A Quick Thought About Camps & Showcases

I know many of you have been invited to college camps, clinics and baseball showcases. Welcome to the way college baseball programs make a lot of their money. Just as your high school program or travel team needs to raise money, colleges are no different. Is this a bad thing? Of course not, but you have to go into this with an understanding and be educated.

Step one (A PLAN) is to have a good idea of where you would like to go, where you can actually play at (the level) and have narrowed your list of schools down to around 10 or so, then it is very important to attend one of the camps that those schools have on campus. The benefits of attending a school's camp are:

1. Showcase your ability in a small group vs a large showcase setting 2. Get to know the coaching staff and evaluate their coaching style and philosophy 3. Allow the coaches to get to know you on a personal level. (For my standpoint, this is just as important as your ability as a baseball player.) 4. Tour the campus, and get a feel for the environment and community.

Key to Success:

The key to your success in the college selection process is the willingness to be proactive. Get your name out there and initiate contact with the schools you are interested in, both athletically and academically. The recruiting process is a two-way street, so to speak. Most colleges want potential members of their program to take some time to learn about them and its baseball program, while, at the same time, they need to put forth the same effort to learn and gather information about you. Ultimately, the process is about the best "fit" and the best "feel," and this process allows you to make an informed decision.

A guaranteed way to waste your money, your time and the college coach’s time is to commit to a camp where you have had no interaction with the coaches whatsoever. Yes, they get to see you but who are they going to spend their time on? The guy they know nothing about or the guy who they have been communicating with for weeks, if not years?

Think about it.