I would like to introduce Silver Spikes to everyone. We have partnered with SKLZ training equipment to bring our showcase/clinics across the country in 2009. These are college coached events so we do guarantee that there will be scouts in attendance at the rate of 6/7 players to every 1 coach.
We will have pro guys but mostly collegiate coaches involved at the events from JC-D1. However, our clinic staff will include more head coaches and recruiting coordinators than just a representative or volunteer from a schools program. The volunteers typically have no recruiting power and that is what we will look to avoid.
Most of these events will be hosted on collegiate facilities with a few at minor league parks across the country. Current events will take place in:
California Nevada Oklahoma Arkansas Missouri Illinois Kentucky Michigan Ohio Connecticut
The final schedule for 2009 will also include locations in:
Indiana Texas Tennessee Florida South Carolina North Carolina New York Pennsylvania New Jersey
We will continue to update the site when locations are finalized but several locations are already filling with 75+ players registered to attend. We will cap events around 150 players! Thanks.
If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base. ~Dave Barry
Posts: 9 | Location: Indiana | Registered: November 26, 2008
Indiana, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina will be the next locations to be posted. The Indiana location will take place in September and will be released shortly (don't want to release a probable location and then change it on anyone). We will have it up shortly though.
Posts: 19 | Location: National | Registered: January 18, 2009
How are these set up? Showcase or clinic? I heard you guys were looking at Ball State and IU? Site is easy to navigate, thanks from those of us who struggle with that.
Posts: 13 | Location: Lafayette, IN | Registered: November 25, 2008
We host most of our events on D1 facilities and we treat these as clinics. We will have collegiate and professional coaches providing instruction along with face to face evaluations and written evaluations/results from the events. We will invite every collegiate program from each region we are attending JC-D1 and make them aware of the events and who is attending but we will also have our guaranteed instructors that will be running the events every weekend. They participate in virtually every aspect of the clinic and will provide knowledge and advice to players attending!
All players will receive clinic tshirts to wear during the event as well as a reaction ball from SKLZ for free. Everyone will participate in at least one live game and depending on time and weather we will look to have everyone play in two games when possible. The more baseball the better, right!
Thanks and again we'll have Indiana up shortly
Posts: 19 | Location: National | Registered: January 18, 2009
Are there any real people associated? I would be leery of any organization that didn't list a single name anywhere on their website. Whose in charge of this new operation that you are advertising?
Posts: 23 | Location: Indiana | Registered: March 05, 2007
Tom Davidson with Pastime Tournaments has taken control of the Silver Spikes program and will be the Director of Operations. He would be able to answer any questions regarding events from this point on and the Silver Spikes username will be released to him upon completion of the 2009 schedule. Further, there are several collegiate and area mlb coaches that are working in correlation with Mr. Davidson to make these events in to what they will become. He has really taken control of everything at this point with his staff and the coaches/scouts that have contacted SS to host events in 2009.
Hope that helps in answering your questions.
Posts: 19 | Location: National | Registered: January 18, 2009
The Silver Spikes program will in fact be run by some staff associated with Pastime Tournaments from this point on, mostly in tune with the college and mlb guys that will be running the events with us. The Silver Spikes program will serve as our headquarters for prospect clinics and evaluations. These events will be well scouted. Not with volunteers or someone with a school logo on their tshirt, but by actual head and top assistant coaches that have the ability to make recruiting actions for the players attending these events.
Our number one goal is to give players an affordable event with the right coaches in attendance (6/7:1 ratio - players:coaches) that will allow players to display their talent while receiving instruction and evaluations from the coaching staff running the clinics.
We have some great locations set up for 2009 and will begin assigning instructors shortly to those areas. Good luck to everyone during school ball and we look forward to seeing everyone this summer.
Posts: 139 | Location: National | Registered: October 21, 2006
You guys put on great events. I wish you luck with this program. We will support you guys as usual and I think your reputation will continue to do the same.
Posts: 13 | Location: Lafayette, IN | Registered: November 25, 2008
Who else are you bringing in to run the Indiana, Michigan, and Missouri clinics? Just wanting to know if we attend multiple events in our region if we will see the same or different schools and scouts in attendance?
Posts: 9 | Location: Indiana | Registered: November 26, 2008
We will likely have a good variety of coaches at each of those events. We will bring in some big out of region guys but we will bring in a lot of coaches from in and around the state of Indiana for that clinic and the same for the other states. You will see one or two of the same instructors at those events but in general you will see completely new staff if we went to multiple locations. Thanks.
