Tryouts

[NJSwampdragons]

If teams have tryouts at different times, how do you know which one to pick? If you pass on the 1st and then don’t make the 2nd and 3rd, that would be bad.

My daughter’s travel team is dissolving after the summer, so now she has to find a new team. It’s only 10-U, so it’s tough to judge exactly what level she is at. That said, she’s also only likely making a really good team based on her pitching.

Most of the really good 10-U travel teams around us are largely (or in many cases only) made up of girls moving up to 12-U in the fall.

 

[JOHNN]

Are you on any of the softball FB pages for your area? Im assuming the NJ in your name is for New Jersey so if thats the case, look up the group New Jersey Fastpitch Softball Travel Teams. Once you are accepted, do a search for 10u. I see a bunch including a tryout tomorrow night.

 

[uncdrew]

If teams have tryouts at different times, how do you know which one to pick? If you pass on the 1st and then don’t make the 2nd and 3rd, that would be bad.

Yes, it would be bad if you missed all three tryouts.

 

[Eric F]

For 10U, pick the team with the best coaching, where she will get the most time playing, and where she feels the most comfortable with the team around her. I also recommend finding a team with players mostly her age, unless she has the skills to be a top player at the older level. At 10U, wins and losses is pretty irrelevant. Player development matters a lot more.

 

[uncdrew]

For 10U, pick the team with the best coaching, where she will get the most time playing, and where she feels the most comfortable with the team around her. I also recommend finding a team with players mostly her age, unless she has the skills to be a top player at the older level. At 10U, wins and losses is pretty irrelevant. Player development matters a lot more.

Agreed.

I think it's really important to be with friends. Especially if you're in my situation, where schools are virtual and softball is her only social outing. So much more important in these crazy times to have time with friends than to be on the best softball team.

And yes, at this age a coach could make her love the game or hate the game. Find a good, kind coach.

 

[bmakj]

Definitely try to find a team where most are same birth year (especially coaches kids if any).

after 10u, DD has never played more than a year with the same team, mostly due to her being different year than the majority of the girls. last summer, her team moved up to 14u, we felt she was not ready. this summer, her current team is staying 12u, she must move up. she really is hoping to find her "forever" team.

 

[NJSwampdragons]

The one issue, is she had a private try out yesterday, and they said she was the last one so they will make a decision soon. One of the other teams she will be trying out isn't finishing up tryouts until August 6th. Team A will be girls with her same birth year. Team A has traditionally been better than her current team that is disbanding, but doesn't have the same infrastructure of bringing in trainers who played D1. The cost is really cheap, like $400.

Team B I think is an 8U team moving up, but the organization has generally been at a slightly higher level than Team A. It's also closer.

There is a third possibility, Team C. They are generally at the same level as Team B, but the cost is like $3,000. The upside is they are the only team where it's not a parent coach, with beautiful facilities. I think they will have an all new team, since there team is moving up and they don't have an 8-U team.

So if Team A gives her an offer, is it generally an option to wait a few weeks to make a decision, so she knows all her options? Of will they want a decision right away? They did ask if she had any other tryouts scheduled.

Then there is also the issue of pitching. Pitching is my daughter's #1 passion. I asked Team A how many pitchers they have and the coach said 3 and it sounded like some other girls that tried out also pitched. Fortunately, my daughter brought her A game for pitching at the tryout.

 

[bmakj]

my $0.02

do not spend $3000 at 8u, nothing they are learning at that age is worth that much. and you do not need trainers who played D1 at that age each. it is still rudimentary fundamentals (move to the ball, get in front, etc.). just make certain that the coaches know basic fundamentals at that age.

anyone charging $3000 for 8u is just doing a money grab.

and no matter where she goes, if she can pitch relatively well for the age group, she will. good pitching is a limited commodity

 

[Eric F]

If Team A really wants your DD, they will wait for her. At the age you're talking about, getting occasional instruction from D1 players is eyewash to make the parents feel like their kid is getting something special. Lots of reps and good instruction on fundamentals of the game is important, and can be instructed just fine by knowledgeable parent-coaches.

 

[uncdrew]

If Team A really wants your DD, they will wait for her.

So true.

I've been on both sides of this (at the under 10 age group). We went to an open workout yesterday and they made an offer after and said "We need to know in 2-3 days". I said "Sorry, we can't decide that quickly."

I mean heck, this wasn't even their tryout. Just a workout. They simply want to lock in players ASAP and almost always say things like "we can't hold the spot" and "we have lots of other girls wanting to be on this team", etc. etc.

If they want you, they can wait.

And as a coach, we've waited. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But we'll wait. We usually build our team up to 10 or 11 players and purposely leave a spot or two open for occasions like this. Or for the times a girl really dislikes their new team and leaves in the first week (before paying). There are usually girls floating around after most tryouts are over.