Showcase baseball costs?

I need some help guys and this is where I was told to look. What is the average cost for a year of showcase ball and what should a player look for when choosing a team? My son went through tryouts , made the team he wants to be on, but the cost seems alot. Im willing to do what it takes for him to get great instruction, exposure and development. Do you look at tournaments, costs, can you get financial aid, how many players should be on a team? Do high school teams seem to flock to the same showcase team? We are brand new to this and I was hoping to get some good old fashioned advice from others that have been there / done that. Thanks for any help.

 

This is a great question and there is a lot to say about this topic. I'll reply later so I can gather my thoughts....but there are many great posters that can weigh-in on this.

Also, I'm going to post this in another area that will receive more attention.

 

Alot depends on what you are looking for and the age of your son.

1. If it is instruction you are looking for then weigh the cost of private lessons vs the showcase cost.
2. Make sure your son has a good feeling about the relationship he will build with his coach.
3. Get an honest evaluation of your son's talent. If he is not a "blue chip d1" then what tournaments they are in is less important. D2, juco, com. college, and d3 can have a 1 on 1 or small group workout on campus. There coaches are more apt to show up at a high school game than the "big boys" also. Also there are a few really good camps in the Charlotte area that have many college baseball decision makers in attendance.
4. As far as # of players on the team, not a concern, just find out what his playing time and position will be.

I could go on for hours, but I am sure you will get many responses.

 

In considering the cost, don't discount hotel, food, gas, mileage for the family attending these showcase events. It's not just what the showcase team charges.

 

It's difficult to determine an average cost because so many teams offer different objectives. You have teams that only participate in tournaments, while other teams offer professional training, facilities and planned workouts. Every family faces options that is best for their son--some are financial, some are training-coaching issues, some are proximity to their area, some are based solely on reputation, etc...

However, DirtyMoBaseball mention many key points, but the one that I would highlight is getting a true evaluation from a legitimate source. Without an evaluation, all you have to go by are the teams (and their reputation) that are recruiting your son---yes, showcase teams recruit.

You answered your own question---you are willing to do what it takes. It would make it a little easier if we knew the age of your son. In fact, if you were willing to mention the organization through private message to the one's that respond, you will get a more direct answer.

There are established showcase organizations that offer exposure to all of the colleges in the SE and there are some new organizations on the rise. You, also, will find that there are organizations that are truly travel ball teams. They offer opportunities (at less cost) to play in tournaments against the elite organizations. I have found this to benefit some players because they have an opportunity to do well against some of the best talent this state offers.

No!!!!!! Showcase teams want the best players they can get. If it happens to be HS teammates, so be it. Certainly there are HS programs that are loaded with talent each year, so it wouldn't be unusual that HS teammates may find themselves on the same summer-fall team.

For instances, Charlotte offers many opportunities to join a team, but there is more talent than opportunities exist.

Keep in mind when deciding what team to join; if your son is talented, it doesn't matter who he plays for, he will be noticed. Even TBR is a great resource for college coaches to find players that may have gone unnoticed. We have developed a long standing reputation with the college coaches and they know how to read between the lines of the father hyping his son to a reputable poster mentioning a player and his skills.

This is what we do best, even though the time of year, is the "slow season." You will find HS, college, showcase, legion coaches, as well as pro scouts frequent this board. But in many cases, it is the parents of players that have been through the process that can give others the best advice.

Welcome to TBR and welcome to the the ride of recruiting...it can be exhilarating, but you will need some counseling and this is the place to come for that.