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.

 

cost to play showcase

It is difficult to tell you the AVERAGE cost to play showcase baseball. The cost varies, from upwards of $2500 per season (Caines) to $0.00 (South Charlotte Panthers). But then, it is difficult to get on the SCP roster because their (Don Hutchins) criteria reaches well beyond on-the-field skills; things like academics, character, etc. You don't just show up at a Panther tryout. You only try out if you are invited. It has proven to be a formula for success over the years.
I could say a lot more that might help you but i will stop after this final point. Some teams have absolutely no team spirit and in fact many of the players don't talk with each other. My recommendation would be to avoid the teams that have no natural common denominator, like geography, high school conference, etc.
Hope this helps and a great question, third.

The lady..

 

Oh Goody

Another doosey.

I'd like to take this in a slightly different direction.

How about an over/under on the number of (expert) replies and opinions this thread generates before it is thoroughly beaten to death.


The over/under is 25 posts. Braves? How many posts?

 

I really don't like to think about the amount of money I have spent on my son's travel/showcase baseball - it's been A LOT! I don't know what part of the state you live in - there are many great organizations throughout the state - I am most familiar with the ones in the Charlotte area. Since your son is playing Showcase baseball, there are many factors to consider when choosing a team - cost, amount of travel, level of instruction, how much do they practice, how much exposure will your son get, etc. Organizations such as Champions Baseball Academy (CBC/On Deck) and Showcase Baseball Academy both provide excellent instruction and exposure for their players. The cost to play on these teams can be as much as $4,000 (I don't know for sure). I believe they offer financial assistance to families in need. There are other organizations that cost less, but they are "pay to play" - that is they don't practice together as a team. These organizations are attractive to those who like to practice on their own or the players are so spread out over a large area that practicing as a team isn't feasible.

Organizations that I know of within North Carolina that provide the most exposure for their players are teams such as the South Charlotte Panthers, Dirtbags, Canes (VA), and Champions Baseball Academy. These teams seem to consistently play at the best venues, in front of the most college coaches and scouts, and play in the biggest tournaments. I believe the SBA Canes are a fast-rising organization as well.

As far as numbers of players on a team is concerned, you typically see somewhere between 13-16 players at age 14 and 15. As they get older, age 16+, there can be as many as 20 players on a roster as there are more "pitchers only".

As much money as I've spent over the years on my son's baseball, I would gladly do it all over again. The memories, the experiences, and the friends we have made will last a lifetime! What an incredible ride!

 

Original post from Coach 27 on the subject of Showcase baseball

It just depends on the player and his family. Some kids benefit greatly from playing showcase some do not. Some have a great legion program to be a part of many do not. What year in hs is your son? Where he is at as a player? Is he one of the best players in your area? Does he stand out above the other hs players? Does he need to be seen by the Major College programs or would he benefit more from being seen by D2 D3 programs?

Development. Understand that for many showcase programs its simply about putting those players in situations where they can "showcase" their ability in front of college coaches. Its not about developing their skills with practice and reps. Your going to spend almost every weekend simply playing games. Of course there is a benefit to this because your actually getting game reps. Your playing with and against good players. But what is the player doing during the week? Are you on a long toss program? Are you working on your stroke getting quality instruction? Are you working at the things that will make you a better player outside of actually playing games?

Some players especially younger players would benefit more from spending less time running up and down the roads trying to showcase something that is not ready to be showcased. Instead IMO they should be working on their game to improve it and working on developing into a player that in the future would benefit from being showcased. But again it simply comes down to where your son is at this time and what options are available to him.

IMO Showcase should be for the players that have clearly set themselves apart from the rest with performance at the hs level. They have the tools that are sought out by college coaches and the ability to use them in game situations that cause them to be players that should showcase those skills to college coaches. Players that jump on the showcase circuit because they are afraid of being left behind who are not ready to showcase end up being the "Washington Generals" of the showcase circuit. It does them absolutely no good. But trust me someone will take your money and promise you the opportunity to play in great venues in front of college coaches.

Its no different than people who spend a ton of money going to showcase events and a pro style tryout who are simply going to blend in with the average players present. They run a 7.5 60 , throw 75 from the hill and wonder why no one called them. But they are right back out there at the next showcase event trying to catch someone's eye. Go to work on your game. Work to become a player that needs to showcase. Become a player that needs to showcase. Then showcase. Otherwise your throwing your money away. If you come away from one of these things and you say "He did just as good as those other kids." Guess what? They are not there to ID and recruit the kids that do just as good as everyone else. They are there to see the kids who stand out above everyone else.

If your son is a player ready to showcase you will know. He will have an arm that stands out. He will have a bat that stands out. He will have defensive skills that stand out. And even then he needs to understand that he is not a finished product and his focus should remain on constant development even if he does indeed showcase. Understand that no matter what your son's hs era is or his hs batting average college coaches recruit the tools that they feel will play at their level. If your a rising SR crafty RHP who tops out at 80 and dominates at the hs level guess what LSU is not going to recruit you. I know your a stud. I know you have a 0.00 era. But its not going to happen. Do you really need to spend 10k a year criss crossing the USA showcasing in order to convince them you can get it done? Would you be better off going to a camp at specific schools that would want you? Would you be better off playing for a team that indeed plays at those venues?

Once you understand where your son fits into all of this you can make a better decision. If your son is young understand just because the Dirtbags didn't like him at an underclass showcase its not over. In fact its just started for the determined player who really wants it. Go to work. Dont worry about what other people are doing. Go to work on what you need to do to be the best player you can be. There is too much trying to keep up with the other guys stuff going on imo. And baseball is a sport where players can get better and better if they just work at it.

Find the right fit for your son and his current situation. Bust your butt to get better. Then let the cards fall where they fall. There are a lot of kids who dont have the measureables that knock peoples socks off but they can flat out play the game. There are college coaches looking for those players. They then take them and develop them with the player buying in and going to work. And then in a few years we hear about them being drafted or having outstanding college careers. Its not where you start its how you finish. Its not where you are but what you do where your at. Sorry for the long post. But the fact is everyone does not start out with the same cards. Everyone does not get dealt the same hand. Stick around long enough in the game to get some new cards. You might end up with the best cards before its all over.

 

two cents....

My two cents regarding the showcase world and where it fits:
1. Showcase gets you on the finest venues and playing surfaces
2. Showcase is less elite than it once was
3. Showcase is costly due to team participation fees and heavy travel requirements for the player and often for family members (at their choosing)
4. Showcase organizations have motives beyond pure baseball that may include national or regional prestige, bragging rights, # of college placements, quality of college placements and in some cases financial profit. These motives are intertwined to sustain the organization and to continue to draw the top talent required to stay at a high level or climb to a higher level.
5. Showcase is the absolute premier means to be seen and evaluated against the best national-level competition if the player is very high caliber and has draft potential or is a strong candidate to gain a spot on a top-shelf college team. Alternately, many showcase games are played at satellite fields or other alternate locations where there are no eyes to be laid upon the player except everyone’s Mom & Dad.
6. There are multiple tiers in Showcase and with each tier you get different results. Top-tier Showcase teams are held in high regard nationally and have a direct pipeline to the high-end programs. Mid-tier and lower-tier Showcase teams don't deliver or attract as many top-shelf players and that is why they are still challenged to climb to the top tier.

My son played travel and then showcase ball for a total of 6 years. He truly enjoyed the experience and benefited from it, but he got the most recruiting attention from the camps he attended. Here is my ranking:

Camps...if you want to get a coveted spot at a team that your are a fit for and meets your criteria. Get in front of the head coach and pitching coach (if you are a pitcher) and full staff of that school.

Showcase...if you are a top flight player looking to catch the eye of a top flight program or you have draft potential. Nice venues and great competition.

Legion....If you are a solid player who loves to play the game in your community...you can do this and go to select camps and save a lot of $$$$.

FOOTNOTE: If we were doing it all over, we would have gone to more camps and done so at a younger age…..and would have gone on fewer costly trips to Florida. The single best general advice I ever heard was from Coach Fox at UNC. He told a gathering of parents to get out a map and decide how far from home feels right to go to college and then pick a few schools (based on an honest assessment of the player’s ability) from within that section of the map and make sure your player is well known to the coaches at those schools.

 

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.

 

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.

 

OVER, no doubt about it --- it's a LOCK.

Coach --- I'll take the OVER for $1,000,000 pesos.