guns it home because the girl on 3rd is trying to score.. They want to see that, so they put girls in those situations to GET TO SEE IT. Sure, there's a game going on, but there is more to it than to see the final score. Like momma always said..."it's HOW you play the game".

If the coach wants to see it, then you do it, with 110% effort, and NO LIP.

All my money, effort, and time the last 7 years of our lives for her to say to "bench her" because she thought what a college coach wanted to see was stupid???? Every parent and DD is different....but if that EVER came out of my childs mouth, there would be hell to pay in my house. And she WOULD "sit" on her team. I would make sure of that.

Hopefully, the college coach, or anyone else, didn't hear her tell her coach that.

 

She probably meant she wanted to play softball. Some of the teams or some on the teams don't always go to these tournaments with the knowledge that they're not really competing.

That's what I mean when I say there are simply too many showcases. If a player wants to really be seen up close by a particular coach go to some of the coach's camps--and learn something to boot. I don't know of any university that doesn't put on camps. Carolina has some of the best camps and a player could probably attend every one of them for the cost of one relatively unimportant showcase.

There are several showcases worth being at; the rest are overkill.

 

NO LIP!

..... I hear ya!



What an awesome post!
Marlin

 

you answered your own question....

The girls were confused because they (as a team) don't work allot on the mental parts of the game...That's an internal failure of a coaching staff.

I watched 6 different games, with a 1st and 3rd scenario...2 teams had designed plays to defend and this showed their softball IQ... the other 4 teams were confused..... Demand better from your TB coaches...

This format has been this way for several years, and within the stated written format of the showcase.. Not preparing for it....shame on you.

 

You are correct! Seen MANY "showcase" tournaments that aren't really SHOWCASES.

Pamplets for information about the player... bands to show who is and who is not age eligible....college coaches wanting to see situational plays....no scorekeeper....no trophy's....no plaques.....no "8 is great...8...8 is great" cheer from the dugout....
That's a showcase.


The rest are showcase's in name only, to get teams to enter, IMHO.

The showcase in Salisbury had NUMEROUS college coaches in attendance...some were more obvious than others....

Watch what you say and when because you just never know who's listening.....
IE:

There was a situation at that particular tournament that a parent for a well known FP organization showed their "foolishness" in front of a college coach (a not so obvious coach as she was wrapped up in a blanket) taking stats and watching from the scorekeepers area, she told the guy that was with her that the parent "disgusted her" and that she would "never watch another one of their games"....with that, she took her papers and clipboard, and went to another field.
How unfortunate for the parents daughter.....
So you just never know WHO is listening....

Tournament ball is over for us....strictly showcase from here on out....

DD wants to go to NC State.....

Go pack!

 

All she have ever known is Light blue......... But, If NC State offered it and UNC did not. I tell my DD got for it and I would wear a hat or shirt that says my Tar heel blue blood DD plays SB for NC State. I guess it be like a Ford worker driving a Chev..........

 

I agree that you have to watch what you say--from a negative and a positive viewpoint.

I was at a showcase and was talking with a coach who was there to see a particular player. I mentioned some positive things about one of the players on the team. She asked if she was my daughter and I told her she was just someone I had been watching over the years. What I told her was true; the player is awesome. Long story short, I found out later that the college coach went to the TB coach and asked to see her the next day. So positive statements CAN help. That's one of my proudest moments; I love that kid!

Good luck with your DD with NC State. Many good local kids on that team!

 

......PM me with your address so I can send your DD a NCSU softball Tshirt.

And, even though you and I are nuts on TBR, we both recognize how cool it is for our kids to place interest in a school or a car, like NCSU, as a Lexus, and UNC as a Ford focus.......lol.

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