First time travel try outs, need advice

[Softball diamond]

My DD is trying out for 14u, first year in travel. She played select and All Stars this past Spring. She made the HS feeder team. We are searching for a good fit for us. The teams advertise as B, working towards A, but they really want A players who have played travel ball before. How does one navigate this crazy season? How do I know what to look for and what is a good fit or not? I am worried about even getting on a team, worried about the "new" team not forming, etc. We are going to try outs and so far teams are only looking for a certain position (pitcher) or only a few players. What if we do not find a team, I hear try outs will continue in Nov or Jan as players change their minds and leave teams. Do I want to be on a team that is replacing a player? I have done alot of research on teams in our area, I hear all kinds of stories of bad coaches, teams who always look for players, etc. Can a DD be replaced on a team for her poor performance? Your advice is appreciated.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Can she be replaced? Certainly. It happened to my niece and she had caught every game for her team for 3 years.

If possible, go see the team play and see how the coach interacts with the players. Find out how often they practice and for how long, and where they practice at. You will want to know how often they play in tournaments and where those trnmnts are going to be. Realize that a lot of trnys have hotels that you HAVE to use, so it gets quite pricey.

How do you navigate it? You have to network and hang out and talk to people. Is there an indoor hitting facility, in your city? There are generally people that that can give you advice.

If you are comfortable telling us where you are located, there may be people on here that can help you.

 

[Slappers]

I doubt there are many coaches in TB that haven't "wronged" somebody one way or another in the parents/players eyes. Coaches see things one way and parents/players see it another. It is a very tough road to navigate for both because coaches here things about players too (in general, not your DD in particular).

Everybody's situation is different and we (coaches, parents/player) only know the often distorted version of what actually happened in those kinds of situations but if you hear the same things from multiple people that actually played for the coach and not through the grapevine, it is probably true.

A DD can be replaced for poor performance depending on the coach and the level of the team. You just have to find the right fit and sometimes that takes time.

Softball is softball regardless of A, B, C, tee ball, coach pitch etc. Not that those levels are equal but if your DD can play, any good coach will see that regardless of ever having played A level travel before.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Myself and my DDs are very relaxed about tryouts this year because we realize that they don't really matter. If they went off the results of the last tryouts, both of my DDs would have been pitching for the "A" team; but they ended up pitching for the "B" team instead. Since then, if not before, they have established very good reputations as pitchers. My oldest DD pitched a stunning season for the local high school and my youngest just pitched her team to five victories in nationals. Oh well, we'll just have to wait and see what occurs.

 

[guero_gordo]

Just getting through the first season is a goal in itself, not because it has to be an ordeal, but because your perspective will change significantly afterwards. I wouldn't think of the first season as a throwaway, but like relationships, you make much better decisions after the first one.

 

[mosh]

My daughter just went through the tryout process for the first time this year also. I had the same concerns as you and was worried we wouldn't find a good fit. After this past year in a bad rec league situation (for many reasons) it was really important to find the right fit for next year so I was pretty nervous about the whole thing. Probably more so than my daughter!

We went to several try outs and one thing that helped was to try to pay attention to everything going on. Don't just focus on your daughter and how she does at the tryout. That is hard to do, but watch the coaches interact with the other girls and each other. Watch their general demeanor and body language. Observe the other parents and chat them up. Just try to get a sense of the culture of the team.

Amy gives some good advice about networking. Talk to everyone you can that is even slightly connected to the softball community. But as Slappers mentioned, some might have a jaded view of a team or coach based on their version of past events.

At one tryout I was talking to a parent who thought her child didn't make another team because of "politics". I guess she didn't recognize me because I was also at that same tryout which was loaded with talent. My daughter didn't make that team either, but it wasn't because of politics, it was because she wasn't nearly as skilled as the other girls at the tryout and the kid whose parent I was talking to wasn't either. Not even close!

So when the coach of that team called me to tell me my daughter didn't make the cut, I didn't get bent out of shape. I thanked him for the opportunity and asked if he had any advice. We actually chatted for awhile and he gave me some good insights that helped me find a team that I think will be just right for my daughter.

Hopefully it will all work out for you and next year won't be as stressful!

 

[doublenickel]

If the coaches daughter plays the same position as your DD be very wary.

 

[SCDad]

Find a team, possibly a B or even C team, that will let her play every inning and bat every time.

Travel softball is a time honored system. Until you play against the A teams, and show them what your DD has specifically against their A pitchers ... You don't stand a chance.

These A level travel parents will have you for lunch. It is that competitive. Play good enough, talk the circuit with the coaches, and they will invite you into the club.

To try to get there out of the box, by tryouts only, from a rec team, is an open invitation for an A level team taking your money, while DD sits the bench.

She has to earn her stripes. It is not too late. She earns it on the field AGAINST the A teams. Find a team, whatever level, that will put her on the field a lot.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

"There is a team out there for every girl. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a team you want to be on, but it is there, nonetheless."

- LAS

 

[BobInMadison]

I am not the softball expert that many of these other guys are.

Based on the very limited experience with my daughters, I would consider team chemistry to be extremely important for your DD's enjoyment of the game.

DD #1 was on a TB team with an excellent coach and good players, she was a 14u playing up at 16u. There were some chemistry issues, so she left the team.

DD #3 is on a team that is not very strong. It was about a C level 11u team. The team chemistry is amazing. Sure, they lost most of their games, and really got rocked and even run ruled, but they had fun and learned a lot. Some coaches were trying to get me to put DD #3 on an A or B level team for next year. I decided to keep her where she is. She is having fun, and plays a lot. She is one of the top 2 pitchers on the team, and by the end of the season was probably the best pitcher. She is without question the best utility player (I have seen her play as many as 5 positions in the same tournament). Also, all of these girls live in the same HS area, so, except for any girls who move, transfer to a suburban school, or go to a private HS, they will all play on the same HS SB teams together.

An OK team with great chemistry is NOT a bad way to start TB. If your DD wants something more competitive when she gets older, worry about it then.