What is a typical format for playing time on showcase teams? Is the playing time divided up fairly equally or do the better players see more time? My son's coach says that if there are three games, then one player will play one game and the other player (same position) will play the next game. Whoever plays the best will play in the third game. If everyone is paying the same to be seen, this format doesn't seem fair. Any thoughts?

You have to understand what is really the intent of the team which you are on. If it is truly a "showcase team" there could be some strategy of having equal playing time or even the scenario that you indicated whoever wins out for the third game, but most likely the showcase team turns out to be a tournament team and they are going to do their best to position their team to win and put the players in when they can or high visibility games vs equal time.

We were just talking about a tournament this weekend, we had a high powered team in a major event, we had worked our way through a very tough draw and through the history of the organization, and we had not won the event.

The head coach had just made a long statement of how two certain pitchers did a great job of getting us to the finals and they are done for the tournament and the other pitchers will carry us to victory, well the starting pitcher gave up 5 runs in the first inning of the championship game without getting an out! All of the sudden, a one of the two pitchers who the coach said was not going to pitch was warming up and came into the game, the other pitcher ended up coming in the 4th inning. We made a great comeback and ended up winning the tournament.

Bottomline, even though they said they were going to protect the pitchers, not everyone can resist the goal of winning vs loosing.

Bottom-line every organization is different and if you go in thinking everything is going to be fair, you will most likely be disappointed from even the smallest changes in the coach's strategy.

We have yet to participate in a tournament or even a full practice for that matter, so I don't know where my son stands. I can certainly understand wanting to win. This is his first showcase team and we're just trying to learn the system. Thanks Homerun for the reply.

In addition to everything Homerun04 wrote, it may also depend on the event. For instance, when 2B's team went to East Cobb and other scouted tournaments this summer, they went to win, so there was not equal playing time. Starters had to earn their spots over time. But when we have been to showcases where they do skills evaluations then have "games" that have special rules (no walks, only a certain number of batters in an inning, etc.), like PG underclassmen, so far everyone has gotten equal time - at least that's the way it seems to me. Then again, that's not really a "team" event.

On the other hand, what your coach said doesn't sit right with me. How does he determine who plays best? Stats?

Is it better to go to tournaments where your son's time is limited because of roster,or a regional showcase?

If you are on a travel team where your time is limited you are on the wrong team