Hi newer to lax parent with a 2021. We live in NJ/PA area. We are NOT in a hotbed area, but on A team of viable club. Looking for info on Showcases. I asked in the 2021 thread but too much bickering to notice my question. Particularly what showcases are worth it - we are not recruiting yet but getting feet wet. Also looking at participation as a way to have 1:1 against some great competition. NXT Summer Showcase, FL$, Brine, UA tryouts, Super Saturday Winter Blitz by Sinc Sports, etc. are these all money grabs ? Are any necessary ? ANY insight/opinions/wisdom very much appreciated.
Based on my daughter's experience so far (she's a 2020), showcase events are not necessary. We are not at all in a hotbed area, as in a two hour flight from Baltimore. Her club does travel to some summer and fall recruiting tournaments in the Northeast which helps the girls get some exposure for recruiting, but we can't get to as many as teams from the NE. This fall my daughter's team played clubs from NJ, PA, LI and DC area - good teams that do place girls in top college programs, but not the same caliber as YJ Blue and M&D Black - and still there were a lot of coaches from top programs on the sidelines. Some programs that my daughter emailed before the tournament watched her play and reached out to her coach afterwards, and some programs that she had not contacted reached out. Some girls will not generate any or much interest in 9th grade, but will in 10th grade.
Based on the events you asked about, I am only somewhat familiar with Brine and UA. Brine is considered lower tier even where we live. Girls from the top club and high school teams usually do not bother trying out. UA draws stronger players, and maybe is worth trying out for if your region is known for having college coaches at tryouts. We have heard Elite 120 is worthwhile and draws a lot of college coaches, so we registered for that one (this was back in October - it may be too late to get invited for 2017, but you can check with your club about nominations).
Look into Maximum Exposure camp. My daughter went this past summer and really enjoyed it. She only got on the radar of a couple of coaches while there, but she had a lot of fun and it provided her with an idea of how she stacked up against good players from well known clubs. It is a 4 day, 3 night resident camp that is equivalent in cost to some two day showcases that do not include meals or housing. I've also heard good things about Triple Threat camp in VA, but have no personal experience.
Good luck to your daughter and try to have fun with the process. We took the approach of first helping our daughter identify schools with good academics and size/surrounding area that she prefers - someplace we would consider to be an appealing option even in absence of lacrosse. Then she began reaching out to those schools this past summer and fall. A few clubs (one especially that I'm aware of) seem to push starting this process in 8th grade, but we have no regrets waiting until middle school ended. Some 2020s have committed, but there are still a lot of spots left to be filled.
