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June 2nd NW Best Showcase Appears To Be True To Name

June 2nd NW Best Showcase Appears To Be True To Name

No one has been running, supporting, or covering football camps longer then I have.  From the very first NFTC camps and Dave Schuman’s first National Underclassmen Combine to Nike’s The Opening, I have been on the ground of them all before anyone else. So when I decide to a shine some light on an event it is with the athletes best interest in mind.

There are two camps in Portland, Oregon June 2nd.  The reason why has as much to do with money than anything else.  One camp is charging $125 and one is charging $65 dollars.  One camp seems to be focused on minute by minute Twitter pronouncements of how many out of state kids are coming and one is doing no announcements.

One will have huge numbers and has described themselves as the “biggest camp ever” and the other has no desire for big numbers.

For the record, I am excited to see so many football prospects coming to Oregon on June 2nd looking to get coached up and looked at by college coaches here in town.    The key to the athlete succeeding is to get more reps and have more eyeballs and to get some great coaching.  Of the two camps, I am endorsing the NW Best Showcase.  (I will be there covering every single kid that shows for our Network giving the best exposure I can. ) Note:   Due to a death in our business family I will be at a memorial service where I am presenting the Eulogy during Camp.  Coverage will be post camp.

We are excited to see 5 stars but even more excited to see the #NoStars.  That is how we helped gain exposure for the best that Oregon and Washington have ever produced.   You might be next.

Here are the reasons we have chosen to cover the NW Best Showcase at Lewis and Clark on June 2nd, 2018:

  • Head Coach Jay Locey won a National Title in 2004.  He is one of the finest coaches I have ever watched work.  I admire him and his staff.  Wherever he goes kids learn and get better.  If I could go back my kids would play for he and his staff.
  • The Cost.   $65 is a bargain- a fair bargain as all camps should be.  Over the past few years since Jason Gesser  (NEFC) used to charge $45 dollars, camps have jumped well over $100 into the $125 to $250 range.  That money for a 2-hour camp is not something many can pay for.  The reason it is high, honestly, is that many private coaches and recruiting influencers have their hands out.  Again, not my style.  Value comes on the field not by paying money.
  • The Colleges–  The NW BEST Camp has bigtime Coaches and Colleges coming to work directly with the campers. WSU, Oregon, OSU, Boise State, Utah State, Cal, PSU, EWU, Montana, Montana, NAU, UC Davis,  Lewis & Clark, Montana Tech, and a host of others will be there.   For most recruits, you will want a shot to shine in front of every college at every level and that will happen at the NW Best Showcase.
  • The Numbers:  I have no idea what the numbers are going to be but there is a lot of effort being put towards camps being the biggest.  Bigger is not better at a showcase, smaller in fact is.  With college coaches on the field what a prospective student-athlete needs are reps and a chance to shine.  At many of these bigger camps, no coach can get a look at any kid 1 to 1.  This camp will provide that environment.
  • The Goal –   Coach Locey was clear that this camp is focused on a teaching experience where kids can learn and be coached.  The camp will welcome a more traditional High School football format and focus on maximum reps.   The format will feature some new drills and formats designed to really mix it up!
  • Two Sessions–  The NW Best Showcase will feature two sessions.  This means that the college coaches will work twice as long and see twice as many kids.  All the action will be on 1 field thereby ensuring that every rep that every athlete takes will be seen by all the coaches.  Camps with 3-7 fields and one session create more of a cattle call effect and this is not the qulaity experience that College Coaches or athletes are looking for.

If you are an athlete, a parent of an athlete, or a High School coach you recognize that football at the High School level is a business.  Logically athletes receive pressure to attend one 7 on 7 event over another or the camp with the biggest stars over another.  What you need, all you need, is some 1-1 time and lots of reps in front of collegiate coaches.  I believe this smaller less expensive format is perhaps the best one I have seen in the past decade.  But what do I know, I have only been doing this work a little over 2 decades now.

Hype is just that.  Opportunity is better.  

We are not involved in any camp, not charging any fees, not affiliated in any way nor were we asked to promote the NW Best Camp.

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I am the Founder of the Northwest Prep Report. For 17 years I have led the way to the best of my ability to promote the best talent from the Pacific NW free of charge. It is my pleasure to continue to serve High School athletes from all over the Pacific NW and beyond. Formerly with Rivals.com my sites have now crossed over 8,000 stories, 7 MILLION Video Views, and 15,000 regular followers. Together with the best football people in the USA we pursue excellence for our NW athletes.

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. Andy Flaherty

    May 10, 2018 at 10:49 am

    Dirk do you know if the same coaches will be at both Showcases? We sined up for the All NW Showcase originally scheduled for Lewis and Clark and then it got moved and now Lewis and Clark has one. We are a bit confused!

    • Dirk Knudsen

      May 10, 2018 at 6:13 pm

      Andy-
      The schools coming to each one are being advertised by each one. There is good reason to be confused. I was told first hand that Coach Don Johnson (JR) was in some sort of partnership or understanding with Lewis and Clark and my information is that he wanted to (go in a different direction – ) and that new Camp (he is involved with) is called Northwest Showcase and moved it to Pacific University. The facts as they stand bear that out as self evident in my humble opinion. I believe both camps to be good opportunities. I think the LC Camp will have a lot more reps per athlete and that both camps are showing on their sites the coaches they are expecting and I believe they are both being accurate. They both have worked hard to bring amazing eyeballs to the NW! What I find disturbing is that June 2nd was the date Lewis and Clark picked and when things did not work out the other group hammered down the same date – there has been an effort to minimize and belittle the NW Best Camp by some on that side and it speaks volumes. Jay Locey will not say one thing other then he is going to coach kids and give them an opportunity to shine. But then again, what else should we expect from a homegrown Oregon boy and National Champion! Words are cheap. A man’s deeds speak volumes but in the Twitter age, no one seems to care too much! Like the old saying goes “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose”. Question is more about the clear eyes these days! Best of luck whichever camp you chose- they are both great options!

      Regards;

      Dirk

      PS: Since I wrote this comment Coach Don Johnson Jr. has weighed in to let me know there are no issues regarding money etc. and that there is a lot more to the story. One of them had to do with field space. I assume there is. I said both camps are great options and I believe they are. Coach Don has helped countless kids and I never said he did not. He is a great influencer of college coaches meaning when he calls they listen. He has shown that he cares for the players he works with (HS and Otherwise) well beyond the field and that I can attest goes into their homes and their lives. One camp this year is big and one is smaller. I am simply going to the smaller option! Best wishes to all – #Compete

  2. shawna Valadez

    May 14, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    Great article!! We just signed our son up for this camp! Keep your eyeout forJoel Valadez from Grants Pass!

    • Dirk Knudsen

      May 14, 2018 at 5:27 pm

      Awesome. Good choice – great to see someone coming all the way up I-5. Grants Pass boys certainly do know how to play Football!

  3. marc maiuri

    June 5, 2018 at 5:21 am

    Coach,
    Very good article and great information. The camp was how I envisioned it being ran- efficient, high reps, plenty of college coaches working with kids and affordable. After two years of UW qb camp under Coach Peterson (his management/standards is second to none) I believe this camp was very well put together (we are spoiled in the Northwest- quality is everywhere and its hard to go wrong with any program). The football world is starting to see the hidden gems in the Northwest!

    My son Dante Maiuri and I traveled from Walla Walla to UW QB Camp (Friday)…then halfway down to Portland. He was able to make both sessions Saturday! It was a great price point, tremendous opportunity to continue building relationships, take quality reps, and perhaps catch the eye of a college coach.

    Thanks for the support of our NW players and programs!

    • Dirk Knudsen

      June 5, 2018 at 8:51 am

      I’m glad it went well Marc! Sure looked like lots of coaches and a nice number of kids- I was asked to speak at a friends Funeral- that was an unfortunate timing for me. BUt I am hearing great things about the Camp!

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