a couple observations from tryouts

[_MIA_]

Agreed. Not saying it has to be an absolute. I guess the alternative could be "Coach, do your players all get along or do you deal with a lot of kid/parent drama?" Interesting to see if you'd get an honest answer.

Again, DD and us tend to be on the social side. So if we know parents get along and people hang out together....it's a plus. But definitely not a deal breaker.

I get it. One good way to to find out how the kids interact would be to watch the team play before you decide to tryout (there are numerous other reasons why this is a good idea)...not always a possibility I understand. Watching them when they are losing would be the best...

 

[Vertigo]

IME - older, higher level teams already have the players picked well before their mass tryouts. Those tryouts are for the “unicorn” player who just might show up. Also, they use those tryouts to say, “Our team is full, but there is an opportunity for you on our other team,” meaning a new team in the org or the team in the org they just took players from.

 

[HunterMO]

I get it. One good way to to find out how the kids interact would be to watch the team play before you decide to tryout (there are numerous other reasons why this is a good idea)...not always a possibility I understand. Watching them when they are losing would be the best...

Yes - absolutely this is the most ideal. Not that I root for teams I'm watching to lose, but watching how they lose and how they deal with it is great. Both coaches and players.

 

[KrisHur]

Let me flip this around a little, just for the sake of conversation ...

Parents, when you go to try outs (or see a team play that you think you want your daughter on) ... are you paying attention and also making the coaches tryout for your daughter? What are you looking for?

I remember taking my daughter to a few tryouts that both she and I walked away from saying "No way." Not only was she trying out for them, but we were watching the coaches. How organized were they? What did their "tryout" consist of? How did they interact with the girls who were already on their team and those who were not? How did the girls already on the team interact with the ones who were not (or did they)?

BINGO. The first year on her current team one parent tried to get all the girls to jump to another team. All went to the try out (most of our girls hit the local tryouts anyway) and the coach was a nightmare! He set up a drill none of them understood and insisted they keep at it and started screaming at them. When we caught DD's eye, she rolled her eyes at us and we left.

 

[radness]

What i notice from hearing the feedback from tryouts over the years...very common thing folks tend to pick up on is

~Seeing the clicks.

See the little social group thats all bonded together in their own little pod with their backs to everyone else.

That imo shows its own tell.
Especially when they are already part of a team players are trying out for.

imo when that happens,
Coaching has neglected how/what team unity can do.
Should have already addressed not clicking up outcasting any newcomers.

Team Dynamic is VERY important!
Look for Camaraderie!

 

[Tide_will_Roll]

Agreed. Not saying it has to be an absolute. I guess the alternative could be "Coach, do your players all get along or do you deal with a lot of kid/parent drama?" Interesting to see if you'd get an honest answer.

Again, DD and us tend to be on the social side. So if we know parents get along and people hang out together....it's a plus. But definitely not a deal breaker.

I know of a former coach who, after extending an offer to a player, started telling the dad about all the drama caused by a couple of parents the year before and hie awful it was with them. It turns out the coach was the one creating the issues. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the ability to take responsibility for anything negative.

 

[HunterMO]

I know of a former coach who, after extending an offer to a player, started telling the dad about all the drama caused by a couple of parents the year before and hie awful it was with them. It turns out the coach was the one creating the issues. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the ability to take responsibility for anything negative.

Oof - that’s a bummer. We are lucky in that we know multiple families on the teams DD will tryout for. So I’ve been able to do a fair amount of checking before we attend the tryouts.

 

[AnotherSoftballDad]

I've only gone through the process with DD1 and DD2 a couple seasons, but I think I've made a few observations. Let me know if you agree/disagree.

1. If you wait until the first publicly scheduled tryout date, you put your DD at a big disadvantage. At least a dozen girls will already have reached out to the coach prior and a number of available slots will already have been taken.

2. If they like your DD, an offer will be made on the spot. "We'll be in touch" and "Why do you have her come by another day" can be considered rejections.

3. If multiple tryout sessions are scheduled and you didn't reach out to the coach earlier, definitely don't wait for the last day. The team will already have extended offers for available slots by then and the event is a formality in case outstanding offers are turned down.

Also, not so much an observation, but a question. How many of you have had an offers to DD rescinded because you took too long to accept (for example, needed time to think about it, wanted to tryout for another team before making a decision, etc.).

What I think happens..

Scenario #1
1) I see facebook post about a tryout, or I email coach asking when they will have tryouts.
2) The coach looks my kid up on gamechanger and reviews how well she hit against pitchers he knows, or how well she pitched.
3) I go to tryouts with 25 other kids but the coach already has the 3 kids that he/she has researched and wants.

If you are just going to a tryout without the coach knowing anything about your kid she better hit some bombs or make some amazing plays.

Scenario #2
1) Coach knows me and my kid so he/she calls to see if I want to play for his team.

 

[kennykozman!!]

Well my DD is looking for a new team next year. She was a 13 on a 14u team last year and will not move up with the 14 yr olds.

I took some advice and went to watch a team this weekend we are scheduled for a private tryout with this upcoming week.

Yeah....no thanks

Girls walking out to their positions is an automatic no for me. Coach is pretty quiet; they got beat ...all I heard from HC was numbers calling pitches.

IDK how walking out to the field is allowed at any level.

 

[uncdrew]

Like most, I agree with 1 and 3. 2 is not quite as concrete.

If you just showed up at a tryout with no prior contact with the coaches, you are at a disadvantage. There is no denying that.

Agreed. But most teams and coaches can always make room for a stud that appears outta nowhere. So, want to be on a great team? Be a great player.