Sparkler review $$$

[LEsoftballdad]

Yes I am aware as I’ve been there 5 times. There are over 1000 teams there. I’d say 10% of them are showcase teams that prioritize recruiting. And that’s probably high. Not to mention the fact that 90% of the players on showcase teams play in college within a 250 mile radius of their home so most showcase players get recruited in local/regional tournaments. The fact remains, recruiting is not the main draw for that tournament.

I would disagree. My daughter got interest from D1 schools on the East Coast at the IDT this year. They told her they don't go to the local events in the Northeast because the caliber of players at most local events, with a few exceptions, isn't up to their standards. And many coaches go to watch their recruits, or potential recruits, play against top competition that they don't get locally.

If you go as a 12U or a first-year 14U team, I would say it's a vacation with softball attached. If you're in the IDT or the Power Pool of the Sparkler, you're there for recruiting.

 

[benjey]

Yes I am aware as I’ve been there 5 times. There are over 1000 teams there. I’d say 10% of them are showcase teams that prioritize recruiting. And that’s probably high. Not to mention the fact that 90% of the players on showcase teams play in college within a 250 mile radius of their home so most showcase players get recruited in local/regional tournaments. The fact remains, recruiting is not the main draw for that tournament.

This may be true for players who live in the softball hotbeds(Cali, Southeast, Texas) but for those of us outside these areas we often need to travel to get even local colleges to watch our games. Many of these college coaches concentrate their recruiting efforts on tournaments with the highest concentrations of recruitable players which means they have to leave their local area.

We live in NY and my DD now attends a D1 school in NH the first 3 times these coaches watched her play in a game were in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama on 3 consecutive weekends. This was not an isolated case, most of her target schools were in the northeast and most of them watched her play outside of the northeast. She went to camps on campus which initially got her noticed and got her on their list to watch play at these out of area tournaments.

 

[El Oso]

There is that thing called competition. Bringing together the best teams from around the country to play against each other.

Yep. That’s another reason teams to go to Colorado that has nothing to do with recruiting. It’s definitely interesting to play some different teams than you normally see regionally.

 

[El Oso]

I would disagree. My daughter got interest from D1 schools on the East Coast at the IDT this year. They told her they don't go to the local events in the Northeast because the caliber of players at most local events, with a few exceptions, isn't up to their standards. And many coaches go to watch their recruits, or potential recruits, play against top competition that they don't get locally.

If you go as a 12U or a first-year 14U team, I would say it's a vacation with softball attached. If you're in the IDT or the Power Pool of the Sparkler, you're there for recruiting.

I fail to see what you disagree with me about

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I fail to see what you disagree with me about

You talked about getting recruited at local tournaments. In the Northeast, most D1 colleges travel out of the area to see prospects, so attending the local events won't get you recruited.

 

[MNDad]

You talked about getting recruited at local tournaments. In the Northeast, most D1 colleges travel out of the area to see prospects, so attending the local events won't get you recruited.

Same experience here. D1’s within 250 miles watched DD far more in Colorado and other national tournaments than local or regional. ISU never saw her play in MN or Iowa, but the watched her in Colorado, California and Nevada.

I think the disconnect is with D1 recruiting. For players aspiring to play at that level colleges attending is absolutely the main draw. If girls want to play at other levels or don’t take recruiting seriously CO is just a vacation.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

think the disconnect is with D1 recruiting. For players aspiring to play at that level colleges attending is absolutely the main draw. If girls want to play at other levels or don’t take recruiting seriously CO is just a vacation.

If my daughter only wanted to play D2 or D3, there's no way I'd put her on a team that went to Colorado and PGF. She would be better off close to home.

 

[Vertigo]

If my daughter only wanted to play D2 or D3, there's no way I'd put her on a team that went to Colorado and PGF. She would be better off close to home.

This is why we stuck with our team which was a very good regional team that had been around for years. Pennsbury, NE Finest, Team NJ, and D9 in Florida gave our girls the exposure they needed and wanted without having to travel across the Mississippi. If players were fine with lower to mid-major level D1, and D2 and D3 schools, we got the job done.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

This is why we stuck with our team which was a very good regional team that had been around for years. Pennsbury, NE Finest, Team NJ, and D9 in Florida gave our girls the exposure they needed and wanted without having to travel across the Mississippi. If players were fine with lower to mid-major level D1, and D2 and D3 schools, we got the job done.

If you're on a team with no high aspirations, and if you're okay playing on backwater fields in front of no coaches, then make a vacation out of it. It's an expensive trip, though. You have to plan for at least 5-7 nights in a hotel, flights, car rental, food, etc... I would venture it costs the average family who flies there at least $4,000. If you take the whole family, count on even more.

Those tournaments you mentioned are all good events for regional teams, and even teams that play some National events. That's why you won't ever see a Thunderbolts or Bandits team, though. It's called staying in your lane. More teams should learn to do that. I wish my daughter's last team would learn that. What was a once top-tier organization has taken a step backwards. Their 16U National team was 17-1 against regional competition before heading to Texas. They finished the fall at 22-14-2.

 

[4Martini]

These are interesting reads. We’re a local 14s - the team played it last year before my daughter joined and are talking about skipping this year. Even for local teams the logistics with weekday games is a trade off. You can usually get more games in two weekend tournaments and drive less/ less work conflicts. Since my daughter has never played in it she really wants to- I might have to find her a guest spot. I assume once we hit 16s it will be on the schedule. We are heading to OKC since that was where the girls really wanted to go to see the wcws.