By Joyce Wellhoefer
Contributions by Adam Diorio
For many softball players seriously considering competing at the collegiate level, early January means the return of the Rising Stars Winter Softball Showcase. One of the more prominent showcases for high school softball players, the annual winter version of the Rising Stars competition brings together more than 2,000 girls from across the country. More than 120 teams migrating from as far as Seattle, arrive at the showcase held just outside of Ft. Lauderdale to display their abilities in front of more than 230 college coaches. Some players attend the showcase with the simple hope of being discovered and evaluated by a college coach. However, other girls realize there is much more to take away from this type of event than just the hope of exposure.
One of the newest developments to storm the showcase is the Nike SPARQ testing. According to Student Sports, SPARQ testing is a way to put a numerical value on athleticism. There are several tests including a 30-yard dash, a 20-yard shuttle, a vertical jump, and a powerball throw. This type of testing has been used in sports such as football for a number of years now, but has recently been implemented with softball to rave reviews. “My favorite parts of the event were seeing the work ethic and drive in the girls who came to compete and try to rank towards the top. What was especially neat were the girls that had come to beat their previous scores that they had already been tested on using SPARQ,” says Student Sports Managing Editor Garland Cooper. Many softball insiders believe the level of athlete participating in softball is on the rise and tests like SPARQ will only motivate players to improve their score, and thus athleticism each year.
Another valuable aspect to the weekend is the skills showcase that takes place prior to the tournament. Approximately 175 of the most committed players participate in a position based skills display for college coaches. It allowed the coaches to evaluate the athletes much closer and effectively then the tournament games to follow. Lynn O’Linksi, Chief Operating Officer with the NCSA, was invited to this portion of the event to provide recruiting education for this elite group of girls. Lynn spoke on many topics ranging from the level of insurance covered by the university in the case of an injury to the fundraising expectations placed on the athletes. Lynn also spoke to the importance of playing on travel teams because many families believe that is the most effective avenue for exposure. According to Lynn however, girls should join travel teams to enhance your skill level with quality instructors and ensure you are playing against the best competition possible, not to be discovered. “Overall, the weekend turned out to be a rousing success with great competition in the tournament, the SPARQ testing, and also the skills showcase and I look forward to coming back next year,” said Lynn.
source: http://sssoftball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=758570
