College Showcases allow access to multiple colleges at one venue. There are many different levels of showcases from Disney, Surf Cup, Dallas Cup and Score at the Shore at the high end to many smaller local showcases held nationwide. The key is being on a high enough level team to gain access to the higher end showcases. If you are not able to gain access to the high end showcases don’t fret all is not lost. The top colleges attend many different showcases, not just the high end.
Hit as many showcases as is possible your junior and early senior year. Feel free to contact other clubs about guest playing opportunities in showcases as well. Often times there is availability as sometimes the whole team cannot get to out of town events.
The most important aspect of showcasing is contacting the colleges before the event and letting them know you will be in attendance. Think about it. Most showcases have many fields running simultaneously all day. Each coach has a limited scope of games he can get to each day. They watch and scout games of players that have contacted them and shown interest in their program. It is pretty uncommon for a college coach to just wander over, sit down and scout a random game. With limited time and resources the coaches focus on players that have indicated interest so be sure to send emails.
Most showcases will release a list of the colleges attending their upcoming showcase. Get ahold of this list and identify schools of interest. About 7-14 days prior to the event send an email informing them of your participation in the showcase along with your schedule and a brief resume on your talents and playing history. It does not need to be a 5 page email. Remember these coaches have limited time. They will put you on their list and into their database at that point and more than likely attend a match of yours. After the showcase it is smart to send a followup email to get a feeler for interest and starting a dialogue.
It is also smart to use the showcase trip as an opportunity to visit local campuses. For example the Raleigh Shootout is held in November in North Carolina and very well attended. Within 30 minutes of the event are Wake Forest University, Duke and the University of North Carolina along with numerous other quality colleges. Plan ahead and visit a campus or two if possible. If it is a major school of interest try to stay an extra day and set up a visit and tour. The staff will usually be open to sitting down with you.