i have a question for all the scouts/coaches that could help me. i am 16 going into my jr year at jacobs high school in algonquin il, and i was wondering how i could catch more attention from college scouts and coaches. would it be better if i went to scout camps and spent all that money or if i just played ball for school and then in the summer keep playing for the norwood blues which i played on this year and attending showcases with that team?

I would recommend a combination of both, Patrick. One can go overboard with showcases and spend a great deal of money. On the other hand, you just don't know who may be looking at you at a showcase and exposure is the name of the game. The Fox Valley Conference has some solid talent in the Chicagoland area, so playing with the Blues and of course with your Eagles will provide you with some solid exposure, too.

but mainly i was wondering about like colleges in the south and what not like arizona .... would they come all the way up north to see players or do they pretty much stay in the southern area and make me go to them?

Again, Patrick it depends on the showcase and the particular school. An established showcase may host scouts and coaches from all over the country. Budgets are also a concern for many schools as some do not have the ability to send coaches all over the country on multiple trips to recruit. Check with the showcase organizers as they can give you a good idea of who may be attending a particular showcase. The Stanford camp is often mentioned on this site - at this camp/showcase coaches from all over the country attend. Other showcases may have only a handful of JUCO coaches in attendance.

if it is not too much to ask... where do you coach???

For the schools that you are interested in, send a brief video (10 minutes max) to those coaches your interested in along with a brief letter of interest.

Otherwise, a combination of camps/ showcase, your own marketing efforts and simply playing will do the trick.

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First thing--- look in the mirror and ask yourself where you can "TRULY" play--then target them

01-- write them/email them
02-- let them know where they can see you play
03-- make sure your academics will allow you to be accepted at the school of your choice and you can be comfortable there
04-- attend a showcase in the region of the schools would are interested in--make sure you let them know you will be there
05-- be realistic in your choices and decisions

One good way to check is to go on the web and check the teams roster........Most of the rosters will tell you where the players are from.

If you dont see any players from your area and your position on the roster, it might be an indication of where they look. Not that that would keep you out of the running, but its an indication of what you have to do or where you have to go to be seen.

A player I knew wanted to go to Florida State in the worst way.........but a look at the roster reveals 99% of the players are from Florida.......Not much need for recruiting infielders from Pennsylvania.