- Nov 18, 2013
- 2,258
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“Invite Only” is a made up term from parents who want you to think their kid is extra special. Schools can invite prospects and limit the number of attendees, but the NCAA doesn’t allow invite only camps.
College softball prospect camp question
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I truly appreciate all of the responses to my original post. Admittedly this is completely a new learning experience since my daughter is now a freshman. As another responder brought up, the acronyms, abbreviations and otherwise differentiation of things totally add to another level of confusion for us. It truly is a whole new beast of learning curve battle for us as a family.
Honestly I can't seem to make heads or tails of it all. From the responses I feel that it may be best for us to keep doing what we are doing and opportunity will reach out.
Honestly I can't seem to make heads or tails of it all. From the responses I feel that it may be best for us to keep doing what we are doing and opportunity will reach out.
One thing I've noticed about the softball world. It very much as a "keeping up with the Jones'" kind of culture. it'd be nothing to spend twice the amount of an in-state school tuition just playing travel ball from 12u through 18u. full scholarships aren't common in softball. playing ball in college on scholarship can be a few thousand bucks, or maybe half a scholarship. you certainly aren't trying to play ball in college in order to go to school for free. it's purely for love of the game.
Mid-Major Division 1 in North East Ohio. I forgot I wasn't on my state site where everyone knows these since they are used constantly.
Two reasons to go to these kinds of things.
The first is that your kid is younger and you want to give them some idea what a college program looks like. Every school is a bit different, but you should be able to get them to a mid-major D1 camp targeted at younger players for well less than $200. The camps for older players shouldn't be much more than that.
The second reason is that you're trying to get recruited. Before you ever sign up, your kid needs to be sending the coach emails about who they are, why they want to go to that school, and what camps you'll be attending. If it's D1, the coach may not be able to reply depending on what HS grade the player is in. However, it gives them a "heads up" to look for you. Even if your kid isn't yet a HS junior, that D1 coach can talk to her all they want during the camp.
IMO, the combination of regular (and intelligent) email communication, attending camps at the schools you want to attend (not multi-school cattle calls), showing up prepared to do well, and engaging with the coaches/players working the camp is the most effective method to being remembered and discussed. If the blocks are checked for the coaches, the road between "remembered and discussed" and "recruited" can be pretty short.
The first is that your kid is younger and you want to give them some idea what a college program looks like. Every school is a bit different, but you should be able to get them to a mid-major D1 camp targeted at younger players for well less than $200. The camps for older players shouldn't be much more than that.
The second reason is that you're trying to get recruited. Before you ever sign up, your kid needs to be sending the coach emails about who they are, why they want to go to that school, and what camps you'll be attending. If it's D1, the coach may not be able to reply depending on what HS grade the player is in. However, it gives them a "heads up" to look for you. Even if your kid isn't yet a HS junior, that D1 coach can talk to her all they want during the camp.
IMO, the combination of regular (and intelligent) email communication, attending camps at the schools you want to attend (not multi-school cattle calls), showing up prepared to do well, and engaging with the coaches/players working the camp is the most effective method to being remembered and discussed. If the blocks are checked for the coaches, the road between "remembered and discussed" and "recruited" can be pretty short.
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Strictly speaking they are "open", but if they don't promote the camp, invite only who they want to see, hold the camp after their larger camp, and limit the number of attendees then the camp essentially becomes invite only. Happens pretty often actually.
- May 27, 2013
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I actually don’t have as much of an issue paying more for a camp at a D3 program than I would at a larger D1 school where many have large, athletic budgets. Many times the D3 camps actually help to fund the team’s spring training trip, uniforms, equipment, etc. Many don’t have the type of athletic support you see at a D1 or D2 school. You don’t see some D3 schools getting new uniforms every season or getting free gloves, bats, and cleats.
- Oct 10, 2018
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Maybe the quality varies but I found the CCSC camps (College Coaches Showcase Camps) the absolute worst - a complete cattle call waste of time. They kept the girls busy but no one was evaluating anyone, no clipboards, no one watching, just minimal staff running girls from drill station to drill station. The best one was Headfirst Honor Roll - if your DD is a high-academic they have coaches good schools who are watching and evaluating, then there's a meet/greet with coaches. DD met several she's only had email contact with so was able to meet face to face with about 10 schools on her "list".
They aren't allowed true invite only camps but they can and do manipulate the attendees pretty easily.
