Why so few

opportunity

SIMPLE: If your daughter does not want the opportunity to extend her career beyond high school then skip the showcases. If your daughter wants the opportunity to extend her career beyond high school you attend the showcases. Plain and simple as that!

When I started looking at all the showcases as trying to find the biggest and, most importantly, best opportunity for her to extend her career beyond high school it made it much easier and much less stressful. I knew she was not going to get a full ride her first year and I was prepared to pay 100% if neccessary.

After college there is no hope of earning a living playing softball, so I felt as her father that I should do everything within my power to make sure she got the opportunity to play as long and as competitive as is humanly possible. It is all about the memories. My job as her father is to make sure she has the best memories possible of this time in her life. It is not about me, it is about her. But if I didn't do that, then she would always look back and wonder if she "could have" played or not. I was not going to have that on my shoulders. My Dad did all he could for me, I did for my daughter and I hope that whomever she marries does the same for their kids. It was about being a good father, in my opinion, and making sure your kids have every opportunity possible.

If you do not agree, that is fine, skip the showcases and wonder.

Ty

 

Showcases do have value; not arguing that. But I know quite a few kids that played D1 ball without playing in a dozen showcases. I know a few playing D1 ball that never played in a showcase.

One thing I have observed is that most of the "elite" players have the academics to warrant scholarships to worthy schools. Most of the ones I know that play D1 could have played D1 without playing showcases. It's that simple.

My DD opted not to play past HS. She was worried that it might upset me. I never had any guilt feelings; I respected her choice. Her recent Doctorate would comfort any guilt that I would have had. I seriously doubt she would have had time to earn her doctorate if she had played softball.

Showcases are convenient for the scouts and they make a lot of money for a few people but they are not the only way to extend your softball career.

It's not the showcases, per se, it's the time outs, the tie games, the choreography, the lack of real competition.

I wish the best for those players who enjoy showcase ball but I will never believe they enjoy it as much as they would real tournaments.

There is simply too much emphasis on the dollar; interest that I would love to see returned to the kids.

Showcase discussions can never come to a good end so this is all I'm going to say about it.

 

My experience has been that the best competition is at the showcases.

 

How so? As the previous post said, "It is pretty much all choreographed" based on who is getting watched, equal time on the field, etc... I am sure there is good action but nothing like the final matchup in a double elimination tournament.

If the statistics bear out that a huge percentage of ball players call it quits by their junior or senior year in college, doesnt this say that coaches, players and parents should be a little more honest with each other?

 

About $$?

My DD played softball with the goal of playing in college from about age 14 but, as Ty pointed out above, it was not about $$. She loved the game and wanted to play at as high a level as possible for as long as possible. Showcase ball was just part of the process. She played with a wonderful group of similarly motivated kids, almost all of whom had very successful D1 careers.

She was blessed to be able to play D1 ball and internationally, helping her college team win a conference title, competing in the NCAA regionals and leaving the circle for the last time as National Champion in Germany. How much was this worth?

From my perspective, there are plenty of years to work. If a person is talented and loves a sport they should pursue it as long as they are able.

 

YEA BUT !!

I value your point on academics,but it is sure nice when somebody else is fitting the bill. I told my kid to treat her schooling like a job,and you have an employer that you must please to maintain your position...She was just happy that she want have much to pay back after she gets out, if she maintains a good GPA !!

Guru

 

Be intresting to know What are some of the dollar amounts per year that some of the girls are gettting? Just softball money not all the other money threw in. When my daughter was looking we actually done it like buying a car. She had about 5 schools intrested in her (4 d2 and 1 d1). She ended up after all the bartering getting $5000 per year in softball money ( d2) and the rest in acedemic and grants. She like most of the others played her whole life with the desire to play college ball. Which she did very successfully for 2 years. She made all conference both years and played nearly every inning of every game. After 2 years she just said college ball was just not as fun as HS and TB and she just wanted to finish school and get on with her career. So she gave up softball got her degree and now has a great job.
As for the showcase debate I'm kind of neutral there. On the TB team I coach we will play in 1 or 2 a year but mostly I've found our girls had rather play in the regular tournaments and go through the having to win to move on type senerio. But in either ones they are just there to play and have fun. One side note; The year my daughter graduated I had 12 girls on my TB team 8 of whom wanted to play in college. All 8 got scholarship offers of varying degrees and with that group had never played a showcase tournament.

 

how many finished out?

did all 8 accept and play college softball? how many played 4 years of college ball?

 

4 years ?

I had this conversation with my DD about playing college softball and going to school for a nursing degree, you can't do both. You have one shot at playing college softball for 4 years, you have the rest of your life to be a nurse, don't give away those final two years of softball to rush into a job that you will have the rest of your life, and give up on a once in a lifetime oppurtunity to play against the best softball players in your era. When it all said and done playing against the Georgia's and the Tennessee's of the world will last a lifetime and those are memories that money can't buy.

 

Only 7 went on to play. 2 played for 1 year, 4 played 2 years and 1 girl played for 3 years. The girl who didn't play did not go to college but got a job with the postal service and got married @ 19. I have had several more girls over the years go on to play in college but never had one play all 4 years yet. Surprises me a little because a lot of them did nothing but live and breath softball all through middle and high school. Just seems girls really want to get on with life after a year or so of college. I am proud of the fact that most of my girls who did go on and play in college went on to get their degree