Zev Taublieb breaks down how to make a $2,000 soccer showcase worth it: email target coaches two weeks before, record which ones show up, send video highlights after with coach references, and hand out a custom pamphlet. Look for MLS Next or ECNL tournaments to avoid wasting money on low-tier events.
Going to a showcase without this 4-step plan is a waste of your $2,000. Number 1, before the showcase, email every school you want to attend as well as the schools that are going to be there a minimum of 2 weeks prior. During the showcase, take note of who is going to be at your game. This is for the manager and for the moms and dads. Follow up with video. The video you have is beyond valuable. Hand them a pamphlet, whether it's your team's pamphlet, which are usually awfully generic. Make your own custom pamphlet to give to the coach. They are not going to come to your game, even sometimes when they say they will. This does not mean you give up. It means you follow up with video, and they can use other coaches that were at the tournament as a reference, and your video is helpful to them because they know what the level is like. This is coaches' biggest concerns, is they go to these showcases and they're not sure if it's any good, but because they were there in person, even if they didn't watch your game in person, they know what the level was like at the field. So therefore, when they watch your video, it's as if they're there in person. If you don't want to waste $2,000 on showcases, comment the word MLS Next or ECNL so you know which showcases you should be going to.
