When to begin to be concerned about college showcases

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Oct 3, 2019
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Granddaughter is just a freshman and we're wondering if she shouldn't be too concerned just yet since they can't be contacted by coaches until end of Junior year. She does have a Sports Recruits profile set up however; not sure it's needed yet but coach insists the team have this done. Is freshman year too soon?
 
Apr 20, 2015
961
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Granddaughter is just a freshman and we're wondering if she shouldn't be too concerned just yet since they can't be contacted by coaches until end of Junior year. She does have a Sports Recruits profile set up however; not sure it's needed yet but coach insists the team have this done. Is freshman year too soon?
There is lots of time but no reason not to begin the thinking process about what level suits her and schools she might be interested in. My DD is a sophomore and lots of college coaches were at their last showcase. As I understand it the P5 schools are finishing up their short list 23s and making there lists of which 24s they want to invite to camps and watch over the next year...the long list so they can create their short list for 24s next fall. The d1 mid majors and on down the levels will be following the same schedule but still very actively narrowing their lists for 23s and just starting their 24s.

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May 11, 2018
91
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My DD freshman year was playing in showcases. the showcases had the best teams and competition in our area. It doesn't hurt and is good practice for young players to start reaching out and emailing coaches. good luck
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,409
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Texas
If your GDD team is playing in college showcases and they are not reaching out to coaches inviting them to watch/evaluate, then it's a waste. This is the age she needs to start the recruiting process and start attending college camps. Those kids that get verballed at the beginning of their Jr. year already did the work to get seen by communicating with coaches and attending camps (some since 6th grade).

Lots of threads on this topic scattered throughout this forum.
 
May 21, 2015
116
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South
Many parents have the misconception that a college coach can spot a talented player during a showcase. The coach will then start communicating based on the performance at the showcase. It does not work that way. Coaches are looking at specific players based on prior communication from a variety of sources. Going to showcases with the hope your daughter will be given a scholarship based on her play that day is unrealistic.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
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Reading back-to-back-to-back great responses.
All including the preparation and purpose to figuring out the process of individual player prep and team connections through showcasing.

(Kind of an irony to those that said 14U showcases should be eliminated.)
 
Jun 27, 2021
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Depends on the level she wants to play at. The first thing my daughter did her FR year was list 25 schools she was interested in and could add or subtract as she went along. Those schools included D1, D2, D3 and it was easier to manage once she got on Sports Recruits. She went on her first visit to a D2 school before she ever played high school ball. Prior to the no contact rule/Covid shutdown she had schools coming to see her freshman summer because she was emailing each school Sunday night on the weekend tournaments stats, thanking them as well her plans for the next week or tournament. On Wednesday she would email them her schedule and do it again on repeat for 2 years, it wasn't until Sept 1 of her JR that she was able to see the benefit of who was interested from her 8th/FR year to JR year when she got calls from schools she knew she would and calls/text/emails from schools she never really considered but she was consistent in reaching out. So the long of it, yes recruiting is a slow race for most but it's easier when you start early.

During Covid, mine talked to every D2/3 school that called in it opened up her eyes to good schools but also helped her to polish up on talking with coaches and feeling more comfortable.

Mine committed D1 to a school that was lower on her original list

Make a list of schools
Evaluate depth charts
Email constantly - Sports Recruits is great because it allows you to be notified when your profile is clicked or video's are watched
develop a twitter prescience which is an easy to tell if a school is interested
Email 5-10 schools weekly or all
Camp and those schools within reason of budget
Invite to games and have schedule to coaches for showcases in advance so they can plan
Follow thank you

Schools plan well in advance to what their team needs will be projected.
 
Jul 14, 2018
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DD’s team (mostly freshmen) is playing their first college showcase next week. Our coach is encouraging every player to email every coach attending. Reading some of the responses here, I can’t help but think that these coaches can’t possibly find all this email helpful.

One of DD’s teammates shared her email so others could get an idea of what to write. It’s a 500-word treatise that, again, I can’t imagine a college coach would want to receive from every kid.

I told DD to write something short, along the lines of: “My name is XX, I’m playing with the Hittin’ Kittens at the All Universe Showcase next week. I look forward to meeting you and hearing about your program.”

Am I wrong? Is a first email the place to provide a full autobiography?


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Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
Many parents have the misconception that a college coach can spot a talented player during a showcase. The coach will then start communicating based on the performance at the showcase. It does not work that way. Coaches are looking at specific players based on prior communication from a variety of sources. Going to showcases with the hope your daughter will be given a scholarship based on her play that day is unrealistic.

DD and her travel teammates had multiple college coaches spot them at tournaments and reach out to their travel coaches. A kid should also be reaching out to coaches and attending camps, but they can absolutely get noticed at showcases or national tournaments too. Especially when facing teams colleges are already following other recruits from.
 

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