- Dec 11, 2010
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Awesome! But you didn’t play in a 14u showcase.
You played in a 16u showcase
.None of the benefits you cited would have happened in a 14u showcase, it would have been much like what happens in a 14u bracket tournament.
14U Showcases
- Thread starter BrianTx01
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You played in a 16u showcase
.None of the benefits you cited would have happened in a 14u showcase, it would have been much like what happens in a 14u bracket tournament.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
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Are you against the option to play 14u showcases,Awesome! But you didn’t play in a 14u showcase.
You played in a 16u showcase
None of the benefits you cited would have happened in a 14u showcase, it would have been much like what happens in a 14u bracket tournament.
Just because you think they are a cash cow for organizations?
(Saw your public message lol)
How are they more a cash cow than hosting a tournament format?
Why take away the opportunity when teams obviously want to do it. Doesn't make sense to limit options.
How are you so certain that "none of the benefits you cited would have happened at a 14u showcase"?
There is a purpose to 14u showcases, it's been alluded to in earlier posts that although there are fewer players and teams that colleges are interested in really seeing, they still do watch 14u. I was totally impressed with the Zoom into June showcase from this year. Lots and lots of coaches from all sorts of different colleges, lots attending our 14u games.
That doesn't mean that 14u showcases don't offer something to the teams/players who participate in them. Just seeing a coach who may be looking at another team or age division is motivation enough. The entire process is different with a different "pressure" that players face. To me, having DD go through it in the younger divisions and get experience seeing them in the stands will give her experience when it "matters" (typically Soph/Jr year).
There is a purpose to 14u showcases, it's been alluded to in earlier posts that although there are fewer players and teams that colleges are interested in really seeing, they still do watch 14u. I was totally impressed with the Zoom into June showcase from this year. Lots and lots of coaches from all sorts of different colleges, lots attending our 14u games.
That doesn't mean that 14u showcases don't offer something to the teams/players who participate in them. Just seeing a coach who may be looking at another team or age division is motivation enough. The entire process is different with a different "pressure" that players face. To me, having DD go through it in the younger divisions and get experience seeing them in the stands will give her experience when it "matters" (typically Soph/Jr year).
- Dec 11, 2010
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Most tournaments are cash cows for someone. No one is putting them on for “the good of the children”. I couldn’t care less.
I am against early recruiting. It’s not good for softball. Nothing good comes of it. For anyone. And the college coaches supposedly are too, they are the ones that voted to change the rules.
Yet here we are, taking a tournament for kids this age and calling it what? An “exposure tournament”. A recruiting opportunity. The label matters.
- Dec 11, 2010
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Because they would have been playing 14u teams in a 14u showcase.
That was the joke.
That was the joke.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
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Thanks for replying.
What I noticed most in softball now is people/players have different goals, and they evolve at different ages.
If its a 14u only showcase you may see college coaches. But if 14u games are held on fields 20miles away from the 16 and 18s you won't see college coaches. There maybe a few exceptions for dominate pitcher here or there but in general no coaches.
Like everything else around this game, I think it's going to depend on the state/area everyone's in. Some of the posts are saying it's a waste of time and others are saying it's not. I took my 13U team to several of them last year just to get them some experience. In the 3 we played, we usually had no less than 1 college coach watching the game and more often than not, 2-3...and we weren't at the same complex as either the 16's or the 18's. Because of these, I have 3 of my players being actively sought after. Several college coaches have contacted them to get them on campus at their camps/clinics so they can get a closer look. Granted, out of the 5 schools that reached out to the 3, 3 were JUCO. Still, it wasn't a complete waste of time and they got some valuable experience.
Another example. Our last tournament of our season is usually an all-sanction world series held in our state capitol. The 12U and 14U divisions are large enough that they each have to split off into separate weekends since they typically have 120-140 teams of each age group sign up. Even though it wasn't a showcase per se, I probably saw 40 or so college coaches walking around ( what I would consider) window shopping.
This Fall, we were invited to play in another 1 by a TD I've known for close to 20 years. It'll be a small affair of 90 teams or so. I was talking to him yesterday and he told me that he was a bit disappointed that more college coaches weren't going to attend. He had invited over 250 but most don't have it in their travel budget or are still playing Fall Ball. However, he has put a player profile booklet per age group together for the coaches and a vast majority of the ones not able to attend asked to have them sent to them. Curious, I asked him which age group was most asked for. He told me the 16's were the most asked for but the 14's ran a very close second.
The point to all of this story telling? That contrary to popular belief, college coaches are out there looking at 14U's. It may be to get the jump on other colleges even though they can't actively talk to them. It may be to see who they want to put on their radars JIC they want to actively recruit them. It may be that they want to see if there's anyone they should look out for in case they're contacted by them expressing interest in their program. It could be any number of reasons. But they are out there and they are looking/watching. Does this mean it's happening in every showcase or every area of the country? Of course not. But it's happening around here...whether it's a showcase or a large age specific tournament.
Another example. Our last tournament of our season is usually an all-sanction world series held in our state capitol. The 12U and 14U divisions are large enough that they each have to split off into separate weekends since they typically have 120-140 teams of each age group sign up. Even though it wasn't a showcase per se, I probably saw 40 or so college coaches walking around ( what I would consider) window shopping.
This Fall, we were invited to play in another 1 by a TD I've known for close to 20 years. It'll be a small affair of 90 teams or so. I was talking to him yesterday and he told me that he was a bit disappointed that more college coaches weren't going to attend. He had invited over 250 but most don't have it in their travel budget or are still playing Fall Ball. However, he has put a player profile booklet per age group together for the coaches and a vast majority of the ones not able to attend asked to have them sent to them. Curious, I asked him which age group was most asked for. He told me the 16's were the most asked for but the 14's ran a very close second.
The point to all of this story telling? That contrary to popular belief, college coaches are out there looking at 14U's. It may be to get the jump on other colleges even though they can't actively talk to them. It may be to see who they want to put on their radars JIC they want to actively recruit them. It may be that they want to see if there's anyone they should look out for in case they're contacted by them expressing interest in their program. It could be any number of reasons. But they are out there and they are looking/watching. Does this mean it's happening in every showcase or every area of the country? Of course not. But it's happening around here...whether it's a showcase or a large age specific tournament.
- Jun 1, 2015
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Absolutely. I know my partner for that game, John, had the same thoughts, and I worked later on with a couple of other officials that had your team in games and THEY said the same things: "Young team", "scrappy", "fought hard", "never stopped playing because of the score", "played as best as they could", "didn't back down", etc. So it's not just one official's opinion for sure. And we are a pretty small, tight-knit group of blues up this way - we normally don't have many dissenters in the group, opinion-wise.
radness
Possibilities & Opportunities!
- Dec 13, 2019
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I was just reminded about the fact that all tournaments and venues have escalated in cost. Regardless of age or type of venue.
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