Showcase—-Number of Events

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LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
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NY
We are a 14U team in the NE and play about 10 tournaments in the Spring plus Nationals. We played a few "Showcases" in the Fall and to me it's just semantics at this point. As said above, it likely just means that you will be playing a higher caliber of teams as compared to a typical USA or USSSA tournament (which was the case for us).
Do your girls play school ball yet? If so, how do you fit in 10 tournaments with school ball mixed in?
 
Feb 24, 2022
211
43
Do your girls play school ball yet? If so, how do you fit in 10 tournaments with school ball mixed in?
First year 14U (technically 13U) so they are all in 8th grade. 10 tournaments even gives us a couple of weekends off. I know teams around here that are closer to 14 tournaments.
 
Aug 10, 2020
53
18
14U is a tough age because some of your girls will be freshman playing on their HS teams and others will still be in 8th. That happened to DD, her TB coach scheduled 3 tournaments during HS season including Memorial Weekend and we had HS practices on the weekends that she was not allowed to miss so she missed a lot of TB. Coach needed subs to get a full team until HS ended. After HS ended we played 6 tournaments with one weekend off ending last weekend in July to give them a couple week's break before practicing for fall.
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
First year 14U (technically 13U) so they are all in 8th grade. 10 tournaments even gives us a couple of weekends off. I know teams around here that are closer to 14 tournaments.
We did that in 10U and 12U. Once we hit second year 12U, all girls were playing at least MS ball, which made it impossible to do any events until June.

By the time we hit 14U, most girls were pulled up to varsity. We didn't even see the team until mid-June then. Our local USSSA events don't even have 16 and 18U divisions until June, and the 14U ones are mostly 12U teams playing up.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
The org’s position is that showcases are where you need to be to play better teams. I’m not sure how accurate that is.
Hence my point: You should be signing up for any event your 16U/18U teams are playing if possible. Follow their lead.

There will be a 14U division in those events. You will notice there will be a pattern of the same events being hosted every year on/around the same dates. By that time you will have a pretty strong idea of what you schedule will be for the next 4 years. Give or take a few one off events.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Showcase events generally offer guaranteed amount of games.
Bang for the buck 🤷‍♀️
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
At 14u I don't think you should be playing any Showcases only tournaments. Very few if any coaches are watching 14u teams that are playing in 14u Showcase tournaments.

I will add this caveat. If your daughter is playing on one of the top 10 teams in the country in the 14u division but they are playing up in the 16u division in said Showcase, you are more likely to be seen by college coaches.

For 99% of 14u teams Showcases are not the ideal format IMO.
"Showcases at 14u are to get players ready for showcases at 16u."
Oh yeah, and to get coaches on an all expenses paid trip away from their wives.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
113
Texas
"Showcases at 14u are to get players ready for showcases at 16u."
Oh yeah, and to get coaches on an all expenses paid trip away from their wives.
Not if it's local. Many of the top organizations will host events that draw college coaches close to home. Doesn't have to be Scenic City, Surf City, Zoom into June, Atlanta Legacy, Colorado, Ronald McDonald, etc. In all reality, 14U will group the top "known" teams into power pools. That's where the college will be. They also schedule those group of games between the 16u/18u power pools groups.

DD's team was playing at the Ronald McDonald event in 8th grade (14U) and I noticed a bunch of high profile coaches started gathering at our field. I got all excited...but then realized our game was the back end of the Hittin Kitten pool and the 14U power pool teams were playing after us. This was my first dose of reality!
 
Feb 24, 2022
211
43
We did that in 10U and 12U. Once we hit second year 12U, all girls were playing at least MS ball, which made it impossible to do any events until June.

By the time we hit 14U, most girls were pulled up to varsity. We didn't even see the team until mid-June then. Our local USSSA events don't even have 16 and 18U divisions until June, and the 14U ones are mostly 12U teams playing up.
Our Middle School games and practices are all right after school (no weekends) so luckily they don't impact tournaments. I know that once they get to High School they will face the scheduling issues that you mentioned, so things will absolutely change next year.
 

LEsoftballdad

DFP Vendor
Jun 29, 2021
2,838
113
NY
Our Middle School games and practices are all right after school (no weekends) so luckily they don't impact tournaments. I know that once they get to High School they will face the scheduling issues that you mentioned, so things will absolutely change next year.
Middle school tends to be a bit looser with their scheduling. My two daughters only played MS ball in 7th grade before they were pulled up to varsity in 8th grade. Once that happened, spring was done for travel.

Our current organization told us at our end of fall exit interview that he'd see us in mid-June. We're 16U now, so everyone is on varsity.
 

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