Once on the Team, Always on the Team?

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Once on the Travel Team, Always on the Travel Team?

  • Yes, it's the right thing to do

    Votes: 4 11.8%
  • Yes, but I'm not a fan

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • No

    Votes: 28 82.4%

  • Total voters
    34
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Once you make the Travel Team, do you always make it year after year if the girl goes to try outs and wants to be on the team?

What's your experience, and what's your personal philosophy?
 

sjw62000

just cleaning the dugout
Sep 1, 2018
93
33
North Carolina
Team my DD plays for everyone has to try out every year. And not all make it from the past years roster.
This is an interesting quandary. I understand yearly tryouts, I don't necessarily agree, I think there is a certain amount of chemistry that can be built year-to-year. I would also think that yearly tryouts mean that there is absolutely no interest in developing players over time; and if that's not the goal than what are we really doing.

That is not to say that once on the team, always on the team, there are plenty of reasons to cut a player. But yearly tryouts for everyone says to the players and their parents, "I have no long term interest in your daughter, good luck out there."
 
Mar 26, 2019
82
18
Central Ohio
None of my DD's past teams have asked girls to tryout to be on any existing team, but I do know that our past coaches will ask girls to "NOT" return if they or their parents bring drama to the team. That is the way it should be done to keep the team going in the right direction.
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
depends on the team, age level, lot of factors.

DDs second team, very good team (runner up in open 10u state tournament that year, took fourth in a national open tournament), HC told all the girls, no one's spot is guaranteed. They have tryouts, everyone must attend at least one (team ended year with only 11 players). DD is offered a spot, but with caveat that she might see less PT than she had in season just ended, but she loved having her on team (good attitude, teammate, etc.). I think HCs intent was to offer to all the girls except 1 or 2 (due to parent drama). but also to have honest conversations with players 10-12, to see what they wanted to do.

I think asking everyone to tryout helps prevent complacency. and if some really are not up to rest of team, just need to be brutally but nicely honest with parents. maybe give them a fall season if they want to work hard outside of team setting to bring their skills up.

example, DDs new team (mostly 2008s, she is 2007) has a 2009 they are keeping, but they have told parents (and presumably player), the girl pretty much will not be playing on Sundays (unless blowout either direction, or injuries, etc.). Girl/parents wants to stay to try and use the team to sharpen her skills.
 
May 20, 2016
433
63
I think there is a certain amount of chemistry that can be built year-to-year. I would also think that yearly tryouts mean that there is absolutely no interest in developing players over time; and if that's not the goal than what are we really doing

Absolutely agree on team chemistry. Thing i kind of like about it is no one can rest on the laurels. You need to continue to work hard and progress. We've had some come back that weren't on the same skill level but worked real hard the year before and showed improvement. Others that coasted and thought since they made it they didn't have to work as hard anymore.
 
Apr 1, 2017
535
93
In the few years we have been doing this, returning players have a spot if they want it. I will admit that we've been lucky that the few "problem parents" have moved on anyway, and the couple girls that really struggled made their own decision that they were done.

We do have everyone tryout though. It keeps the returning players involved, and I find it helpful to see how they interact with the potential new players.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
In my DD's org, at the older ages (14U and above) the org has tryouts every year primarily to put together their Premier teams. At the younger ages the org leaves it up to the individual coaches.

At the younger ages I see 4 different possible scenarios when a kid isn't developing properly:

a) Both the coach and player are doing everything possible to improve the player
b) The coach is doing every he/she can to develop the player but the kid isn't putting in time/effort on their own to improve
c) The coach is not doing a good job of developing a player but the player is working hard on their own to get better
d) Neither the coach nor the player are doing the necessary to develop the player.

Scenario b is the easiest and the one where cutting a kid would perhaps be justified. Scenario a is difficult as at the younger ages since physical differences can keep a kid from keeping up. Since the kid is working hard I would lean towards not cutting a kid in this case. Scenario c is on the coach and as a parent I would probably want to look for a new team in this case. Not sure what should be done about scenario d.
 

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