Camps for an 8th grader?

[4Martini]

My daughter really likes playing/ clinics/ camps.

A bunch of the local universities offer camps coming up.

As a 2028 most offer both a middle school skills camp and a prospect camp. The skills camps are like 1/4 the cost of the prospect camps for more hours- but not position specialized.

Is there a reason to pay more for a prospect camp as an 8th grader?

I just like her getting out of her comfort zone and feel it’s good prep for high school tryouts etc.

 

[_MIA_]

I just like her getting out of her comfort zone and feel it’s good prep for high school tryouts etc.

This would be the main reason IMO and hence I would have her go to the prospect camp (if you can swing the cost). I've never been a big fan of college skills camps..

I have yet to have DD (also an 8th grader) go to an individual camp but her team has gone to a number of team camps where you are performing in front of college coaches. They also had a org workout in Colorado during Sparkler which was like a camp as there were a number of college coaches watching. Granted being there by yourself and not with your teammates would be a different experience. I will probably have her start going to a few (or perhaps just one..) selective (eg ones she is personally invited to by the coaches) individual camps next Fall.

That said, I see 8th grade kids all over Twitter going to them (often taking airplanes to get to them..) so

 

[Rolling Hard]

Unless your DD is an absolute stud pitcher throwing 64 plus the college coaches do not have time to even glance at your DD. They are too busy sorting thru the 2025s and even 2024s.

 

[NJZoo]

My daughter just started 9th grade. She has attended exactly 2 camps so far in her life (one in 7th grade, and the other last month). 1 was at my Alma mater, 100% just for having a cool experience, and the other was a camp with multiple college coaches that happened to be in our town. I do think there is a benefit to exposing them to the camp format and getting them experience with it, but I would not spend a lit of time or money prior to high school on it.

 

[4Martini]

I completely understand my 8th grader is not getting recruited.

My question is which camp is more valuable to her - with the goal being gaining confidence in new situations and getting some challenging reps in. These are 30- 45 minutes from our house and a half day of indoor reps at a time where weather can be touchy. The skills camp is $50- so less than I can rent a cage for practice.

 

[uncdrew]

Unless your DD is an absolute stud pitcher throwing 64 plus the college coaches do not have time to even glance at your DD. They are too busy sorting thru the 2025s and even 2024s.

That's my take as well. I just don't see the need to go to camps yet (14U). We're close, for sure. But I've watched many girls go to many college camps for the last 4 years as 10-13 year olds and have not seen a single benefit other than fun and "get one under their belts".

 

[_MIA_]

Unless your DD is an absolute stud pitcher throwing 64 plus the college coaches do not have time to even glance at your DD.

In general this is correct..there are exceptions though (watch till the end..lol)




(kid was in 8th grade at the time..she has a similar one with Patty..hugging a kid has to be some kind of recruiting violation no? ). Of course everybody knew who she was before this but if a kid hits like 10 out in a row (BP or not) you probably will get noticed..

Somebody needs to give the kid hitting beside her a refund..

 

[_MIA_]

I completely understand my 8th grader is not getting recruited.

Not officially at least. If your kid happens to play well in games where college coaches are there for whatever reason (can happen at the bigger National tournaments especially if you are on a team which has kids in HS on it), they will take notice and make a note..Not something you or her should worry about though.

 

[RADcatcher]

My daughter really likes playing/ clinics/ camps.

A bunch of the local universities offer camps coming up.

As a 2028 most offer both a middle school skills camp and a prospect camp. The skills camps are like 1/4 the cost of the prospect camps for more hours- but not position specialized.

Is there a reason to pay more for a prospect camp as an 8th grader?

I just like her getting out of her comfort zone and feel it’s good prep for high school tryouts etc.

Good post topic!
I would do research to find out where the best training camp is. Until a Time when she's seriously considering going to the College to attend going to their prospect camp.
To colleges that are offering both options,
Generally the same coaches are running both of those camps so it appears the players can get in front of the college coaches for paying less!!
Go skills camp!


To your point about cost...
My Comment is why would it cost more for a prospect Camp??? All they're doing is evaluating the talent they might want to recruit.
It seems like it should cost more if they're actually teaching players something!
Like a skills camp.

 

[_MIA_]

My Comment is why would it cost more for a prospect Camp???

because some parents are willing to sell both of their kidneys to get their kid recruited?