- May 27, 2013
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So then are coaches attending showcases to see games a waste of time?
College Camps front toss
- Thread starter Rolling Hard
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Mostly yes. It is generally why a coach prefers to see you in a camp setting. Except for specific positions, you may only get a few chances to show ability in a showcase game. Half the time at those events they are evaluating how a player interacts with coaches, teammates and how the family is.
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- May 27, 2013
- 2,573
- 113
Just sounds like a broken system then. I would think a coach would want to see a player do what they could be doing for the school if they get recruited. I’ll have to pass the word along to my college coach friends. Maybe it will help to improve their recruiting experiences, as well if this is the general consensus that games are pretty much a waste of time.
You might have seen it before but I always found this video of Patty Gasso fascinating. Not easy on coaches to decide sometimes also. She gives a pretty candid answer about stuff she looks at. The physical abilities have to be there but at showcases and other stuff they are evaluating the other stuff just as much if not more.
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- May 27, 2013
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Oh I know they are. That’s why I’m surprised that camp scrimmages aren’t favored more. It can be very eye opening when you put recruits together who don’t know each other who have to quickly learn to come together and play as a team, to root each other on, etc. It quickly separates out the leaders and “team players” IMHO.
- Apr 26, 2019
- 298
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This has nothing to do with front toss but does relate to camp and scrimmaging.
My daughter attended a camp at the beginning of the summer. During the scrimmage, there were plays made by some girls. It was obvious they were good fielders. What was also obvious is they had ZERO, softball IQ.
The college coaches and college players were there observing. There was no coach yelling for, for example, the player to throw the ball to 2B or to "eat it" like I see during so many actual tournament games. There were no 1B or 3B coaches telling the girls to run or not to run and some kids, seriously, didn't have the first clue.
It was actually quite sad to see 15, 16, 17 year old girls, have some skills, not actually have any idea how to play the game without being constantly told what to do.
My daughter attended a camp at the beginning of the summer. During the scrimmage, there were plays made by some girls. It was obvious they were good fielders. What was also obvious is they had ZERO, softball IQ.
The college coaches and college players were there observing. There was no coach yelling for, for example, the player to throw the ball to 2B or to "eat it" like I see during so many actual tournament games. There were no 1B or 3B coaches telling the girls to run or not to run and some kids, seriously, didn't have the first clue.
It was actually quite sad to see 15, 16, 17 year old girls, have some skills, not actually have any idea how to play the game without being constantly told what to do.
Young growing up in an environment where others are telling them what to do.
This has been a scenario numerous times.
Coach says
my outfielders don't make an adjustment for the batter to come in or go back.
I asked, do you have a signal to bring them in or have them move back?
coach says, yes I wave my hand in front of my face if I want them to come in, and I wave my hand behind my head if I want them to move back.
I said, have you ever considered that because you have that controlling indicator that they are just waiting for you to tell them what to do. That conundrum is very common.
Players are responding to the coach because the coach is controlling the players. That is how they are taught.
Instead of coaches teaching players, and assigning the players responsibility to do that themselves, those people who are called coach are just being controlling.
- May 27, 2013
- 2,573
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Yes! This!!!
I can’t tell you how many college games I’ve watched where the ball is hit directly back to the pitcher and they automatically throw to 1B every single time when they had plenty of time to get the girl going to 2B. Or the baserunner on 2B who watches a line drive hit to the OF who tags up when it is obvious the ball isn’t going to get caught. Or an obvious change up in the dirt before it reaches the catcher. Runner just hanging out on 1B.
#1 biggest change I see in softball is the giant mixture of talent levels now.
Seeing tournaments be like that is another indicator of the same predicament.
Camps (if they are not invite only) are providing a camp for a much much broader range of players.
NCAA rules do not allow college coaches to hold invite-only camps. NCAA bylaws state that institutional camps and clinics must be open to all entrants, with limitations based on age, grade, gender, and number. All camp and clinic advertisements must include language that states the camp is open to all entrants.
That is one reason there is so much varied talent at college camps.
