Calming DD down before tryouts

[Greenmonsters]

We went to a local facility Tuesday afternoon to work on hitting off of a Jugs machine. I always throw front toss or full motion live pitching to her so she has never gotten to hit off of one before and that was making her nervous. There were coaches from other travel teams there working with a few of their girls and they were really complimentary of her and made her feel very comfortable. We got invited to two more tryouts over the next few weeks and she got to get a couple of buckets in on the machine. When we left she was beaming and I could tell that a lot of the nerves were gone. I asked her last night if she wanted to do anything or take a night to rest and she chose to rest (she knew I had a migraine so I think she was trying to take care of dad even though she knows I would have gone anyway). I think she is going to do fine today.

Yes she will, just hope that dad does as well!

Good luck!

 

[klamath632]

Jmo, but if she is nervous that bad then she isn't as confident in her abilities as she should be. Not to say she isn't a very good player, but just that she doesn't feel she is where she wants to be. Best thing for that is reps. Get in the yard a practice fundamentals over and over until she makes no mistakes and is where she feels comfortable. It's what we did some years back when we had to do the tryout thing. Nothing builds confidence like knowing she can make the plays in front of her!

^^ This is the correct answer. If you want to perform at your best, then prepare ahead of time and you will do your best. Work hard with her in the days/weeks upcoming before the tryout, get those reps in. Do everything you can to prepare her for the tryout, and if she's worked hard on her preparation, she will do her best.

I like how Coach Gaines put it at the end of the movie Friday Night Lights. Paraphrasing here a bit-- "Perfection is being able to look your self in the eye and tell her the truth-- that you did everything that you could. There wasn't one more thing you could have done. If you can live in that moment, then you're perfect." If your DD can look in the mirror and tell herself that, then the results of the tryout don't matter-- she's perfect. She's a better person for the work she put in, and maybe that coach didn't see on that day what she sees, but somewhere out there is the coach who will.

 

[quandofloo]

She did awesome today. I was most impressed by how she jumped in with the girls that already played together and acted like she had known them forever. She hit well and did great on infield drills. She can't read a flyball in the outfield to save her life but she took coaching and worked at it with a good attitude. I am extremely proud and told her so. She is looking forward to Tuesday and her next tryout now.

 

[quandofloo]

I just got a response from a coach about an A level team here about their tryouts. I don't know that my DD is ready for that level yet. Athletically, she can get there. She has played very high level travel basketball for 5 years so she has the athleticism. She doesn't have the softball coaching or experience yet. Do you think trying out for a team that might be too advanced for her is a good idea or would it be bad form to look like I was wasting the coaches time?

 

[Rocketech1]

I just got a response from a coach about an A level team here about their tryouts. I don't know that my DD is ready for that level yet. Athletically, she can get there. She has played very high level travel basketball for 5 years so she has the athleticism. She doesn't have the softball coaching or experience yet. Do you think trying out for a team that might be too advanced for her is a good idea or would it be bad form to look like I was wasting the coaches time?

I would go to the A level tryouts for the experience and who knows what will happen. The more tryouts you attend the better educated you and she will be to make a better decision. With that said, if she won't get lots of playing time (or a legitimate chance to compete for playing time) for the A level team, I would pass.

I'm glad the first tryouts went well for her!

 

[quandofloo]

I would go to the A level tryouts for the experience and who knows what will happen. The more tryouts you attend the better educated you and she will be to make a better decision. With that said, if she won't get lots of playing time (or a legitimate chance to compete for playing time) for the A level team, I would pass.

I'm glad the first tryouts went well for her!

DW is worried that it will ding her confidence and give her a bad reputation to show up to too many tryouts. I figure that we haven't committed to any teams yet so we may as well see what the atmosphere is like with plenty of them before we decide.

 

[CoachKevin]

I don't think too many tryouts would be a problem at all... I hate the girls that come out to tryouts that already "committed" to a different team.

 

[Rocketech1]

DW is worried that it will ding her confidence and give her a bad reputation to show up to too many tryouts. I figure that we haven't committed to any teams yet so we may as well see what the atmosphere is like with plenty of them before we decide.

As a coach, I would want my prospective players trying out for multiple teams so that they can find the right fit for them and don't jump at the first team they tryout for. Also, not sure how trying out for multiple teams will ding her confidence (unless she doesn't get offers from any of them) which is a pretty weak argument. If she is at the age to play travel ball, she needs to have the self esteem to face some rejection and have more confidence. I also don't think she would get a bad reputation trying out for several teams as long as she isn't a serial team jumper throughout the season. I know of at least one pitcher who averages 2 to 3 teams per season. They seem to never be happy, no matter what team they are on?

Lastly, you need to remember that your DD and your family are also trying out the team(s) as much as the team is trying her out. Each team has a unique culture and personality that won't be the right fit for all players and the only way to know that is to attend as many tryouts as possible. This Aug/Sept my DD will likely attend tryouts for at least 3 different teams. I have already put out feelers to several teams. Travel ball is too big a commitment and expense to not do your homework and attend multiple tryouts.

 

[bucket pinata]

what I tell my DDs is that making or not making a team has absolutely no effect on how successful they will be as long as they work harder than most and always give it their all .If they make it great, if they don't, so what, no reflection on them. Find a team that fits.

 

[quandofloo]

My kids know that our family has a rule about finishing what we start. If you start a season with a team then you have committed to that team for the duration of that season. What is the general feeling about fall/spring seasons? Most teams around here seem to tryouts now and try to carry over the same team through the summer. If we decided to play on a team and it didn't feel right after the fall season would it be bad form to shop for a new team before the summer season?