Exposure at 14U

[pitcherzpop]

Are there any 14U teams that are REALLY getting exposure. My dd team played in college looks but we got zero exposure. I admit i know nothing about it. Who are the teams that are actually getting looked at? Is it too soon for fresh to start thinking about this? Help!

[onedownonetogo]

No. And while there are a very, very, very few exceptions, 14u shouldn't even be allowed in showcase events except in a 14u division designated as such. Most Texas showcases especially in North Texas and Central Texas have become nothing but money makers for the people running them. It also is why you don't see college coaches out anymore. They are tire of watching good teams play 14u teams.

[longbat]

Most Texas showcases especially in North Texas and Central Texas have become nothing but money makers for the people running them.

Casting a wide net...and not necessarily true

[sward]

Letting the coach know when and where will help out. We had 5 games at 4 fields this weekend and one of the coaches I e-mailed watched our entire game. Might have been lucky, but with so many girls, they want to invest time into those they might be able to get.

Scott

[3monkeys]

If you want them to be exposed, put them on a 16U team. College coaches are not actively looking at 2016's or 17's. If your daughter happens to be phenomenal then put her on a 16u team that is playing in true showcases. If she is a stud, then she will get seen at that point.

[Screwball2]

Did we make a mistake by putting my daughter on an 18u team? She is a '97 pitcher/2016 and competes well in 18u. Would 16u have been better?

[onedownonetogo]

Did we make a mistake by putting my daughter on an 18u team? She is a '97 pitcher/2016 and competes well in 18u. Would 16u have been better?

Yes. Unless she is on a "real" 18u Gold team. And very, very few 8th graders will be competing well on a real 18u Gold team. A lot of parents/players want to play up just to able to say that they play 18u. When the "18u team" they are on and the teams they are regularly playing against are actually competing at a 14u-level ball. College coaches don't watch those kind of teams.

A quality 16u team playing a great showcase schedule and getting time on the main complex when they do, will get a top 8th grader a lot more college exposure than an average 18u team playing on secondary fields and against bad opponents. But in my opinion, she should be competing on a 14u team that can compete for a top finish at nationals if she is really that good.

[outofnowhere]

Is it too soon for fresh to start thinking about this? Help!

One qustion:

Why is she playing 14U if she is a fish?

[outofnowhere]

14u shouldn't even be allowed in showcase events.

14U showcase events? WTF? If your dd is a freshman in high school, she shouldn't be playing 14U, unless she is not good enough to play 16U which would mean you better start saving money for her to go to college anyway.

Out!

[Realist]

14u shouldn't even be allowed in showcase events.

14U showcase events? WTF? If your dd is a freshman in high school, she shouldn't be playing 14U, unless she is not good enough to play 16U which would mean you better start saving money for her to go to college anyway.

Out!

My DD played on a 14U team as a Freshman. The team won ASA State Championship and competed well at Nationals. Now she is a Senior and 4 players from that team are committed to Top D1 schools. On her Official visit this fall she talked to the other commits from her class and they all also competed at that Nationals as 14U in their Freshman year. I think parents need to get their egos out of the equation and let the kids play where they should. Playing 14U and then playing in 16U showcase events works very well.