|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Dec 7, 2021 15:50:42 GMT -5
Can someone tell me why Directors of clubs force lower level teams to play in showcases rather than traditional tournaments with awards, etc...?
Yes I know the old cliché answer. Showcases are just money grabs where club officials can charge the same for less games. So lets get that out there now.
I don't see a point for a lower level team to go to basically exhibition games and pay $650-800 or more for the opportunity to play these glorified exhibition games when not one single college scout or coach is even at the field for those lower bracket games to showcase to.
Parents need to stand up to this crap. If the team needs and wants to go to tournaments, that is all well and good, go to tournaments, but make it an actual tournament with a purpose of going (to win a Championship) not some glorified exhibition event with little motivation for coach, club, or players to win the games.
Am I off base here?
|
|
|
|
Post by mightydawg on Dec 7, 2021 15:57:41 GMT -5
You are on base and off base at the same time. Other than getting more games, there is very little purpose in a lower level team going to a showcase. On the other hand, the same rational applies to a tournament. The purpose of the tournament and the purpose of the showcase are the same, to make money. Playing for a $1 medal in a bracket with 4 teams, 6 teams or 8 8 teams does not change that. The exception of course would be State Cup or SCCL Cup where you qualify for further advancement by winning the tournament. If there is no advancement to a greater prize, all of the club tournaments/showcases are money grabs.
|
|
|
|
Post by hotspur1 on Dec 7, 2021 16:01:54 GMT -5
How lower level, what showcase and what colleges are attending?
I’ve seen Athena A, B, C level players get offers from schools like Gordon, LaGrange, and Brewton Parker.
|
|
|
|
Post by bogan on Dec 7, 2021 16:04:23 GMT -5
I’m not of fan of the showcase format below the age where scouts can actually talk or would want to talk to the players. At a recent one, I was talking to a scout/coach and he mentioned just watching waiting to talk to the coach at the end of the game. When I first started chatting with him he asked me in a British accent “these are younger lads, right?”
So, he was killing time…
|
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Dec 7, 2021 16:21:40 GMT -5
How lower level, what showcase and what colleges are attending? I’ve seen Athena A, B, C level players get offers from schools like Gordon, LaGrange, and Brewton Parker. I would say that level but on the boys side in the instance I'm talking about. A SCCL P2 to P3 level team which I would say is equivalent to Classic II or III in the old days. |
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Dec 7, 2021 16:25:23 GMT -5
You are on base and off base at the same time. Other than getting more games, there is very little purpose in a lower level team going to a showcase. On the other hand, the same rational applies to a tournament. The purpose of the tournament and the purpose of the showcase are the same, to make money. Playing for a $1 medal in a bracket with 4 teams, 6 teams or 8 8 teams does not change that. The exception of course would be State Cup or SCCL Cup where you qualify for further advancement by winning the tournament. If there is no advancement to a greater prize, all of the club tournaments/showcases are money grabs. Yes I agree they are all money grabs, but these kids normally do want to go and play for something even if the award is a $1 medal and prestige of knowing you are the best of whatever particular bracket you are in. Hardware and winning still are motivators to a lot of kids even when they get high school age. I have no problem with tournaments in general even though they are money grabs except I do have an issue when directors get together and send the same damn teams to every tourney so the team plays the same other teams at every tourney, then yes they are useless. The kids do get tired playing the same teams over and over again especially for the 3rd and 4th time in the same season sometimes. I think for the most parts players prefer tournaments over showcases especially when it isn't an ECNL, MLS, NPL, GPL, etc.... team. |
|
|
|
Post by atlfutboldad on Dec 7, 2021 17:18:02 GMT -5
If a showcase has fields not at the primary facility, its just an excuse to play teams outside your state. COllege scouts are likely going to stay at the primary facility.
|
|
|
|
Post by greenmonkey on Dec 7, 2021 18:21:20 GMT -5
More Games
Lower level teams like say SCCL Club don’t have the benefit of full robust schedule of league games. Development of players certainly can happen in training but development at game speed in game scenarios is a MUST for players AND teams to develop their skills. Don’t like watching lower level teams play long ball and kick and run? They need meaningful competitive games to practice those skills? A showcase takes the “pressure” off the win or lose to advance off the team (PARENTS players and coach)
More Competition
Local tournaments are often played by the same teams in the same brackets repeatedly each year. Showcases for lower teams provide new teams to play across the region and beyond. Even at the dreaded Disney we have never played a team from GA or a team in our league.
Feedback
For example the NC Showcase had a players combine the day before which gave players the opportunity to work directly with college coaches. My “too young to recruit” “lower level team” player enjoyed the opportunity to play at the higher levels with high performing players and receive coaching AND feedback on their performance.
Practice
The Showcases provided an opportunity for players on the team to gather game film at a “younger age too young to recruit” age to practice and prepare for when they NEED the film. Also practice building online profiles and practice reaching out to coaches.
Research
If your “lower level” too young to recruit player IS thinking about playing in college NOT at the SEC Division 1 top ten full ride scholarship level … They might benefit from learning about the different lower level Div 1 or gasp Div 2 or shock Div 3 or dare I say an NAIA schools that are out there. Looking at a list of coaches from all over the Divisions and Conferences is great research into the myriad of types of OTHER college soccer available
Travel Experiences
Lastly there are some parents and players who actually enjoy traveling out of town with their teammates to spend time at team dinners and enjoy a few hours off the field together. Our team enjoyed BBQ picnic and an impromptu game of kickball on a playground field. Was it soccer? No. Was it teamwork, relaxing, enjoyable and just plain fun? Heck yeah!
Anyway that’s my why I think Showcases are a great addition to a lower level teams season.
See you on the sidelines and if we are lucky maybe even a showcase LOL
GM
|
|
|
|
Post by bogan on Dec 7, 2021 18:32:43 GMT -5
More Games Lower level teams like say SCCL Club don’t have the benefit of full robust schedule of league games. Development of players certainly can happen in training but development at game speed in game scenarios is a MUST for players AND teams to develop their skills. Don’t like watching lower level teams play long ball and kick and run? They need meaningful competitive games to practice those skills? A showcase takes the “pressure” off the win or lose to advance off the team (PARENTS players and coach) More Competition Local tournaments are often played by the same teams in the same brackets repeatedly each year. Showcases for lower teams provide new teams to play across the region and beyond. Even at the dreaded Disney we have never played a team from GA or a team in our league. Feedback For example the NC Showcase had a players combine the day before which gave players the opportunity to work directly with college coaches. My “too young to recruit” “lower level team” player enjoyed the opportunity to play at the higher levels with high performing players and receive coaching AND feedback on their performance. Practice The Showcases provided an opportunity for players on the team to gather game film at a “younger age too young to recruit” age to practice and prepare for when they NEED the film. Also practice building online profiles and practice reaching out to coaches. Research If your “lower level” too young to recruit player IS thinking about playing in college NOT at the SEC Division 1 top ten full ride scholarship level … They might benefit from learning about the different lower level Div 1 or gasp Div 2 or shock Div 3 or dare I say an NAIA schools that are out there. Looking at a list of coaches from all over the Divisions and Conferences is great research into the myriad of types of OTHER college soccer available Travel Experiences Lastly there are some parents and players who actually enjoy traveling out of town with their teammates to spend time at team dinners and enjoy a few hours off the field together. Our team enjoyed BBQ picnic and an impromptu game of kickball on a playground field. Was it soccer? No. Was it teamwork, relaxing, enjoyable and just plain fun? Heck yeah! Anyway that’s my why I think Showcases are a great addition to a lower level teams season. See you on the sidelines and if we are lucky maybe even a showcase LOL GM Wow! sounds like a great showcase. I’ve yet to attend anything remotely as nice or beneficial. |
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Dec 7, 2021 18:37:14 GMT -5
More Games Lower level teams like say SCCL Club don’t have the benefit of full robust schedule of league games. Development of players certainly can happen in training but development at game speed in game scenarios is a MUST for players AND teams to develop their skills. Don’t like watching lower level teams play long ball and kick and run? They need meaningful competitive games to practice those skills? A showcase takes the “pressure” off the win or lose to advance off the team (PARENTS players and coach) More Competition Local tournaments are often played by the same teams in the same brackets repeatedly each year. Showcases for lower teams provide new teams to play across the region and beyond. Even at the dreaded Disney we have never played a team from GA or a team in our league. Feedback For example the NC Showcase had a players combine the day before which gave players the opportunity to work directly with college coaches. My “too young to recruit” “lower level team” player enjoyed the opportunity to play at the higher levels with high performing players and receive coaching AND feedback on their performance. Practice The Showcases provided an opportunity for players on the team to gather game film at a “younger age too young to recruit” age to practice and prepare for when they NEED the film. Also practice building online profiles and practice reaching out to coaches. Research If your “lower level” too young to recruit player IS thinking about playing in college NOT at the SEC Division 1 top ten full ride scholarship level … They might benefit from learning about the different lower level Div 1 or gasp Div 2 or shock Div 3 or dare I say an NAIA schools that are out there. Looking at a list of coaches from all over the Divisions and Conferences is great research into the myriad of types of OTHER college soccer available Travel Experiences Lastly there are some parents and players who actually enjoy traveling out of town with their teammates to spend time at team dinners and enjoy a few hours off the field together. Our team enjoyed BBQ picnic and an impromptu game of kickball on a playground field. Was it soccer? No. Was it teamwork, relaxing, enjoyable and just plain fun? Heck yeah! Anyway that’s my why I think Showcases are a great addition to a lower level teams season. See you on the sidelines and if we are lucky maybe even a showcase LOL GM That's all well and good but that isn't how this went down. The showcases I'm talking about are local Atlanta showcases because the club won't allow lower teams to travel out of state or non-local to go to a showcase and thus these are the same GSA, AFU, UFA, SSA,Concorde, etc... Events that are listed as tournaments for younger ages but "showcases" for older groups. Also not applicable in your scenario playing a local showcase is the same as the tournament without awards in this instance as all the teams played were the same teams always played in either regular season or other showcases or tournaments. So if we are talking about out of state showcases then I agree they are fine as would any out of state tourneys as well. The problem is the big clubs don't allow lower teams to travel like that and make them do only local tournaments and now not tournaments but showcases instead. |
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Dec 7, 2021 18:39:18 GMT -5
More Games Lower level teams like say SCCL Club don’t have the benefit of full robust schedule of league games. Development of players certainly can happen in training but development at game speed in game scenarios is a MUST for players AND teams to develop their skills. Don’t like watching lower level teams play long ball and kick and run? They need meaningful competitive games to practice those skills? A showcase takes the “pressure” off the win or lose to advance off the team (PARENTS players and coach) More Competition Local tournaments are often played by the same teams in the same brackets repeatedly each year. Showcases for lower teams provide new teams to play across the region and beyond. Even at the dreaded Disney we have never played a team from GA or a team in our league. Feedback For example the NC Showcase had a players combine the day before which gave players the opportunity to work directly with college coaches. My “too young to recruit” “lower level team” player enjoyed the opportunity to play at the higher levels with high performing players and receive coaching AND feedback on their performance. Practice The Showcases provided an opportunity for players on the team to gather game film at a “younger age too young to recruit” age to practice and prepare for when they NEED the film. Also practice building online profiles and practice reaching out to coaches. Research If your “lower level” too young to recruit player IS thinking about playing in college NOT at the SEC Division 1 top ten full ride scholarship level … They might benefit from learning about the different lower level Div 1 or gasp Div 2 or shock Div 3 or dare I say an NAIA schools that are out there. Looking at a list of coaches from all over the Divisions and Conferences is great research into the myriad of types of OTHER college soccer available Travel Experiences Lastly there are some parents and players who actually enjoy traveling out of town with their teammates to spend time at team dinners and enjoy a few hours off the field together. Our team enjoyed BBQ picnic and an impromptu game of kickball on a playground field. Was it soccer? No. Was it teamwork, relaxing, enjoyable and just plain fun? Heck yeah! Anyway that’s my why I think Showcases are a great addition to a lower level teams season. See you on the sidelines and if we are lucky maybe even a showcase LOL GM Wow! sounds like a great showcase. I’ve yet to attend anything remotely as nice or beneficial. I was about to say. He is projecting what a showcase is to these high level travel teams. That isn't the reality for lower teams and showcases. They don't get to do the travel away showcases. |
|
|
|
Post by hotspur1 on Dec 7, 2021 18:50:40 GMT -5
Wow! sounds like a great showcase. I’ve yet to attend anything remotely as nice or beneficial. I was about to say. He is projecting what a showcase is to these high level travel teams. That isn't the reality for lower teams and showcases. They don't get to do the travel away showcases. My daughter got a request for an official visit from a school that she had never considered while playing for an NPL team at the SSA “showcase” in their 2nd of 3 brackets. Also got film requests/contacts from colleges in South and North Carolina playing on an SCCL team in the SSA Savannah showcase and eventually visiting some. (her coach and team mgr did reach out in advance out to every college coach that was attending.) Once again, I know of multiple players that are now playing in college due to these showcases. Ga Storm, Athens United, types of clubs. Lots of kids just want a shot to be seen or just want to play for the love of the game. Especially as their career could be coming to an end. As a parent you might think it’s a money grab but the kids probably don’t. |
|
|
|
Post by bogan on Dec 7, 2021 19:00:01 GMT -5
I was about to say. He is projecting what a showcase is to these high level travel teams. That isn't the reality for lower teams and showcases. They don't get to do the travel away showcases. My daughter got a request for an official visit from a school that she had never considered while playing for an NPL team at the SSA “showcase” in their 2nd of 3 brackets. Also got film requests/contacts from colleges in South and North Carolina playing on an SCCL team in the SSA Savannah showcase and eventually visiting some. (her coach and team mgr did reach out in advance out to every college coach that was attending.) Once again, I know of multiple players that are now playing in college due to these showcases. Ga Storm, Athens United, types of clubs. Lots of kids just want a shot to be seen or just want to play for the love of the game. Especially as their career could be coming to an end. As a parent you might think it’s a money grab but the kids probably don’t. I’ve not seen this on the boys side. Much more recruitment after going to a college/University’s camp. Not that I haven’t seen it happen when they’ve notified a coach from a particular school, just not as much. |
|
|
|
Post by hotspur1 on Dec 7, 2021 19:57:22 GMT -5
My daughter got a request for an official visit from a school that she had never considered while playing for an NPL team at the SSA “showcase” in their 2nd of 3 brackets. Also got film requests/contacts from colleges in South and North Carolina playing on an SCCL team in the SSA Savannah showcase and eventually visiting some. (her coach and team mgr did reach out in advance out to every college coach that was attending.) Once again, I know of multiple players that are now playing in college due to these showcases. Ga Storm, Athens United, types of clubs. Lots of kids just want a shot to be seen or just want to play for the love of the game. Especially as their career could be coming to an end. As a parent you might think it’s a money grab but the kids probably don’t. I’ve not seen this on the boys side. Much more recruitment after going to a college/University’s camp. Not that I haven’t seen it happen when they’ve notified a coach from a particular school, just not as much. My only point of view is from the girls side so maybe the amount of boys spots available is that much different. I do think that just showcases alone aren’t going to cut it for a lot of players. There’s a lot of work that goes into recruitment from the players side too. You’re definitely 100% right on the college camp angle. Good film to send out, consistent messaging to coaches at schools you are interested in…it’s a process. |
|
|
|
Post by SoccerFirst on Dec 8, 2021 13:19:31 GMT -5
I didn't have time to read all the responses so I'm sorry if I missed someone mentioning this, but like many club decisions these decisions are made not for what's best for the player and their experience, but ultimately $$$$$. MOST clubs in ATL have agreements/pacts with other Atlanta clubs that they will send a certain number of teams to their tournament/showcase IF the other club sends X# of teams to theirs. This is why my team was forced to go to the SAME disorganized preseason tournament EVERY fall, because that club sent so many teams to our Academy tournament in the spring. So if you find yourself wondering, why? The answer is usually $$$$. Why does a team send a coach to a tournament with 3 teams, knowing darn well he won't be able to cover all his matches? Because they guaranteed a certain number of teams would be attending. My other favorite, when a club FORCES it's own teams to attend their own club's tournament without a discounted rate, paying the same as every other team...
As parents and coaches, you can say/do more. I refused to take my team to Disney and I negotiated that I'd go to the awful Fall tournament if they approved my out of state tournaments. BUSA in the spring (GREAT experience with what use to be the Vulcan Cup) and Emerald Coast Cup in Destin in May. We get to play a lot of out of state competition and you can't beat the player experience, with the players eating together and staying in hotels as a TEAM. The parents have a blast and the kids make memories that last a lifetime. My U13s that graduated from college a couple years ago still talk about the tournaments we went to.
Last comment, the new set up with ECNL/R and GAL and SCCL with all the regional travel, it makes out of state tournaments and travel less appealing. Parents are having to spend more $$/season now than ever before. But if your team wants to go to a tournament, say there are 2-3 kids/families that don't, talk to your coach, get some guest players and get registered. I would have taken my teams to as many as 3 tournaments per season, especially with some of these skimpy schedules only having 8 matches, with some teams sitting for 3-4 weeks between games (not on my watch).
|
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Dec 8, 2021 13:36:13 GMT -5
I didn't have time to read all the responses so I'm sorry if I missed someone mentioning this, but like many club decisions these decisions are made not for what's best for the player and their experience, but ultimately $$$$$. MOST clubs in ATL have agreements/pacts with other Atlanta clubs that they will send a certain number of teams to their tournament/showcase IF the other club sends X# of teams to theirs. This is why my team was forced to go to the SAME disorganized preseason tournament EVERY fall, because that club sent so many teams to our Academy tournament in the spring. So if you find yourself wondering, why? The answer is usually $$$$. Why does a team send a coach to a tournament with 3 teams, knowing darn well he won't be able to cover all his matches? Because they guaranteed a certain number of teams would be attending. My other favorite, when a club FORCES it's own teams to attend their own club's tournament without a discounted rate, paying the same as every other team... As parents and coaches, you can say/do more. I refused to take my team to Disney and I negotiated that I'd go to the awful Fall tournament if they approved my out of state tournaments. BUSA in the spring (GREAT experience with what use to be the Vulcan Cup) and Emerald Coast Cup in Destin in May. We get to play a lot of out of state competition and you can't beat the player experience, with the players eating together and staying in hotels as a TEAM. The parents have a blast and the kids make memories that last a lifetime. My U13s that graduated from college a couple years ago still talk about the tournaments we went to. Last comment, the new set up with ECNL/R and GAL and SCCL with all the regional travel, it makes out of state tournaments and travel less appealing. Parents are having to spend more $$/season now than ever before. But if your team wants to go to a tournament, say there are 2-3 kids/families that don't, talk to your coach, get some guest players and get registered. I would have taken my teams to as many as 3 tournaments per season, especially with some of these skimpy schedules only having 8 matches, with some teams sitting for 3-4 weeks between games (not on my watch). Sounds like you need to start coaching boys and head down my direction for my kid's teams!  |
|
