How do you find tryouts and a good team?

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Apr 30, 2018
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Thanks for all the replies. I'll keep an eye out at the last couple of tournaments we are going to play this year. I suspect without being willing to drive an hour+ each way there are going to only be a few options. DD's current team seemed like a good one at first. Bigger organization, paid coaches that were former college players, were running drills during tryouts, etc. Mulitple coaches at the tryouts from multiple age group teams. It fell apart after that. First season the coach for her team was frustrated and not use to working with younger girls. Just one coach and she tried to go it alone with no help. Parents got upset and girls quit. Org hired new coaches to take over. Seemed better at first, but they are first time coach former college players. While they know the game, they are struggling on teaching. Practices are slow and not planned at all. They just tell the girls to go throw for warm ups, they don't teach throwing mechanics among other things. They don't have any experience on what drills work well and what drills don't. Team loses just about every game in the few tournaments we have done. At the end of 8u, beginning of 10u DD didn't care if they won or lost she was just having fun. Spring will be her last 10u season and she wants a more competitive team. Don't get me wrong, I don't want a trophy hunting team but DD is pretty tired of losing every game too. The girls are starting each game with a defeatist attitude and aren't having any fun. I want to find a good team with solid coaching that know how to teach fundamentals, have a positive attitude and have some fun while doing it.

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May 6, 2015
2,397
113
Thanks for all the replies. I'll keep an eye out at the last couple of tournaments we are going to play this year. I suspect without being willing to drive an hour+ each way there are going to only be a few options. DD's current team seemed like a good one at first. Bigger organization, paid coaches that were former college players, were running drills during tryouts, etc. Mulitple coaches at the tryouts from multiple age group teams. It fell apart after that. First season the coach for her team was frustrated and not use to working with younger girls. Just one coach and she tried to go it alone with no help. Parents got upset and girls quit. Org hired new coaches to take over. Seemed better at first, but they are first time coach former college players. While they know the game, they are struggling on teaching. Practices are slow and not planned at all. They just tell the girls to go throw for warm ups, they don't teach throwing mechanics among other things. They don't have any experience on what drills work well and what drills don't. Team loses just about every game in the few tournaments we have done. At the end of 8u, beginning of 10u DD didn't care if they won or lost she was just having fun. Spring will be her last 10u season and she wants a more competitive team. Don't get me wrong, I don't want a trophy hunting team but DD is pretty tired of losing every game too. The girls are starting each game with a defeatist attitude and aren't having any fun. I want to find a good team with solid coaching that know how to teach fundamentals, have a positive attitude and have some fun while doing it.

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sounds like you are looking for the right things, hope you find them. to me any team that falls outside of a 30-70% winning % needs to reevaluate (is TB for these girls, are they playing right level, etc.)
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
Every parents should be checking out other teams while at tournaments. You're there for 10+ hours -- I hope you spend at least a few minutes watching how the other teams operate.

I have a mental list 10 teams long if we were looking to leave.

In Georgia, there's a web site where coaches and teams post try-outs, openings, pick-up opportunities, etc. It's very useful. Google to see if you have one near you.
 
Feb 21, 2017
198
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@bmakj started a good thread about what to ask a new team. I posted a list I saw from a soccer board and that list might give you some insight as what to look at when viewing teams (or at least make you think about a few things you may have not).

The thread title was along the lines of “what to ask when searching for a new team”

Teams need players as much or probably more than the reverse so realize you are in the position to get answers. If they are cagey then that is not a good sign.


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Oct 19, 2019
58
18
There are a few things that I would do and/or look for/at.

1. There was a guy in my state who had a good group at 10u, he started a 10u poll on a forum and kept it going for years. Do NOT pick a team coached by a guy like that.

2. Look for an organization that puts 1 team per age group on the field. There are organizations in the state I live in that would put 30 teams of 10 on the field if 300 kids who were born in the same year showed up at tryouts. I have to assume it's the same in other states as well.

3. Non parent coaches.

4. Avoid the egomaniac coaches.

I called a few coaches and talked to them, some of them had this question they would ask:

"So,,,, how did you hear about my team?"

I even had one call me and ask me that.

Well, sparky, I was reading the book John Wooden wrote about coaching and the chapter that he dedicated to you and your friend from work, your 10 year old daughters and 9 or 10 of their friends hit home. You're a legend..

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure there will be more to come.
 

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