by fasterpitch92701 » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:39 am
jonriv,
Mixed bag is probably the best I can say. From some of the camps DD attended... (rated 1-10, 10 being best on my highly subjective softball-o-meter)
UCSB - money generator, adequately run, not impressive. Rating: 6
Harvard - money generator, too many players, can't believe anyone was actually eval'ed. Rating: 3. Maybe less.
Williams - excellent camp, well run, good coaching, overall a great experience. Rating: 10
Oregon - good but not great camp, well run. Give it a 6
Stanford - marginal at best, they mix 10Us and 18U, teach which hand to put glove on in the "experienced/advanced" camp. Rating: 3, barely.
CAL - good camp that the players liked (but DD didn't like the school...) Rating:7+
Bucknell - a very good camp, well run, active, existing players not that engaged in activities but the coach is. 8+, maybe a 9
Santa Clara - marginal at best, looked like the first day at BobbySox 10U. Rating: 2
IMHO there appears to be a fairly defined split between the revenue generators and the true eval camps. Most are NOT eval camps. And there some that are simply fishing to see whether candidates are willing to show up, expressing an interest in the school. . If North Carolina (for instance) holds a one day camp from 9-3PM, with check-in at 9, actual activity starting at 10, lunch from 12-1, done at 2:45... etc., no one is going to go but locals with time on their hands. Williams had folks from all over the country, kept the camp limited to 20 girls, was highly structured, worked the girls, did drills, played games... at the end of two days you knew you had been in a "real camp". I have heard the Tufts is similar. My guess is that most of the open flyer, broadcast camps are nothing more than revenue generators. Asking on this board about past experiences with camps could really narrow down the field to something of substance, particularlyt if there is significant travel.
Juuuuuuust my humble opinion....
Eenjoy !