18U team question

[Itsabouttime]

All things being equal - is it better to be on a team where you know your daughter will play her position and get playing time but the organization is fairly new and won't get as much college coach attention vs. being on a team where they carry more on the roster and thus may not get as much playing time but the organization is better known, has more college coach connections and thus will draw more attention as a team?

We're talking a D3/low D1 type player.

 

[Scl1991]

That's a really tough call. However, IMO, your kid won't get any better by not playing. If she's not improving, she's not going to be a desirable recruit, so it won't matter what connections her coach has. 80% of the recruiting process will be done by your kid, with your help. Phone calls, emails, visits, camps, videos. That's all on her.
Is the more well known team going to be less playing time or significantly less playing time? That makes a difference too. If you are talking the difference between playing 90% of the time vs. 70%, you might like the team with the proven record better. If you are looking at playing only 50% of the time on the more established team, and if you are comfortable with the new organization, I would go there, and make sure you all do your part.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

My thoughts are that a player that is a "step-down" from the rest of a "top" team can get shoehorned into a situation where they will not get the exposure they need. I know of a very good cf that has gotten nowhere with offers because the rest of the team is all going D1. It is my opinion that if she was playing on a slightly lower scale team she would be getting all kinds of D2 and D3 flocking to her door.

But then again on the same team I am talking about there were some marginal D1 players that got D1 spots through just being part of a team with a rock-star pitcher and catcher.

So the moral of the story, I think, is that it depends your DD's seperation from the top players.

One story of one "forgotten" player.

 

[JAD]

A lot of good information in this video clip, but the MOST IMPORTANT piece of information starts @ 1:35....

 

[sluggers]

OK...

1) You are getting confused about sports. The point of sports is *TO PLAY*. If the kid wants to watch the game, she doesn't have spend $2000 on a travel team. She can buy a $5 ticket and watch from the stands.
2) If the kid sits the bench, then she won't be seen by any college coaches. The only way she will get a scholarship is if the TB coach sells a college coach on her. *BUT* elite TB coaches don't doesn't mislead college coaches. If an elite TB coach has a great player, s/he tells the college coach. If the player isn't great, s/he doesn't say much.

E.g.:

Conversation between elite TB coach (ETBC) and college coach (CC)?

CC: Hey, I need an outfielder. You got anyone who might play.
ETBC: I've got a nice kid on the bench. She makes good grades. Really a sweet kid.
CC: Nice kids I can meet at church. You know of any teams with a D1 outfielder?

 

[sftblldad7]

Here is the best tip for you. Coaches do not care about your team, scores, and win loses. When it comes to college it becomes about me. So playing is better ! First things first, Start making contact with the schools your DD wants to go too. Send out a e-mail every 2-3 weeks just to say hi and what you are up to ( keep it short ). Next make a video of your DD about about 3-5 min long ( about 5 swings and some fielding. if a pitcher then show all pitches ) put it on youtube it is free and attach it to your e-mail. Invite coaches to your games.
You have to remember most showcases are money makers for the schools and early in the process must coaches will only be looking for the top 2% of the girls, ( pitchers and catchers and the girl that can hit home runs )then they will move on to the other girls.
I have a open division team which is made up of college level girls ( community college to D1 ) with some younger girls that play up
and about 90% of them will tell you that they never talked to a coach at a showcase. The advice they give the younger girls is go to the schools for there camps, this is where almost all my girls have been approached for school.
Tips to remember :
Your DD can e-mail D1 all she wants, They can only respond with general information till July 1st of your JR. year
D2 you will be looking for a invite for a official visit and to workout with the team during fallball
D3 can talk when ever because they have nothing to offer ( lol )
Community College - don't snub your nose at these school, great way to save money, and your DD gets to play. Remember most freshman in college will not play. So your D1 and D2 schools always look at CC for players ( they only have to pay for 2 years ).
NOBODY CARES MORE ABOUT YOUR DD THAN YOU. So you have to do all the work, ( no your zip code ) you have to spend hours researching schools. Does your DD want to stay local, or move away, Big or little school, what level can she play CC - D1, does the school have a spot on the roster ( nothing worse than having a stud sophomore in front of you ). And the big one get great grades there is more money in academics than in sports ( unless you play football or basketball ).

 

[wichita]

You want to play. There is no winning in showcases and kids are being looked at as individuals, so if a kid is not playing, I don't get it. Move on. Another component is grades. Does the team only take players with high GPAs or provide tutoring? Do they advertise or promote the kids' grades? One team may not be as good skills wise but have students who are athletic with A++. Lots of schools only want the top in academics.

Check if the new team or other teams are registered for the high quality showcases and as Scarborough says, the player has to do the leg work.

At our HS semis and championships, coaches were crawling all over the place, albeit local schools. And HS coaches have no college connections what so ever. So ask your daughter where she wants to go to school, local, far away (sorry), big school, small school. That affects the choice of team as well.

True there is no winning at showcases but the problem is (at least here in L.A.) that if you don't win you dont get the good fields that the coaches will be at. we just got back from PGF we were in the platinum bracket ....hardly any coaches so we went to premier bracket game wich is at another field and there were tons of coaches. so winning is necessary to get on the good fields.

 

[Cannonball]

Are there other tangibles in this equation? My dd's team/program also offers speed/strength training. They have tremendous facilities. They did a recruitment video along with college contacts. Some of these offerings will enable your dd to get better and battle for starting positions.

 

[JAD]

You want to play. There is no winning in showcases.

A couple of the showcases in the Southeast are trying a pool play, single elimination format. Apparently the college coaches told the tournament directors that they wanted to see the teams "playing to win"....

 

[slingnit]

Glad to see it. Then I go back to: find a team with a tall flame-haired pitcher throwing heat on a team with neon lime green uniforms that stops the coaches dead in their tracks, for standing out if nothing else.

The coach who wants a player who contacted them or got on their radar will go to any of the fields. OK coach said she was running around like crazy.

SO TRUE! If you do the leg work getting your dd recognized thru emails and videos and she has the skills they want, they will come see her play. They will leave the big complex, they will ask the coaches to put her in, they will fly in to watch a team practice, they want to see the best girls, not best teams. At Colorado last summer we were on a crappy field away from the action. And Gasso was there, along with Oregon, UAB, North Texas, UTA, and Northern Colorado. It is normal for coaches to do this but you have to get them in the right tournaments and you have get the coaches attention! SOOO many parents have the impression that by playing in a showcase, like the Ronald McDonald, that there kid will automatically be seen by coaches and be offered a scholarship. Or by signing up with CaptainU or BeRecruited, believing Gasso, Walton and the likes are sitting on the computer every night scrolling theses sights looking for players. Free advice, do all the homework you can. If someone has been thru it their info is worth listening to. The internet is full of articles, testimonies, websites dedicated to recruiting,.... Parents on this site have a ton of good advice. Listen to all you can, and make decisions based on what you have learned.