There are many reasons why a player should attend a showcase and they will vary from player to player and family to family. Below are a few possible reasons to attend a showcase. 

Exposure: For many, exposure is the goal. Having the opportunity to perform in front of as many colleges from varying levels as possible usually ranks at the top of the list for most people.

Experience: If you have never attended a Showcase event before, simply getting your feet wet to understand how they work could pay huge dividends at similar events and opportunities in the future.

Instruction: In our baseball world today, players play a ton but lack the chance to gain quality instruction in all facets of the game from quality people. Not every event features quality instruction… but if you have the opportunity, it ensures each player has the proper foundation to build on for their baseball future.

Understanding: Another key benefit from attending a Showcase is to gain an understanding of where the player stacks up with his peers. Any event that provides metrics to the player is a great place to understand the areas that need improvement to ensure that he measures up to the competition. Being able to compare yourself to players from different states all across the nation is huge!

Once you have outlined your son’s needs and goals you must compare that list to the value that an event offers.  The key is to obviously find the events that give the most value and check the most boxes off your needs/goals list. 

Obviously your needs will differ from other players & families… so just going to an event because one of your teammates does isn’t always the best option!

While it can be seen as taboo to discuss finances (or simply just call every showcase a “money grab”) it is vital for you as a parent to sit down and notice how many of the value points above (plus other factors) can be met at an event.

Would you rather pay $500 for a showcase event that has 10 of your top colleges in attendance, video included, game play, and instruction? Or would you rather pay $229 for a single schools camp that has 2 colleges & no instruction or gameplay? Being able to get the most bang for your buck and value at each event is crucial.

This is a multi-pronged set of questions to ask when planning out your summer tournaments & showcases.

• Will there be college coaches in attendance?

• Are they college coaches of schools I am interested in?

• How do I know they will be in attendance?

It is very important to make sure you are picking the right events to be seen by the schools you truly have interest in.  Not all showcase events feature college coaches. Some are interested in giving you a “ranking” by their staff member.

As discussed in the video on the right of your screen, as a college coach there have been a number of times that I have seen my name on an event’s web page in which I have never agreed or never spoken with that company!

It is also important, if you can obtain such information, to understand how the showcase confirms the attendance of the coaches they are marketing to ensure they will actually be there.  Any showcase company unwilling to explain the process of how they confirm coaches attendance is one you may need to stay away from.

Lastly, it is important that they are schools that YOU are interested in! If you have interest in playing at a D2/D3 program within 150 miles of your home town, then there isn’t much of a reason to go to a showcase 1,200 miles away in front of local junior colleges in that area!

*All college coaches listed for any event on the Best in the US Site have gone through lengthy registration processes to confirm their attendance for an event.

Many coaches will tell you that they will not recruit a player off metrics alone.  They need to see the player turn those metrics into in game performance.  Any event that provides you both the chance to showcase your abilities and then display them in a game setting could be a great opportunity.