Are tryouts really a tryout?

[Momo'sDad]

Stick with REC ball if you want it to be "all about the girls"......

That's just not true. At. All.

 

[badfish45]

I think a big problem is the loyalty. Parents will also go somewhere else to tryout and not be up front, once a coach depends on that player and she doesn't show it puts them in a bind.

A buddy of mine said it best, the worst 2 girls on your team will always leaves because they (parents) think they are better than they are. The best 2 will leave because they think they are deserving of a better team.


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[grcsftbll]

I think a big problem is the loyalty. Parents will also go somewhere else to tryout and not be up front, once a coach depends on that player and she doesn't show it puts them in a bind.

A buddy of mine said it best, the worst 2 girls on your team will always leaves because they (parents) think they are better than they are. The best 2 will leave because they think they are deserving of a better team.


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Interesting. The weakest player on our last team left before the season even ended, missing the last month or so of tournaments. Her mom thought she should play 3rd instead of outfield, even though she'd never caught a ball in a game (for real), and bailed. I'd be shocked if she plays travel ball this year at all - she may be finding out in tryouts that the coaches were closer to their evaluation of her talent than mommy was. The team ended up dissolving this year but if it hadn't, the top 2 would have left anyway. Certainly supports this hypothesis.

 

[Orange Socks]

I am glad that I started this topic and surely appreciate all the comments. My feeling on this is that you have tryouts to "cull the herd." Noone should be guaranteed a spot, but the coach sure better get commitments from your kids that you want to come back, rather than putting your head in sand and expeceting/hoping them to come back. When those lower caliber players are automatically given spots on team, what does that say to the studs on the team that are "chopping the wood" and getting their work done? It says the coach does not want to get better. When new parents/players walk up and see those players on the field, they will run back to their cars as fast as they can.

At the 14U and up levels most of the recruiting should have been done throughout the year and the tryouts are used to find kids that you maybe you didn't know about and to get those kids in the mix that you have been talking to. As for the kids that needed to culled, they still get an opportunity to tryout and if they don't make the team they can still go tryout for another team.

Let's just say it's been an interesting and stressfull 24 hours for our family. If our coach is not going to do the work to improve the team, we will improve our situation. There are other things as always. I saw a posting for a tryout yesterday and at the last minute decided to go. My kid was getting her hair done at one of those fancy salons in the mall and had no time to go home, change into her gear and then make it to the fields on time. I show up there with my orange shoes and socks, dirty sweat stained visor and bag full of not washed uni's and said it's go time! Poor thing. Her hair was as gorgeous as I have ever seen it and she had to put on her clay stained white pants and walk out of the salon looking like that. It was classic. Well, we get to the tryouts and she is hitting on all cylinders, line drives and dives. Just killing it! The hairdo must have given her super powers! Anyway, it was pretty obvious that the coaches liked her and was given an offer. I am feeling pretty confident that this team will be a better fit for her and our family. She moves up an age division, stays with a nationally ranked program, two former college player coaches (no dads involved), more competitive teammates and she doesn't have to buy new catcher's gear to match the uni's.

 

[CoogansBluff]

My feeling on this is that you have tryouts to "cull the herd." Noone should be guaranteed a spot, but the coach sure better get commitments from your kids that you want to come back, rather than putting your head in sand and expeceting/hoping them to come back. When those lower caliber players are automatically given spots on team, what does that say to the studs on the team that are "chopping the wood" and getting their work done? It says the coach does not want to get better. When new parents/players walk up and see those players on the field, they will run back to their cars as fast as they can.

This is a reasonable approach, but I'd caution that there is no one right way to do travel ball tryouts. It depends on the goals of the team.

My daughter played for a few months on a team that, based on your description above, would make you hurl. Everybody had a spot guaranteed from season to season. They didn't have tryouts. They found new players through networking, but if you went to their games, you'd see a wide range of talent, some who weren't too good. One year, the worst player quit. A year later, she wanted back. Coach took her just because he said ''it's the right thing to do. She's family, and she wants to make her high school team.'' Coaches didn't try to find the best players, but the players that fit the best, meaning they got along with the other players and could play the general level the team was playing.

Was this a poorly run team? No. It's one of the best run teams I've ever seen. The coach stated the purpose and method of the team very honestly. It filled a need. It has survived some 6 years and is actually a decent team now of good high school players. That's all they wanted to be. Did they lose some good players who wanted more? Sure. They didn't care. Wished them luck and kept on truckin'. That team has provided as much value to the world of youth softball as most elite teams, IMO.

 

[#10]

I prefer that returning players wear team gear to tryouts. It lets prospects and their parents know the existing talent level at every position and if there is daddyball/buddyball/bias to benefit certain kids.

 

[grcsftbll]

I prefer that returning players wear team gear to tryouts. It lets prospects and their parents know the existing talent level at every position and if there is daddyball/buddyball/bias to benefit certain kids.

I agree. I like knowing which girls are alumni.

 

[aec4444]

I know with my daughter, the team said she'd have her slot locked in if we paid before the first tryout, otherwise she'd have to tryout with the rest.

I have no problem bringing my daughter in to tryout. I'd rather see how she compares so my expectations are in line with reality in terms of playing time. I try to be as objective as possible.

The way I see it is if I am guaranteed a spot, and then 5 "studs" try out that are better than my daughter, it would be better to know that up front and decide to stay or go instead of being surprised by it.

 

[Eric F]

I know with my daughter, the team said she'd have her slot locked in if we paid before the first tryout, otherwise she'd have to tryout with the rest.

I have no problem bringing my daughter in to tryout. I'd rather see how she compares so my expectations are in line with reality in terms of playing time. I try to be as objective as possible.

The way I see it is if I am guaranteed a spot, and then 5 "studs" try out that are better than my daughter, it would be better to know that up front and decide to stay or go instead of being surprised by it.

I would proceed very cautiously.

 

[badfish45]

Interesting. The weakest player on our last team left before the season even ended, missing the last month or so of tournaments. Her mom thought she should play 3rd instead of outfield, even though she'd never caught a ball in a game (for real), and bailed. I'd be shocked if she plays travel ball this year at all - she may be finding out in tryouts that the coaches were closer to their evaluation of her talent than mommy was. The team ended up dissolving this year but if it hadn't, the top 2 would have left anyway. Certainly supports this hypothesis.

Yep sounds about right. I've seen some parents who even started their own team after not agreeing with me where their daughter should be playing( and yes no reason to even be on the infield at all) Gotta love daddy ball!


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