Hundreds of thousands of high schoolers play softball every year in the United States which can make it hard to stand out. A softball showcase can be a great way for young players to show off their talent with their club team. College softball showcases serve as a platform where talented young athletes can showcase their skills, test their mettle against formidable competition, and catch the discerning eyes of college scouts. We'll dive into the schedule of one of the most competitive softball showcases, the Colorado Sparkler Tournament, today: 

8:00 – 9:00 AM: Wake Up & Breakfast with Teammates

On game days, we try to eat breakfast as a team. Our team of fourteen 16-year-old girls meet in the lobby of our hotel, ready in our uniforms, to sit down and eat. While our coaches join us, they don't start game strategy until we get to the field. We usually exchange last-minute insights and mentally prepare for the day ahead. Once breakfast finishes, we'll load up with our parents to head to the field.

10:00 – 11:30 AM: Prep for Game Time 

Once we get to the field, it's time to get ready for our double header. This usually includes an hour and a half of warm ups, inclusive of a short run, stretching, pitcher and catcher warm ups, infield and outfield work, and a full round of team batting practice. The college coaches (University of Tennessee, University of Colorado – Boulder, Ole Miss, and more) start to roam between all of the fields – they're sure to watch warm-ups, too! Once all of us feel warm and the umpires approach home plate, we huddle one last time before the game starts. 

11:30 – 3:00 PM: Game Time 

Two games down by 3:00pm! We won both, but winning isn't the main point of this tournament – it's showcasing our individual talents! While we aren't supposed to pay too much attention to the coaches that show up and watch our game, we all noticed at least 15 different coaches – from all levels – show up to the games.

3:15 – 3:30 PM: Debrief 

After the games, our coaches want to have a team talk. We won our games so the talks weren't so long today, but we did walk away with lessons on what we could've done better, what we did great, and the plan for tomorrow's games. Of course after the debrief was over, all of us talked about where we'd go for dinner. 

3:30 – 5:00 PM: Early Dinner with Team 

All 14 of us, plus any family that came along decided on a little restaurant on the river through the Colorado mountains. We enjoyed a long team dinner, something we do often during tournaments like this before our team activity!

5:30 – 9:00 PM: Team Activity 

Thankfully, the Colorado Sparkler softball showcase does a great job of spacing out our games so teams can enjoy the scenery and environment of Colorado! We finished a bit early today and don't have any games tomorrow, so tonight we're going on a late night hike in Estes Park, and tomorrow we're going white water rafting. 

9:30 – 10:00 PM: Sleep 

After a long day, we're all exhausted but will get to sleep in a bit tomorrow since we don't have any games! 

The Colorado Sparkler Tournament is a softball showcase that the East Cobb Bullets organization has been attending for a long time, but this was our team's first time and it was great! The games themselves serve as a stage for talents to shine, catching the attention of college coaches who hold the keys to collegiate aspirations. But the tournament experience extends beyond the diamond as well, as teams immerse themselves in the scenic wonders of Colorado through team activities like hiking and rafting.