On Deck Softball Jamboree

[NatRx]

... On Deck is nice but $150 x 160+ kids? A lot of coin.

160? I have not yet seen this many attendees at a single camp.

... On Deck in my opinion is for the kid who maybe isnt on the radar yet who is on a low level showcase team not getting much exposure. Any kid on the batbusters, minors gold, Sorcerers, A's,So Cal Anything really doesnt need On Deck.

Perfect. You just described my DD a year ago when she was invited to her 1st OnDeck Camp. Attending OnDeck was a catalyst to get her recruiting process going, and we are extremely grateful that she was given that opportunity.

...and I think they are great but its funny to me how many people swear that they are the must go to if you want to go to a big time school"

From what I have come to understand, some of these "big time schools" you may be referring to are currently "done" with 2015's (for the most part), and are working on 2016's now. So my thought process on this is that if you have any program (ie OnDeck) that can put your DD on the radar early, you increase her chances of being seen by one of these schools during the time frame when they are looking for them. So whatever program can get you that early exposure needed for these schools (be it OnDeck, or anyone else), then what a great thing to have available! (And yes, if your kid is doing everything she's supposed to be doing with respect to making contacts, going to camps, and getting it done on the field, of course she will eventually be seen. And there's plenty of schools out there for just about everyone.)

[Fifteen's]

Man some of you need to give your DD some credit and maybe yourself too. Talk about drinking of the Kool Aid. And I've seen some affiliation on this site so there SOME conflict of interest it seems. On Deck is nice but $150 x 160+ kids? A lot of coin. Great people and have talked to them several times. I love what they do but I wish they would target some middle of the road kids who are above average but may not get the exposure they need.These kids that are good, dont need anybodies help. If they are doing the work, they obviously have the skills, they will be fine. The girl going to LSU, if she visited the school and went to their camp while there, would have been same result I'm guessing. Not to mention a better informed decision. Cant tell you how many kids I've seen go back east without ever visiting the school. On Deck in my opinion is for the kid who maybe isnt on the radar yet who is on a low level showcase team not getting much exposure. Any kid on the batbusters, minors gold, Sorcerers, A's,So Cal Anything really doesnt need On Deck. I've been to several of them and I think they are great but its funny to me how many people swear that they are the must go to if you want to go to a big time school. They provide a good camp but there is so much more to the recruiting process. Many schools are starting to gear toward their own prospect camps over 2 days to make a better evaluation on a kids future potential. Thats all the recruiting process is. How much better will your DD get and will they help the team in the future. We had several friends DD's attend their camps with literally a 50/50 split. Emails from coaches are nice but they mean jack. Real interest is when you go to a camp and they pull you aside or your travel coach says you need to visit this school. Everything else is a big net that schools cast to see what sticks.

Look, I have no affiliation with the Allister's. I do not drink their Kool Aid or anyone else's. I just could not disagree with you more! Besides the camps, The Allister's send out either weekly or monthly scouting reports to college coaches, from what I understand. Like they do for young basketball players in AAU. Not only are camp invitees on there, but other kids that are being scouted that may not be invited to camps. I have heard personally from several college coaches that there are few if any that are respected on the level of the Allister's. They do a great service and are making money while doing it. Since when did that become a negative thing in this great country of ours?

Look, if your kid is not one of the ones invited I can understand the angle. I am just tired of reading BS on this site that is being spewed by haters and people with transparent agendas. I don't stick up for everyone I see this happening to , but Mr. and Mrs. Allister are some of the nicest, most selfless people I have met in this softball world.

As far as your angle about it not being necessary. My money would be on the countless college coaches who believe it does, as opposed to some anonymous parent on an internet website, with an opinion. We all know what opinions have in common with, and everyone has one!

Just sayin..............

[watchtonsofsoftball]

NatrX...I dont disagree with a thing.
Fifteens... Just so you know my angle.

I have no angle and I'm not hating on anyone. I prefaced everything I said with I like the Allisters and I think they run a great camp.

Now that we have that out of the way I have been in business for myself for 20+ years and I always look at what THEIR angle is. Dont tell me its for the love of the kids. Give me a break. Now I know they DO care, so dont come back to me with that. My sole REAL point is they dont do anything you cant do on your own. It gets down to what your willing to do and how much your leaving in other peoples hands.
My DD verballed her sophomore year having never went to an On Deck camp. We didnt need it. Recruiting process was extremely easy for our family. Here is why.
1. Dad is crazy and listened to EVERYTHING he could from reputable people (even a couple here)
2. DD worked her as$ off
3. DD (and dad) wrote tons of letters
4. DD went to quite a few school specific camps
5. DD performed very well at all camps
6. Dad refused to leave it in the hands of coaches/ outside money making schemes

You know, just old fashioned hard work. All the rest of the BS that is spewed here is just that. I dont care if you listen to me or not. My DD is now a junior in college and doing well. Just funny to me that people really think that with over 1000 kids at a given showcase down south that their DD is getting a legitimate sample size of what they can do on a given day. I certainly didnt want my daughter judged by one inning of one game on some random saturday.

Carry on...I'll go back into hiding.

[triplecrown]

Man some of you need to give your DD some credit and maybe yourself too. Talk about drinking of the Kool Aid. And I've seen some affiliation on this site so there SOME conflict of interest it seems. On Deck is nice but $150 x 160+ kids? A lot of coin. Great people and have talked to them several times. I love what they do but I wish they would target some middle of the road kids who are above average but may not get the exposure they need.These kids that are good, dont need anybodies help. If they are doing the work, they obviously have the skills, they will be fine. The girl going to LSU, if she visited the school and went to their camp while there, would have been same result I'm guessing. Not to mention a better informed decision. Cant tell you how many kids I've seen go back east without ever visiting the school. On Deck in my opinion is for the kid who maybe isnt on the radar yet who is on a low level showcase team not getting much exposure. Any kid on the batbusters, minors gold, Sorcerers, A's,So Cal Anything really doesnt need On Deck. I've been to several of them and I think they are great but its funny to me how many people swear that they are the must go to if you want to go to a big time school. They provide a good camp but there is so much more to the recruiting process. Many schools are starting to gear toward their own prospect camps over 2 days to make a better evaluation on a kids future potential. Thats all the recruiting process is. How much better will your DD get and will they help the team in the future. We had several friends DD's attend their camps with literally a 50/50 split. Emails from coaches are nice but they mean jack. Real interest is when you go to a camp and they pull you aside or your travel coach says you need to visit this school. Everything else is a big net that schools cast to see what sticks.

WOW!

#1- "If you play on ANY SoCal team you dont need OnDeck"

Its funny how I know a ton of kids down South that are late in the recruiting game that have no home yet that would cut off a little finger to get in to a OnDeck camp

#2- "If you play for Sorcerers you dont need OnDeck"

Its funny how I know several Sorcerers that are still looking for home, matter of fact one of them for sure attended OnDeck in Stockton

#3- "A kids future potential is all the recruiting process is"

Now I am not even going to comment as this is the BEST of them all, well wait maybe just a tidbit, so a kids transcript, SAT, ATTITUDE and kids family value's have nothing to do with recruiting at all. I know kids whose parents were put through the gauntlet before a offer was made just to see what parents are like, as the old saying holds true, "apple does not fall far from the tree". TONS of kids with potential but not all of them have the "pkg", so its a tough job as a college coach to dig into a recruit to see what that kid is made of and parents as well.


As far as coin the Allisters make, REALLY, do you know how many weekends they spend on the road evaluating talent for ZERO cash, cmon man. Do you know how many camps they could have a year if it was really about the bank account, alot more than the five or six they are up to now.
As far as the 160 kids, I have no idea where this came from. Sure the NorCal event has been expanded to near a 100, to do exactly what the Allisters feel is needed, getting the middle of the road kid exposed. Let me ask you, as a majority at last NorCal event, what do you feel was the level of talent, High, middle of the road, or low?

Lastly, if you felt your kid was a blue chipper but just did not have the exposure yet and was say a freshman and was invited to the OnDeck National camp where a 100 of the top schools plant there butts and dont move for two days and watch, do you think you would say NAhhh, lets just write some letters and go to a couple evaluation camps, and we are good to go?

[watchtonsofsoftball]

I guess you guys lack in comprehension skills. Notice I said the kid DOING HER WORK, needs nobody.
As far as Martys team or any other player from any top quality program needing On Deck, I still stand by my comment. I cant help that kids start the recruiting process late, doesnt go to school camps, doesnt write letters, etc.
My overall point is lost in it all and I guess thats fine. I really dont care to argue my point any more. Cutting off any part for an On Deck camp is laughable for sure. I've seen many kids get genuine interest and even offers at an On Deck camp, but its maybe 2 or 3% of the attendees. The rest get emails with some level of interest but want to see more. Its a huge game of back and forth. I constantly see parents spending money on all the wrong camps, all the wrong schools for their DD (DD and level of play), visits, TB down south (here in the north). At some point you have to say "how much money am I throwing at this". Just do the work yourself.... EARLY! The recruiting process is VERY easy to the family with their S*it straight. And by that I mean your DD better have the grades too. That goes without saying for me. But I guess it should have been said. At the beginning of high school (Aug/Sept of her freshman year) we laid out a plan of attack on the recruiting process. In late October of her frosh year we started sending letters. I got a good program to help with mass emails and we hit up about 25 schools on her list (20 D1 programs and 5 D2 programs). From Nov to Jan we went to maybe 3-4 school specific camps none costing more than 150 bucks (prospect camps not instructional). She did well but nothing amazing but it was more for experience. By 2nd camp she was in her groove. After the summer season we hit up another 4-5 school camps, again none over $150 bucks and most in the 75-100 range. We did a video (which I think was a waste but whatever). By Nov of her sophomore year we had offers and in fact had 18 of her top 20 list at the last showcase in Huntington Beach. By Dec. of sophomore year had the verbal and school paid for. Kids who waiting longer money was gone and they got scraps. Have to start EARLY or nothing Ive said matters and doesnt apply. So keep moving....

[watchtonsofsoftball]

Oh and for the record if my DD was a junior or senior this year and had no offers, I definately would hope she got invited to On Deck as its getting late in the process. At this point if you are still not receiving offers, you need all the exposure you can and On Deck will help with this.
Theres your On Deck plug, I'll go to the fridge and drink the Kool Aid too.

[Fifteen's]

I guess you guys lack in comprehension skills. Notice I said the kid DOING HER WORK, needs nobody.

So, kids needing On Deck are the ones you feel are not doing their "work"? You really are coming off as someone who is bent that their kid did not get invited to the dance and still was able to be recruited by several schools. Great for her! I'm sure she deserves it. But you have no clue of what you are spewing. Just a few of the benefits of being invited to On Deck camps for girls who you feel do not need it are #1) confirmation to the schools, that the kids they are recruiting are considered at the level they feel they are, by the Allister's(whom they appreciate their opinion), #2) expanding the player's pool of options(for schools that might end up recruiting them after seeing them at the camp - like NU's DD - who absolutely might not of needed the camp but had her recruiting explode), that they may of already had. These are just a few of the benefits of kids that ARE doing their "work".

Personally, did my kid need the camp, maybe not. She did her "work" since the beginning of her freshman year. But, the benefit of being invited and attending was SOOOO worth it. The examples above are just a few of the benefits. College coaches have the ability to attend other camps that have "middle of the road" attendees(as you put it), like NFCA, etc. Their is a reason they are not attended like the Allister's camp. Coaches want to see top level talent in a camp setting COMPETING against top level talent. That is what they get at the On Deck camps. Not a cattle call to make $$$, like at NFCA, etc. College coaches can not get that at their own camps either.

Is it necessary to attend the On Deck Camp for the girls that are invited? Maybe not. But, it is absolutely worth it. Like another tool on your tool belt, it can only help to get your "work" done!

[ICMTM]

I really think watchaton... is just saying instead of trying to get into the McAllister's good graces that you can do the leg work yourself.

...and he just really feels strongly about the kid doing the leg work...

[Fifteen's]

I really think watchaton... is just saying instead of trying to get into the McAllister's good graces that you can do the leg work yourself.

...and he just really feels strongly about the kid doing the leg work...

I'm almost beating a dead horse here, so I will conclude with, it really has nothing to do with doing the leg work. You will get exposure with doing the leg work, but it will be multiplied with being invited and attending one of their camps. Unless experiencing that first hand, how can you come on here and "share" your opinions and get offended for being exposed for not knowing what the hell you are talking about. On another note, Watchton's first post implied that $$$$ was a motivation for the Allister's. I don't believe that for a second. If you're on the outside looking in, I can see how you could have an "opinion" on the camps. But it is another to try and put a negative slant on the Allister's while at the same time saying "I know them and I've talked to them, but.....".

I don't know why this particular BS post struck a nerve, but probably because of how genuine and nice the Allister's are. And they do a great service, and have been doing so for a long time without making money, for many years. If you actually talked to college coaches about their thoughts on the Allister's and their camps, the responses would speak volumes about the NECESSITY and importance of them.

.............I'm done.

[Buddah]

Or you could con, I mean invite, 150 kids to pay 125 each to come out to the FC Fall Combine this weekend and call it a college placement event.