My son is a junior in high school. His dream is to play in the majors and my dream is for him to go to a college such as UF, FSU, or UCF (really open to who would accept him). He's a good ball player and is an honor student. He would like to go to a camp/showcase this winter break and I'm trying to figure out which would be best for him. I'm a single mom and knew he liked playing baseball but after reading this site tonight, I now realize that I'm way behind all of you getting him to be where he needs to be noticed. I notice that FSU has a winter camp, JU, and some junior colleges. There is also the Next Level showcase. Should he wait to do the Perfect Game one when he is a senior? Thank you in advance for any help!

Individual school camps are fine, realize though that you are being seen by just one individual school (in most cases) when you attend those. They aren't typically inclined to invite numerous scouts/schools to their showcase/camp.

Go to a Perfect Game event for sure. They do a great job, get your sons name out and they (like several programs) will have coaches/scouts in attendance at there events. Going to more than one wouldn't be a bad idea either.

Just my two cents.

Frist of all...welcome. You have come to a great site where there is lots of information by folks much smarter and more knowledgable than I. but like most advice you may receive in life...decide what works for you and take it. Leave the rest behind.

In my opinion, I would start by studying the PErfect Game website, particularly the showcases results and player profiles. If you son is a pitcher, note how fast the pitchers throw who rate a score of 8, 8.5, 9, etc....not just their FB, but also curve and change up. If your son is a position player, note the 60 times and arm velocity for players who play your son's position. Then, compare your son's abilities in those areas. Get a feel for how you think he might compare to those athletes. That's one of the great things about showcases is seeing how you measure up vs. competition.

Then, look at the rosters of the schools you mention and try to see if any of those players attended PG showcases. If so, how did they do? What scores did they receive? Again, try to get a feel for how your son would measure up against those players.

Without spending any money - only some time - you can begin to get a feel if your son 'might' have what it takes to play at a certain level. Keep in mind that speed in a 60, how hard he can throw a fastball, or even a PG score is not the sole determiner of whether he can play at a particular school or a particular level (D1, D2, JUCO, etc).

All this is just a start. Eventually, you will have to decide which camp or showcase to attend. You may even try to simply go and watch a camp or showcase without paying to attend...just to get a feel for what to expect when you do.

But, as a junior, the clock is ticking and many (certainly not all) good programs ahve their eyes on potential recruits for your son's class already.

I am sure others will chime in with much more beneficial help, but this should at least get you started.

Best of luck to you and your son! And, again, welcome!

GHTB, First of all, welcome to one of the best websites in existence for helping your son realize his dream of playing at the next level. There is a TON of great information here, not only on the forums but also in the articles.

One of the very first things I'd do is read the recruiting timeline that you'll find along the left side of the home page. You'll find a lot of great advice in that timeline and those articles.

If you're going to send him to a showcase, Perfect Game is definitely the way to go. You might also consider the local travel clubs, and there are some excellent ones in your region. They play in high profile tournaments where he can compete with and against the best players, and there will be plenty of college coaches following those events.

The time to become involved is now. And, remind him that his performance in the classroom is more important than his performance on the field.

Welcome! You have gotten great advice and I can't add much but I echo what some have already said. You talk about you and your son's dreams. I think it's great to dream and if we think about it, dreams are actually necessary. Just remember that dreaming motivates the process but reality controls the outcome. Let me explain. When your son attends any event whether it be a winter camp at a selected college or a showcase at Perfect Game or Next Level, you and he need to evaluate his performance and how he stacks up against other players. This will determine where he could play or where he would "fit" --- baseballguy mentions this. I assume you are in Florida. If so, just playing baseball in Florida is known to provide great exposure for young players. Remember the camps and showcase don't make your son better they simply provide additional exposure. Huge amounts of additional exposure isn't necessary and most parents go overboard here. Too much exposure doesn't hurt anything other than your bank account. His summer team and his high school team will provide exposure too ---- the quality of exposure depends on their level of play and reputation. Showcasing and camps are expensive so do some research as to where you can get the most bang for your buck. I'll mention two other things. --

1. Talk to the "baseball people" you run into at camps, showcases, batting cages, games, etc and LISTEN to what they say. Coaches you run into will give you an fairly honest "one on one" evaluation of your son's talent and you can use that evaluation to help guide you.
2. The effective recruitment of your son results from a PROCESS and is not determined by a SINGLE EVENT like a showcase or a camp.

If it makes you feel any better, we all stayed confused during the time our sons were trying to find a place to play college/pro baseball. We only fully understood what happened AFTER it was over.
Fungo

GHTB, in addition to what everyone else has said, does your son have a good summer team? Even if he is a junior, I keep reading here that it's not too late! And he can get some good exposure this summer. If you are in North Florida and he doesn't have a summer team, please feel free to PM me. (right click on my name and you'll see "Invite 2Bmom to a private discussion" or something like that). Our summer coach (and year-round adviser) has given us some very good advice about targeting the right level camps at institutions that might be looking for middle infielders about the time 2B will be graduating.

UCF had a "Prospect Camp" last month that was very good. Participation was limited, and they did it in a showcase format. Some very good players showed up, and it was a lot of fun to watch. 2B liked the camp and the coaches a lot. Beautiful campus, too. If your son is specifically interested in UCF, they have a "Winter Skills Camp" coming up in a few days for ages 13-18. Here is the website:
http://www.terryrooneybaseballcamps.com/
The price isn't too bad and at least he'll have a chance to meet the coaches and see the campus. You can also contact them and get on their mailing list.

Thank you all for your great advice! My son did go to a showcase a few months ago with his high school team and his coach called to tell me that some college and pro scouts called about him. I think I have been a slacker because I know statistic wise that this is a tough field because there are so many good kids out here. When I do talk to other parents, they mention their batting coach, pitching coach, camps, ect...that I didn't even know were available. Right now, financially, I'm going to have to make limited choices so I appreciate the input. I don't know how he stacks up against other kids but I do want him to have the opportunity since it does seem possible.

Two words is all you need to know....Perfect Game!