How'd your tryouts go?

[justanotherguy]

DD is a baseball player here, but couldn't be happier with our current team. They moved up to 11u this season (in BB that means 50ft pitching and 70 ft bases) but had no tryouts. Every single kid returned (10) and we added one good middle infielder (one of our weaknesses.) We love the coaching, we love the families and my DD gets along great with all the other kids. There is no jealousy and the team really is a team. It felt good to not go team searching again. To top it all off, the team's facilities are 3 miles down the road from us.

 

[Jquick823]

Tryouts!!! Well they went two different ways.

1. Our old org was a friend org. Yes all teams were daddy ball but the issue was you had to play everyone as a starter or friends complained and this ultimately lead to the inability to field a 14U team this year. The president gladly shut down 16/18U and didn't like that her DD was the #3 pitcher going into the season so she took her DD elsewhere. So much drama and in-fighting along with 5 new teams in the area made this not worth it.

2. I received a phone call about my DD from another team following our national event from a team. The manager said that if she became available he would like to have her attend a tryout/practice. She attended two of them and was offered a spot after the first one, she called the manager Saturday to let him know she was accepting the spot. A lot of stress released for me.

As her former coach i'm sad to see our old team fall apart because we did have a good core group and were very successful. The thought i have had at times is that maybe my DD wouldn't be an every game player on another team or that she would have to push herself more everyday. The manager told me after i accepted that my DD was one of the few players he and his staff were hoping to get. <-----Proud Dad Moment. For me this team was a no brainer as both the Manager and HC have either coached their DD or others into D1 catching scholarships. My DD being a catcher this makes sense.

I hope that every player out there finds a home in this crazy sport that is perfect for them. Best of luck and hope to see as many of you out there as possible. I'll be the dad screaming the loudest.

 

[Orange Socks]

Our experience with tryouts were full of ups and downs for my DD. We went to 6 different team tryouts over the past week and a half which resulted in 9 separate workout sessions. She is exhausted but all of the effort paid off in the end. She was snubbed by 4 of the teams, but we kept at it. We were asked to come back for another look on one team and was offered a spot on another. We had to go back to work out with the team with the first offer to see if it would be a good fit. We liked the team but it is a long drive for us. We still had to go back for another work out for the second team. This team is a great organization as well and a whole lot closer in driving distance. She was then offered a spot on the second team. She was rewarded with her "attitude and effort and giving it all that she had on the field." The coaches told her that. Can I just say that I was a proud Dad to hear that?

The team that she decided to join would be considered one of her first choice organizations and the others were lower on her list for consideration, which they did not even want her anyway. To see her so low last week and then to see her bursting with excitement yesterday is an amazing feeling as a parent. Even though it was hard, I believe that this experience is what she needed as it taught her many lessons about hard work, not giving up, having a great attitude, adversity and performing under pressure. Us parents have learned a lot as well.

For the parent and kiddos that are still at it. Don't give up so easily and do something that the coaches will remember. Don't forget to smile.

Now I have to let the other organization know that we have to give up her spot.

 

[imnobrn]

Choices... would you prefer your DD join a B team with great coaching as a bottom 1/3 player or a C team with decent coaching as a top 1/3 player? Which is more important, more playing time or better competition (both within the team vying for a starting position and playing games) My DD is used to playing every inning of every game, and batting in the 1-3 spot in both her LL team and her last TB (albeit low level) team. I believe DD is leaning toward the B team, but I'm not so sure she gets the concept of having to sit the bench.

 

[BrianMonk]

Choices... would you prefer your DD join a B team with great coaching as a bottom 1/3 player or a C team with decent coaching as a top 1/3 player? Which is more important, more playing time or better competition (both within the team vying for a starting position and playing games) My DD is used to playing every inning of every game, and batting in the 1-3 spot in both her LL team and her last TB (albeit low level) team. I believe DD is leaning toward the B team, but I'm not so sure she gets the concept of having to sit the bench.

Then the B team for sure. There's nothing wrong with sitting the bench at times and supporting your team. Everyone should be capable of doing that.

 

[FP26]

I'm seeing something this year that I had not in past years. I am coaching a 2nd year 14U team and have no DD on the team. I scheduled our tryouts a month after we finished the season so the players had a good period of rest. I also encourage all my players to go to other tryouts and if they find a better situation, that's great. What I see this year is I had a bunch of folks contact me about tryouts and really pushing hard for their kid, then turn around and say they had to take another offer from a team because the other team needed an answer right away (it's still mid-August!!). This has happened in the past, but this year it feels like more parents and kids are treating this like verballing to colleges and they have to accept to hold their spot! I've never experienced the level of angst among parents like I have this year, and it's ONLY AUGUST 15th!!!

I have noticed the same thing. It seems like more teams are pushing hard to get tryouts over and fill their teams quickly by pressuring parents to decide immediately. Almost seems like some coaches are afraid of having a prospect go to another team's tryout. Personally I am looking for players that WANT to play for our organization. I don't want to pressure them into a commitment.

 

[Jquick823]

I have noticed the same thing. It seems like more teams are pushing hard to get tryouts over and fill their teams quickly by pressuring parents to decide immediately. Almost seems like some coaches are afraid of having a prospect go to another team's tryout. Personally I am looking for players that WANT to play for our organization. I don't want to pressure them into a commitment.

Funny story about this i guess. One of the mom's at our tryout last night got a call from another manager demanding an answer on the spot for a team she never took her DD to for a tryout. She does know the manager of the team from LL. I have been offered "final" spots with a need to know right now disclaimer for my DD before but now these managers are calling girls who haven't even attended their tryouts demanding answers on the phone.

 

[iMlearning]

Tryouts

We just got an email from a local organization saying thanks for trying out but unfortunately their roster is now full. Funny thing is that it was a 14 U team (DD just turned 16) and she's never been to any of the tryouts for this organization at any level! Maybe she'll make it next year lol.

 

[BobInMadison]

Around this area the top notch teams usually have their tryouts early in August, while the good local teams usually have their tryouts late in August. Makes sense, I suppose. If you are using a local team as a backup for the 'A' teams, then it makes sense to know if one's DD made the 'A' team before trying out for the local team.

 

[CoachBroker]

Glad to be down with tryouts and have a direction to go. My DD has been playing 10u for the last two season and had 1 year left to stay at 10U. Her current team was moving up to 12U and wanted her to follow. This was her first year to pitch and she has done well and we (and her) really wanted to get the chance to stay at 10u to get a lot more pitching time in. We picked 3 teams to try out for and all of their tryouts fell within a 10 day period. The first tryout had about 20 girls, they offer 1 spot and offered it to my DD. We told them our plans to try out for 3 and let me daughter pick who she felt most comfortable with at the end of day 10 (last tryout). The first team was very understanding. Team 2 did not have the turn out they had hoped. Their main team was a 10U moving up to 12U and were trying to form a new 10U team. After tryouts they decided not to offer a 10u team but did off my daughter a spot on their 12u. On day 10 the 3rd tryout was postponed until day 11 due to rain. I told the coaches of the first two teams they would have an answer on that 10th day. After discussing with my DD, we declined both the first offers. This left us in a bad spot if team 3 (the next day) did not offer a spot or have enough to make a team. Day 11 arrives, the rain again rolls in but this time stops just short of the fields. We have tryouts, they offered spots to 7 girls including my DD. DD loved the other 6 girls, DW got along well with the other parents, and I really liked the coach. DD accepted offer and we are moving forward again thank goodness.