Fall tryout knowing you can’t play.

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jul 19, 2019
7
3
My DD 10u has tried out for a Fall A ball team but she also plays travel soccer and looking her schedule she can’t play both. She asked me to tryout because it is the best organization around us but I am also having her tryout for the exposure, experience, and to see what other organizations are like even though she will not be able to play in Fall. Our current team is a travel club but not far from Rec ball if you know what I mean. Her second tryout is tomorrow for that team, I honestly don’t think her skill level is where these girls are at yet but it is good for her to see and be around. At this point this organization does not know that she can’t play Fall.

She has another tryout on Sunday for a different A ball team (not current team) for fall ball but this coach knows she plays soccer and has more of the attitude we will figure it out as Fall is much more relaxed than Spring/Summer.

I have had several people tell me I should not have let her try out (mostly non travel ball families) because you know she won’t be playing and that could be leading the coach on. My argument to them is she is not guaranteed to make the team so no harm no fouls and you have to accept the position if you do make the team considering playing time etc. Plus this is all good exposure for her, she is also 1 of 26 trying out and if nothing else it gives me a reality check with what others think her skill level is. this team is 1.5 hrs away with traffic the Sunday team is 40 minutes but the Saturday team is a team if she was skilled enough to make it, it would be hard to turn it down.

I know there isn’t really a question so just looking for thoughts etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Dec 26, 2017
487
63
Oklahoma
If they are A level teams, they know that tire kicking comes with the territory. I’m taking DD to an A level tryout in the morning because she’s got a short list of teams she has always wanted to shoot her shot with and one is having a tryout this year. I know she probably won’t make it and even if she does, she probably won’t end up choosing to switch teams, but I’m not going to deny her the opportunity to test herself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
My DD 10u has tried out for a Fall A ball team but she also plays travel soccer and looking her schedule she can’t play both. She asked me to tryout because it is the best organization around us but I am also having her tryout for the exposure, experience, and to see what other organizations are like even though she will not be able to play in Fall. Our current team is a travel club but not far from Rec ball if you know what I mean. Her second tryout is tomorrow for that team, I honestly don’t think her skill level is where these girls are at yet but it is good for her to see and be around. At this point this organization does not know that she can’t play Fall.

She has another tryout on Sunday for a different A ball team (not current team) for fall ball but this coach knows she plays soccer and has more of the attitude we will figure it out as Fall is much more relaxed than Spring/Summer.

I have had several people tell me I should not have let her try out (mostly non travel ball families) because you know she won’t be playing and that could be leading the coach on. My argument to them is she is not guaranteed to make the team so no harm no fouls and you have to accept the position if you do make the team considering playing time etc. Plus this is all good exposure for her, she is also 1 of 26 trying out and if nothing else it gives me a reality check with what others think her skill level is. this team is 1.5 hrs away with traffic the Sunday team is 40 minutes but the Saturday team is a team if she was skilled enough to make it, it would be hard to turn it down.

I know there isn’t really a question so just looking for thoughts etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Any 10U team that won’t make allowances for her to play fall soccer you don’t want to be a part of. If you’re straight up with them you’ll likely find they’ll accommodate her.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Most coaches (not all) would let her come workout and be evaluated during tryout. Coaches are always looking for talent and thinking ahead for spring season too. Some would even accommodate soccer schedule. Just be straight forward with coaches and if they tell you she can't workout/tryout with the team because she is going to play soccer it is probably not the kinda coach she would want to play for.
 
Jul 14, 2017
181
28
No offense to you but I always had issue with players like this. IMO, you should not be looking at A level teams when her first priority for Fall is soccer.

We played a mid-high B level team. One of the player’s first love and commitment was to soccer (also played basketball in the winter).

I can tell you that it made for an awkward situation. She was almost never at practice and even missed games. There were times when we had injuries and already being down a player set us back.

Most importantly, it messed with the team dynamic because she missed out on a lot and then when she was there, you could tell that she felt a bit out of place.

The coach was okay with this because his own daughter’s first commitment was another activity. He had been their coach since 8u. It just didn’t seem fair to the girls who put the team and softball first.

When my daughter was little she did gymnastics. She decided to play rec softball- we were still able to juggle both activities. However, when she wanted to tryout for travel, I made her choose- gymnastics or travel softball. There would have been too many conflicts to do both.

Not saying there is anything wrong with multiple sports, just be mindful of the level played and respect the commitment expected.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Apr 20, 2017
152
28
While trying out for multiple teams for most girls is great. Even trying for the top teams is something good for girls to see their skill level. I am also a strong supporter for multi sport athletes but when you get to true A level ball it should be the first priority. To me that is one of the factors for A class players to be committed to softball first. There are some teams that play A ball that fully support other sports and if the team is built that way then you may have found a good fit. But if the other girls on a team put softball above other sports then I would look for something else. It is very hard to play two high level travel sports and reach full potential even at 10u. I would recommend having her pick a #1 sport and go the highest her skill level will take her then have #2 at a lower level with coaches that understand it is #2.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
How much an A level team puts up with regarding a multiple sport athlete more than likely has a lot to do with how good the kid is....a team isn't going to turn down a Jayda Coleman level talent because she is going to miss some practices (or even tournaments) for another sport..
 
Jul 14, 2017
181
28
How much an A level team puts up with regarding a multiple sport athlete more than likely has a lot to do with how good the kid is....a team isn't going to turn down a Jayda Coleman level talent because she is going to miss some practices (or even tournaments) for another sport..

I understand where you are coming from but it gets harder having a player THAT talented but not being able to rely on her or use her talents for YOUR team.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
I understand where you are coming from but it gets harder having a player THAT talented but not being able to rely on her or use her talents for YOUR team.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would think most teams are not going to risk not taking a player like that and then having her play for another team that you will be facing. You take on an extra player and then when the stud is able to play for your team you count your blessings. Top A level teams won't have a hard time finding an extra player who will fill in admirably when necessary. Plus most national level teams (14U and above?) probably don't practice more than once a month as a team as they have players from all over the country most of the time. It might come down to the question of can you play in tournaments X and Y for us? If so, you are on the team. Not saying that is fair to the other players on the team, but the top national org teams are not operating in the "are we being fair to all of our player" mode most of the time...

Anyways, most of us probably won't be operating under that scenario anyway since we won't have DD's with Jayda Coleman level talent :LOL:

Edit: For the OP, take her to the tryout. The team isn't going to expect every player they offer a position to accept anyway so I don't see any issue with it.
 
Last edited:
Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
As a coach I really did not like players trying to play two sports on high-level teams. What it does, it puts the secondary team at a disadvantage. The entire team suffers because the missing player is not there when there when the team works on team things and learning how to trust each other when certain situations are encountered during a game. The fall is where you find the team's strengths and weaknesses. The winter is where you work on them so when the spring arrives you can feel confident you have your team ready for the season.

It's my feelings that a player who misses large swaths of team functions is not only hurting themselves. They are also hurting their teammates. Maybe it's selfish, but I've been through it multiple times and I don't like it as a coach.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,469
Members
21,443
Latest member
sstop28
Top