Though not all free, here is the home page for the Raiders showcases and team tryouts.

http://www.theraidersclubhouse.com/

Event Name: 07, 08 & 09 High School Showcase Team Tryouts: May 6
Description: Summer showcase travel team (Junior Olympics, Perfect Game, etc.) Open to all High School Players.
Begins: 05/06/06
Ends: 05/07/06
Fee: $90.00

Is that a misprint? $90 just to try out for a travel baseball team? That is insanity. If I had to pay $90 to tryout for a team I would buy my kid a tennis racket.

How can this team get any good players when coaches on real scout teams call kids all over the state begging them to play, sometimes for free.

I agree, you can pretty much make the assumption that anything Chuck Fest is involved with is probably not worth your time or your money. He is only worried about 2 things: Making money, and his SON !!!

I guess the rates vary from place to place. More often than not , try outs are usually done in a showcase or camp format. I have seen higher rates. I guess we'll have to see how the attendees react to it.

'Scout teams' always gives me a chuckle. Most people think that there is an actual pro baseball scout selecting and running the team. Most of the time it is an organization who 'invites' players they've heard about to play on the organization's team. The player would have to be exceptional to get a free ride since these are 'for profit' operations.

I had this strange notion for many years that a 'team' was a unit that practiced and played together on a regular basis under the coach or organization they are representing. These teams usually just meet for tournaments.

It just goes to prove that I can learn something new every day.

I'll hope that this is a good program to benefit the kids in the area in spite of what ulterior motives people feel are behind the establishment of the program.

WILLIEBOBO

We are not a "scout team" but we play a number of them and they ARE IN FACT run by PRO SCOUTS.

I would be careful with regard to the brush you use in painting pictures

WB
Chuckle all you want. My sons summer/fall team was run by 2 MLB scouts. Good players don't have to pay to tryout. The best high school players can sometimes play for free. I know of a half dozen teams that don't charge a nickel for anything. That's how it works.

quote:

The player would have to be exceptional to get a free ride since these are 'for profit' operations.

Some clubs have very deep pocketed private sponsorship generally termed "owners" who write six figure checks, year after year, out of petty cash.

I'm sure you'll (they, whoever) get enough appropriately talented kids (parents) to take the offer.

I'm sure that some scout teams are the real article, others use the name. With all the layers of 'scouts' out there, I only consider the ones getting paid as scouts.

The camp isn't mine or affiliated with me. I am just in favor of any benefit to kids playing ball and looking to improve their game.

It's nice that SOME clubs are in it for the player and the game. The clubs that don't charge are the ones actually looking for talent. With most only the exceptional player SOMETIMES gets a free ride.

Wouldn't it be nice if none charged?

quote:

I only consider the ones getting paid as scouts

Me too.

TRhit

Are u a part of the Raider Baseball Family?

Alot of young players have benefited from Chucks desire to provide a venue for his son to improve his game. There is no way that the expense that he has shelled out over the years can ever be recouped by charging fees for try-outs or membership in the Raider Nation Clubhouse which he has recently built that includes state of the art equipment and facilities.

My son was asked in HS to play on a "pro" scout fall team, we declined because of distance.
My understanding was that they were ex "pro" scouts, there would have been no fee, monwy had to be coming from somewhere. They chose only really talented kids. I understood they gave great instruction and played against local JUCOS.
Lots of scouts will coach teams because they honestly love working with the kids and want to help develop the talent in the area. I know that some of the kids benefited greatly from being on the team, in their game and with lots of connections.

It wasn't my intention to enter into debate about individuals, programs, motives or fees.

I saw a new program that has had success in previous years and made mention.

If anyone chooses to become involved with the program or chooses not to become involved is their own decision.

quote:

Alot of young players have benefited from Chucks desire to provide a venue for his son to improve his game.

There is no way that the expense that he has shelled out over the years can ever be recouped by charging fees

JEG
Please tell me how some kid benefits from paying $90 to tryout for the Raiders??

If it's all about the Raiders coaches debits and credits, maybe he should just have a telethon.

I appreciate any coach devoting time, effort and $$ helping kids, but taking $90 from some kids mom, then cutting the kid a few hour later, perhaps inviting him to tryout next month or next season, well, that just creeps me out. I'm guessing I'm not alone either. It's just a plain old money grab.

Nobody but scrubinni's are going to pay $90 to tryout for a baseball team. jmo

The Raiders have their own full sized manicured field that is available to all kids associated with the Raiders. The players that are selected go on to play quality showcase events. Junior Olympics etc. The team came in the top 10 last year with a very youg team. The players recieve excellent coaching and instruction throughout the year. The Raiders plan on fielding 2or3 seperate teams this year. I have spent $40/hr for hitting instruction and I have spent $100/hr for fielding as well as hitting instructions at various locations in the central florida area with former pro players as instructors (one on one with my son). $90 does not seem like a huge expense. If you are not willing to pay $90 to join a team with a complete private indoor facility and a full sized private outdoor field with former professional baseball players as coaches then that is a decision you are free to make. I would not spend $90 to try out for a team unless I was confident that my son was likely to make the team and it was a team I wanted my son to participate with.

quote:

I would not spend $90 to try out for a team unless I was confident that my son was likely to make the team and it was a team I wanted my son to participate with.

You are right. It is a money grab.

Team One charged, I think it was almost $200, for a tryout that we never even received a response from. When I brought that up awhile back on this website, I was accused of being bitter because my son was not good enough to be selected. In hindsite, I would have "filed" the application curbside.
The Tampa Bay Showcase we participated in was free, which was right in my price range.

jgrabe:
the reason you spend all that money on hitting lessons is so your son can be good enough for you to turn around and spend another 90$ on a tryout?

Let's be honest, If you stopped spending all that money on hitting lessons per month, you could probably save up enough to build a batting cage in your back yard, and then your son could learn how to hit naturally. Instead of having just another expensive manufactured swing. And if you have to pay to tryout its probably not worth the money no matter howmuch it is.

PS. i hope that Mr. Fest's son enjoys the workout facility that has just been built! Your paying for it!

After doing some research, I personally have come to the conclusion that the money being charged for the two showcases and showcase/tryout are on the low end of similar programs. (Showcases, Tournament fees per player, Tryout Fees)

I noted in the ad that the camps and tryout are only open to high school players. Note, not high school age players. If a player or parent feels that the cost is prohibitive, they will not be involved.

On the scrub issue, since these kids are high school players, they apparently impressed the school selction committee or coach with their abilities to make the team.

Lastly, the three showcases before the Independence Day tournament are all free. They are also all year specific.

I find it very hard to find fault with this program as it appears on paper and after seeing their facility.

Many of my data sources reminded me that sometimes cost is part of the weeding out process. But cost too often means the difference in having an opportunity and not having that opportunity.

I always think back to the Goya teams that paid for everything. (Uniforms, travel and coaches.) We even went to Puerto Rico to play. (We're not in the Bronx anymore Toto.)

Puma1

quote:

Team One charged, I think it was almost $200, for a tryout that we never even received a response from.

I paid $75 for the T1 showcase tryout at UCF in December 2002. There were at least 40 or 50 college coaches there in the freezing cold for two days. It was a showcase. We got letters from the tryout; priceless exposure, imo.

I can't compare that to a showcase team tryout.

Save your money and go to a real showcase with real national exposure at http://www.perfectgame.org/

Why is it I was expecting a competitor's commercial in your posts? Bad form.

As a side note, I don't think any of the Raider players have started a game for their respective varsity teams. The exposure that they have gotten though has some players being watched by the likes of Arizona State, LSU, Stanford, not to mention many D-2's and D-3's and JUCO's. The letters just keep showing up at their schools.

As noted on the team site (but not on the showcase site), the Raiders had one of their own chosen for the Arizona Tryout for the Youth National team.

Being their first year, they seem to be doing quite well attracting attention to their players.

That fifteen dollar difference in price complaint was hysterical.

Lastly , some of those washed up ball players from the area must still know some folks associated with the game. There are some who coach high school teams, club teams and assist high school coaches. The hitting instructor for Wharton last season, where at least one Raider studies, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.