I live NC and can definitely tell you that the UNC camps are a HUGE draw. UNC has a massive social media following and they know how to market their camps and word gets around. On connectlax you can see a list of some recruits confirmed to be attending and some big names on there already.
Yes, we are here on LI and know lots of girls heading to UNC camp on the weekend. That camp will be at full capacity… It’s sold out! Not sure if that’s do good. May be too many girls?
Too many girls means it’s harder for yours to be noticed
What’s the story with certain camps being multiple days? For instance Duke is 3 days and Florida is 2? Are these camps or prospect days? Or a little of both?
The multi day camps are a mix based on my daughter's experience. The longer camps at top programs do attract top players, and current commits often attend as well. There will also be less serious players who are there for learning and/or a fun experience (maybe local and it's convenient to attend) and players who don't yet realize they will not be top recruits. I don't mean to be harsh, but there are a lot of players out there who are very good but not Top 20 ability who attend Top 20 camps in large numbers in 9th & 10th grades. It can be hard to stand out and be noticed, so don't spend the money if you'll be disappointed if a camp does not spark any recruiting interest. Spend the money for the opportunity to get to know campus, play with and against good competition, have fun and work with different college coaches. Recruiting interest from the camp is icing on the cake.
There are usually drills, small group sessions and team scrimmages. Sometimes camp ends with queen of the hill type competitions or a championship game. The intended atmosphere seems to be fun and not too high pressure, but yes, coaches do watch and identify some players to recruit or evaluate players already on their radar. Some programs announce coaches in advance and some do not, but most camps have at least a few coaches from other college programs. Full field teams are often random and mixed age/ability but small groups can be set by skill/age with specific already identified girls. Yes, sometimes there is luck involved in avoiding the team with a ball hog or player who can't catch and throw. Your daughter just needs to do her best and focus on what she can control.
The part above about grouping specific players is especially true for shorter prospect days. Those are most worth your time if you already know the program is interested or your daughter can somehow get on coach's radar in advance, maybe through a coach or club director. Girls being recruited are grouped together. Prospect days often include an optional campus tour or Q&A session with coaches/current players. The 2-3 day camps are good for learning, seeing how you stack up compared to other players and commits, working with a variety of coaches, spending time on campus at a school of interest and they can lead to contact from other schools but not always. Club tournaments well attended by college coaches are better bang for your buck in my opinion, and prospect days are good once interest has been established or there is a program your daughter is really, really interested in. Still have your daughter reach out in advance, send film and try to get her coach or advocate to do the same. After Sept 1st of junior year I would focus on those where coach has enough interest to at least schedule a call with your daughter (players can send film, express interest in school and request a call), at least when it comes to upper D1 with more accelerated recruiting timeline.
All of this is my family's experience, others may have different experiences of course. Also may not apply for D2/D3 which my daughter was not pursuing, but there are great opportunities there as well.
