Sports Camps Combines and Showcases for College Students 2018

What’s the Difference Between Showcase, Combines and Camps?

Summer is a great time for student athletes to attend sports camps, combines, and showcases that can help them improve their game. With so many great options, athletes and parents need to do their homework before deciding which or how many to attend.

Camps

If you are simply looking to improve your skills or overall athleticism then an on-campus camp may be very beneficial. The most beneficial sports camps to attend are those held by colleges or put on by college coaches and staff where the camp instructors are those you may play for one day. If a student athlete is interested in a particular school, he or she may want to attend that school’s camp and get a better feel for the school.

Many coaches use camps as another way to evaluate prospective student athletes and see how they match up to other players in the region. While some camps do focus on getting an athlete exposure, others specialize in training and giving instruction to help take their game to the next level.

Combines

Combines are usually for the strict purpose of assessing performance skills and attributes through sport specific conditioning drills. An athlete’s strength, speed, skill level will usually be evaluated. Combines will usually have more of a competitive focus and, after improving your overall skills at a youth sports camp, you may want to attend a combine to get tested.

Showcases

If you are looking to get evaluated by coaches at a number of schools, you are looking to attend a showcase. Showcase camps are an opportunity for a player to promote themselves by demonstrating their talents for many colleges and or universities. Showcases allow the coaches to decide whether or not an athlete fits the needs of their program. One of the top baseball showcase camps in the country is Top 96 Baseball Camp.

That said, most experts still agree that no matter how talented or skilled a player is, they should never relay on any one sports camp, combine, or showcase to get discovered or receive an athletic scholarship. The benefits of these can be limited due to the amount of players participating or coaches attending.
The most important thing to do before attending any of these is your homework to find out which of these will best fit your needs.

Remember, the best way to maximize success is to be proactive. Start the process early and become known by as many sources as possible! One great option is to create a free profile with NCSA, the leader in youth athletic recruiting.