Travel team info gathering

[Dodo]

DD will be looking for a new travel team after this summer. She will be looking to find a team with players with similar post high school playing aspirations. What is the best way to learn about a team if you do not know any players currently on it? Is it ok to reach out to the coach and ask to watch /participate in a practice, even before tryouts begin? Thoughts on how to figure out if the team will be a good fit, for both DD, and for the team?

Thx

 

[csuttonthompson]

Best bet is to Contact coach who has a team that DD would be a good fit for, or figure out where travel teams post/advertise to find new players. For instance discuss fastpitch or pitch2fast in south Florida or some other forum that is similar in other areas. They usually post when tryouts are in the beginning of the season.


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[grcsftbll]

If possible try to pick up with a team before choosing. You can learn a lot that way. Or if not, try to watch them play sometime, see how the coach interacts with the girls, eavesdrop on the parents, etc.

 

[maksoftball]

DD will be looking for a new travel team after this summer. She will be looking to find a team with players with similar post high school playing aspirations. What is the best way to learn about a team if you do not know any players currently on it? Is it ok to reach out to the coach and ask to watch /participate in a practice, even before tryouts begin? Thoughts on how to figure out if the team will be a good fit, for both DD, and for the team?

Thx

What age group? Find out where the tournaments/showcases are happening and watch teams that are from your area. Sit in stands with parents, watch players/coach interactions, watch their interactions with each other and with umpires. I think how teams perform/act in games and between games speaks volumes.

 

[JAD]

Are you concerned about the coaches of DDs current TB team knowing she is looking to change teams? That may limit your options.

 

[Jdaddy]

What age group? Find out where the tournaments/showcases are happening and watch teams that are from your area. Sit in stands with parents, watch players/coach interactions, watch their interactions with each other and with umpires. I think how teams perform/act in games and between games speaks volumes.

^^^^ This! Most top travel orgs. will hold an open tryout after nationals, usually sometime in late August. You can expect 30+ girls at these tryouts on top of their returning players. Without knowing someone on one of the top travel/showcase teams in your area, open tryouts will probably be your only option to get an opportunity to work out in front of the coach.

 

[Rambler34]

This is also a great place to get ideas. Post what are you are looking in and I am sure some other DFP posters can give you some info on what teams to look at.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Not a whole lot to add here but just some observations as a coach of a team that is described above:

If you know some teams you're interested in, it doesn't hurt to ask if your DD can practice with them a time or two. Some might let her do it. Just be sure she is ready to handle herself extremely well at the practice and to essentially make the team right then. If she is not, it will badly hurt her chances of making the team during the open tryouts.

Go sit in the stands of their games one Saturday. Make sure to eavesdrop on parents and even talk to them. Just make sure you eavesdrop on all of them and talk to all the different groups that parents often form. You will always have disgruntled parents and happy parents and everything in between on every team. You cannot let one out-influence the other just because they are a bit louder or more passionate. Also, if you happen to be watching when a top team is losing, just about every parent in the stands will be calling for their coach's head. Don't let that scare you, either. They'll be all smiles after they win the championship game.

Watch how the coach and the girls interact with each other. A few things to key in on:

1. How does the coach respond to mistakes? Some coaches will scream and yell at girls right then and there. Others will scream and yell at them when they get back to the dugout. Some might yank the girl out of the game. Others might discuss the issue calmly with her. Others may pat her on the back, tell her she's wonderful and that they know she won't make that same mistake twice. None are right or wrong. Just different. What do you want to have happen to your daughter? What does she respond best to?

2. Watch the little huddles between innings. Are all the girls engaged in what the coach is saying? Are some looking off in the distance? If some are not engaged, try to figure out if they are the girls on the bench at that time. If they are, those are the girls your DD could possibly replace. If the girls who are not paying attention are playing in the game .... you have some good questions to ask parents. Also, try to position yourself (if possible) close enough to the dugout that you can actually hear the conversation in the huddle.

3. Watch all their games that day. Hopefully it is three or four. Bring a lineup card that has several sheets left. Copy his lineup for every game and try your hardest to keep track of substitutions. Are the same nine girls playing all the time? Maybe just 10? Are all the girls starting at least one game? Is he changing some girls' positions? This is all good information to have come decision time. You'll want to be on a team where your DD will be a starter if the coach is 9 or 10 girl sorta guy.

4. Try and get close enough to the post-game discussion so you can hear what's going on. This may be hard but not impossible and is very much worth doing.

 

[PA SB Dad]

^^^^ This! Most top travel orgs. will hold an open tryout after nationals, usually sometime in late August. You can expect 30+ girls at these tryouts on top of their returning players. Without knowing someone on one of the top travel/showcase teams in your area, open tryouts will probably be your only option to get an opportunity to work out in front of the coach.

Most of the top programs in our area do not have "open" tryouts in the true sense of the word. Most already have a commitment from players they have scouted during the spring and summer, and know they are getting these players. Waiting for an open tryout for the best programs in our area may be too late.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

Most of the top programs in our area do not have "open" tryouts in the true sense of the word. Most already have a commitment from players they have scouted during the spring and summer, and know they are getting these players. Waiting for an open tryout for the best programs in our area may be too late.

All quite true. He needs to reach out to preferred teams way before tryouts to let them know his DD is interested and to gauge the interest of the teams. "Tryouts" are usually about one or two players at most, and even then it is more of a "let's see who shows up that we didn't expect" or a "who just moved into So Cal" sort of thing.

Recruiting for teams and marketing of players has already started. Get with the program now for best results.