WHY / WHY NOT
Why some tournaments/showcases/
exposure clinics will never be listed here
The 5 star system is easy to use, similar to hotel ratings, google ratingsss, or even Amazon.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- Excellent college coaches, complexes, umpires, and teams from around the country
⭐⭐⭐⭐- Good/Excellent college coaches, complexes, umpires, and teams
⭐⭐⭐- Good/Fair college coaches, complexes, umpires, and teams
⭐⭐- Below Average college coaches, complexes, umpires, and teams
⭐- Will not be posted on this website for obvious reasons
Why are some showcases/tournaments better than others?
Let's start with 10u, 12u, and 14u tournaments. Most of these tournaments are chosen simply for one reason only; in marketing it's called "Geographic Desirability," and way too many to vet.
Showcases or Exposure Tournaments - some are simply cattle calls with over 300, 400, 500 teams. Sure, if you're at the main complex you have college coaches. You have to realize some of these massive showcases are spread out over 50 to 100 miles. At some of these showcases there are pools such as "Power Pools" or "Super Duper Power Pools"; none the less, your team will most likely be placed on the side of a mountain with a bunch of goats.
Some of these massive tournaments do a great job of disguising where the main complex is. However, if you identify who are the top 18u teams in their showcase, look where they are playing. That is the main complex, and where the majority of college coaches will be.
Major violations include- cryptic on purpose:
- The Chattanooga Guy
- The slippery when wet crew in Aurora and Sprinkler
Total waste of THOUSANDS OF $$$$$$ to be on the side of a mountain with goats!
Clinics
Realistically, the words "stood the test of time" mean a lot in travel softball.
We have seen many clinics fail to get off the ground or simply do not have what they promised. Sure, occasionally a college coach cannot make it, for various reasons, but some of these new clinics have chronic and regular issues.
We will not post new clinics, clinics must be running for more than 5 years for us to post.
Special Note- some exceptions to the rules
-
Atlanta Legacy Showcase- Atlanta, GA
Has over 300 teams in their event and uses roughly 6 complexes, but the distance between all of
their complexes is about 15 minutes, making it easy for college coaches to travel from one complex to
another
-
Surf City- Huntington Beach, CA
5 complexes are used, and are all within 15 minutes of each other using the freeway
Here is the bottom line on massive showcases/exposure camps/tournaments. There's probably no value in going to a random showcase and being placed on the third or fourth complex. Some of these tournament directors will call your team inventory, which we find insulting. In some cases, you are better off going to a smaller tournament that is going to put your team on the first or second complex. Note: while a specific tournament may claim to have 500 college coaches attending (probably not true, and overly exagerated). Rest assured that the majority of these college coaches will be either at the main complex or the second complex. Again, many of these tournaments are very good at disguising the main complex. We wish you all the best in your choices.