Questions on Starting a New 12u TB Team
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Screwball
- Dec 18, 2014
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When my daughter started travel it was a brand new 8U team, within an already established organization. (We did one overnight trip and played mostly 10U 'C' tournaments, winning one...). My point is, we had a core group of girls ready to go but needed some more to complete the team. I had coached in the rec league and had saved the All-Star roster, with contact information. Hmmmm. We managed to pull a couple from the all-star team after tactfully contacting some parents. Along with word of mouth we needed players, an 8U team was born. Almost five years later, about 1/2 of girls are still playing with the same team/org and are pretty good I might add. Some girls left, but almost the entire original roster is playing 'A' ball currently.
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Here is the dilemma, I have the same experience as you, and could easily put together a roster from the All-Stars (most are not on a TB team today). However, I only have the rec HC's contact and not the parents. I do not want to "poach players from rec teams", but some of the girls certainly should be given an opportunity to play more competitive ball if they wish. My fear is that contacting the HC's will get me a big fat roadblock because they will fear losing kids.
Recruiting players from a rec league that you've been a part of will get some people's panties all bunchy. Guaranteed. However, the girls that are ready to move to TB are going to make that move at some point, regardless.
- Sep 28, 2015
- 150
- 18
Been there with a couple kids now....
What is the goal of the team and your reason for deciding to do this?
If you want to take your local REC and play a little more competitive, then go for it. For example the team is playing C and a little B level and that is fine and cutting players will be rare. This team would play at the same middle school and be on many of the same teams for other sports.
If your DD is excelling and she needs to play a higher level such as B (with a chance of A) then buddy up with some others from other towns and be the AC on a joint team of core players that all want the same thing out of the experience!! Finding 1-3 players that will fit in with that core group is much more manageable.
Do NOT try to build a good team from scratch and create a competitive environment for your DD by yourself. Good athletes go a very long way to making a good team with coaching being a relatively small piece of success. Don’t over estimate the development part of this as a solution and don’t forget the need for experienced AC’s!!
All that said, whatever you choose to do it is commendable for you to take on the challenge of running a team if that is what it takes!
Good luck to you and check back in the fall and let us know how it shakes out.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What is the goal of the team and your reason for deciding to do this?
If you want to take your local REC and play a little more competitive, then go for it. For example the team is playing C and a little B level and that is fine and cutting players will be rare. This team would play at the same middle school and be on many of the same teams for other sports.
If your DD is excelling and she needs to play a higher level such as B (with a chance of A) then buddy up with some others from other towns and be the AC on a joint team of core players that all want the same thing out of the experience!! Finding 1-3 players that will fit in with that core group is much more manageable.
Do NOT try to build a good team from scratch and create a competitive environment for your DD by yourself. Good athletes go a very long way to making a good team with coaching being a relatively small piece of success. Don’t over estimate the development part of this as a solution and don’t forget the need for experienced AC’s!!
All that said, whatever you choose to do it is commendable for you to take on the challenge of running a team if that is what it takes!
Good luck to you and check back in the fall and let us know how it shakes out.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Top_Notch
Screwball
- Dec 18, 2014
- 522
- 63
It's not poaching, it's providing information for the parent to make the best decision for their daughter. I will agree, it's a touchy subject. You may not be in a very good light from the rec-ball perspective. How well do you know the coach? Nothing wrong with attending games, talking to parents, etc.. Compliments go a long way. "Wow, your daughter is very good. Have you ever considered having her play travel? By the way, there is a new team forming ..." You'll find a lot of parents won't want to because of "travel ball commitment" or any variety of other reasons. So, plant the seed and move on to the next girl. Coaching a team takes a lot of energy, but recruiting a team takes even more. Blessed that my daughters coach has what seems an endless supply of energy and time to recruit. (Not sure if he has a daytime job...lol) Her coach has girls lined up for tryouts well before tryouts even begin...and that is how strong teams are formed.
We are basically trying to achieve this for this season. We understand that not only are we moving kids to a more competitive environment, but we are also moving from 10u to 12u (double whammy). Our goal is to bring kids that want to be introduced to the TB world, practice hard, get better, and play against better competition the chance to do it. We understand that this will not be for everyone, and it might not be long-term for some kids, but we are ok with providing the stepping stone. If my DD wants to move up after this season, I will support her. If we become more competitive and serious over time, that is ok too. But our main focus in diving into this world and helping the kids get better.
I think I will reach out to the coaches on the other teams (a few I won't because of issues that will cause), and see where it goes. If they completely dismiss the idea, then so be it.
It is a lot of work to be the HC.
My oldest got on a team formed from our local league at 10U. That team played all the way through 18U. Girls came and went from year to year but a core group always stayed. Some girls left for bigger organizations and some just quit playing ball.
My youngest was on a 10U team that only played for one year. It was a great introduction to TB for all the girls. Some stayed with it and some didn't.
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I've seen quite a few rec all-star teams try to make the move to TB as a relatively intact team, at different ages. The ones that try to do it as a single independent team tend to come and go pretty quickly because it can be difficult to recruit new players to team with an unknown name. Teams that join an established organization (new team within a larger org) tend to survive. There is a cost you will have to pay to the org, but the benefit is guidance on how to navigate the new waters of the TB world, and name recognition to attract players. This is a bigger issue than you might realize for the road ahead.
