Impact Baseball

Value and Expectation

First thank you to Impact baseball for your efforts to promote NC high school baseball player. One of my fundamental concerns is that after attending many showcases, workouts and camps over the last three years. The only one I have not gotten rating or evaluations from is Impact. I am not a baseball guru and can provide limited instruction to my son with his desire to play this game at the next level. This is why I pay Impact Baseball and others provider to help. My son must have some skills to play at the next level since he is getting letters and receiving call froms college coaches with intrest. Impact baseball's opinion may be well respected by college coaches and some members of this board but I do not know what those opinions concerning my son's skills are. We have nevered received any rating or evaluation in writing or from the website. So the question is what if anything opinion is being given to the college coaches or are they seeing some potential that Impact dosen't. Maybe I'm crazy but after three Impact Baseball sessions and over $500 spent you would think I would have some idea what impact thinks of my son's skills. The truth may very well be enlighting!

 

I have to imagine this is the type of constructive feedback that Impact wants to continue to improve in helping the players. Thanks highntight for expressing your concerns here and doing so in a legitimate, mature manner.

I'd also like to express my opinion of the ratings from some of the showcase tryouts I have seen. The evaluations from even the most respected tournaments are tempered with a motive. They rarely reveal a truthful weakness. Why?...because they want you to return. Obviously, that's not true at Impact because they don't provide evaluations. Andy is trying to provide an environment to expose players to the process, while under the eyes of college and pro recruiters. I have rarely found the evaluations to be revealing. I will say this, though. The times I have had a private moment with Andy, he has never failed to give me an honest appraisal of a particular player, including my own....which was refreshing.

I have to assume that your son is a senior, Highntight, based on your statement that college coaches are calling you. That alone tells me that your son must be very good. But if you wish to get more feedback about your son, PM me some details and I will be happy get some information for you.

Good luck in your son's future in baseball

 

Feedback

Braves: Thanks for your offer to give us feedback on my son. He has gotten lots of good feedback from other showcases and coaches which he has used to build and improve his skills. This is the value that Impact could provide its paying customers if they would just communicate what they find and see. Impact has provided my son with a chance to show college coaches his skills and for that we are thankful. But what a great idea for a Showcase to provide not only the stage for coaches to evaluate skills but to also provide real instruction and feedback which the players can truely use to improve. Impact needs to understand that when I and others spent our hard earned money we want the best value possible. My purpose is not to question Impacts contribution to our young players and coaches but to make the readers of this board and impact aware that there are multiple options out there to help these young player meet their dreams. If Impact wants to continue to be a success and listen to its customers concerns great, if not then the basic laws of supply and demand will take their course. Thanks and I will now get off my soap box since it appears that I am one of the few who has concerns with the value provided from my most recent showcase experience.

 

I really don't expect, and don't want my son to receive coaching at a showcase event. A showcase event, to me, is a convenient and cheap way for college coaches and pro scouts to see and evaluate a large number of high school kids in a short period of time. Period. If a college coach is following 10 seniors and is able to see 7 of them play at the same showcase event, he will save himself many hours on the road while still getting a chance to see his prospects play against other kids of similar skill levels.

Good instruction comes from a coach who knows how to teach baseball skills and is able to see your son practice and play over an extended period of time. Receiving instruction from even a top notch instructor at a showcase is really pointless because that instructor will probably never see the kid again and will never have a chance to ensure the kid is executing the skill properly.

High school coaches have the most opportunity to teach baseball skills to kids since they spend so much time working with the kids during the school year. However, if a high school coach doesn't do a good job of teaching skills to a kid then taking private lessons from a reputable coach may be necessary to help the kid improve. Lessons can be costly but at least the kid will be getting consistent coaching from the same person over an extended period of time. AAU and USSSA coaches may or may not do much teaching because the teams rarely practice and the coaches rarely take the time to teach during the games. I've found American Legion ball to be the best time for kids to receive instruction and improve their skills mainly because the kids practice and play every day. The daily practicing and playing really helps kids get in a groove.
Just one man's opinion.

 

How did things go at Coastal this weekend?

 

Showcase Instruction "Pointless"

rjr4dad: Thanks for your opinion. I respectfully disagree with you. Some of the instruction and drills my son has received at several of the showcases has really helped improved his ability. This instruction came from several of the coaches now interested and following my son. I also think it gives a coach a chance to see how well a kid takes instruction and follows thru with it. Just our exepirence so take it for what is is worth!

 

highntight: Well, I certainly can't argue with you if you think your son has benefited from instruction received from a coach at a showcase event. However, I just don't think it's realistic to expect college coaches and pro scouts to spend time coaching kids during a showcase. I do expect coaching during a camp or a clinic, but not a showcase.

 

instruction at showcases

RJR4DAD: I have seen it at several Showcases such as the Perfect Game at Chapel Hill and the UNCC fall Showcase last November. Check them out yourself. Even Impact on its showcase sign up sheet on the Impact site talks about giving " lots of instruction and advice". during its workout sessions.

 

highntight: I think of showcases as events that typically put the kids through a pro style tryout that includes all players being timed in the 60 yard dash, outfielders throwing from right field to 3B and home, infielders fielding balls at shortstop and throwing to first base, catchers being timed throwing to 2B, all players taking 8-10 swings in the batters box from a batting practice pitcher, and pitchers throwing a bullpen and having their fastball clocked by a radar gun. Players are then divided into teams and play games against each other so the coaches and scouts can see the players perform in game situations. In that type of showcase I don't expect any instruction from the coaches other than incidental bits of advice.


However, I remember the Pfieffer showcase last year combined a pro style tryout with a clinic. No games were played. Instead groups of kids moved from station to station to listen to coaches talk about a variety of topics as other groups were put through the tryout. I think the Impact "workout sessions" are designed more like a camp than the showcase I describe above. I'm not sure how the UNCC and Perfect Game showcases were structured. Maybe they were more like the Pfeiffer showcase and included instruction.

 

I have to agree with highntight. The impact showcases are well put together and generally well attended and is a great opportunity for a kid to demonstrate their abilities. However, the feedback the kid receives from Impact has been non-existent in my experience. I am not looking for what the player does well or just the stats, constructive criticisim is what I thought would be provided and would be most useful if any of the purpose is to help the player get better. If the only purpose is to give the player a venue to be seen, then fine, just clearly say so in the sign up form. That way all expectations can be adjusted accordingly.

My only other constructive criticism to Impact is that it appears that they tend to follow players that choose to be part of the Impact team. Other players that they are familiar with and they know are good who choose to play for other teams do not get the same recognition from Impact although they may make it to the follow list. With that said I am sure this is a business for Impact with some of the goal to make money, therefore why wouldn't Impact pay closer attention to those they are the most familiar with. Impact does make it a point to note that a player they do write about attended their showcases or workouts