Not for me or Mine

[YOCOACH]

I have to give props on here for a girl that nobody wanted. She tried out for a dozen plus TB teams before coming out to our tryouts. Even the coaches of our 11u team didn't want her. The coaches of our new 12u team looked to me when she she tried out and I nodded emphatically "yes" because I saw a good work ethic and a lot of athleticism in her. She was a rec ball catcher and had slow swing speed due to poor mechanics as well as poor throwing mechanics. Over the Winter, I taught her the NECC method of catching, Austin's high level throwing mechanics and Bobby Tewksbary's high level swing mechanics. This past year, through her dedication and hard work, she has become a catcher and hitter that everybody now wants. She is no longer with our organization since her team had to move up and she stayed down (and moved on to another organization) but she has the work ethic and drive to become a truly elite player. I am proud to have been able to help her along the TB journey and hope that she achieves all of her softball dreams. I can't say enough about this girl. She has become a phenomenal catcher/hitter/player and has an absolutely great family. I hope I get the chance to see her/coach her again in the future. Here's to you Katy. Keep up the good work!

 

[grcsftbll]

That's awesome! It takes a good coach to recognize that kind of potential, IMO.

 

[Eric F]

Coaching. You're doing it right!!

 

[SoCalASABlue]

That's awesome! It takes a good coach to recognize that kind of potential, IMO.

Slight correction, if I may be so bold...It takes a REAL coach to recognize that kind of potential...

 

[SoCalASABlue]

That's awesome! It takes a good coach to recognize that kind of potential, IMO.

Slight correction, if I may be so bold...It takes a REAL coach to recognize that kind of potential...

 

[CoogansBluff]

Go through tryout ads and count the number of times that a coach describes that he/she is looking for in a player (besides specific position), and I'll be that 75 percent of the time it's a player who is already good and only 25 percent will it be anything pertaining to work ethic, potential, attitude. All coaches professes that they love those qualities, but they don't like them nearly as much when it means the player isn't that good yet and they've got to risk losing games to get her there.

Just to prove my point, I just cut and pasted comments from a message board for 12U tryouts. Here are the first 10 or so comments regarding the type of player sought ...

‘’We have a very talented roster, just need 2 talented players to play with them.’’ [What if not that talented, but work very hard?]

‘’We have one spot remaining and would like to add a strong, experienced pitcher to our very talented lineup.’’ [Can you develop a pitcher]

‘’We are looking for hard bats.’’

‘’We are looking for an A level pitcher and an A level hitter.’’

‘’Looking for a team player with a great attitude ready to be part of a great team.’’ [I like that, although 'team player' often means one who'll understand if you never play her.]

‘’An example of what we are looking for would be a seasoned catcher with great defensive skills and a strong arm. We are also looking for a lefty slap hitter who can steal second without help to leadoff our strong hitting lineup. Or a strong infielder that can also track balls in the outfield.’’ [Off topic, why do you need a slapper? Wouldn't a .550 hitter w/ HR power be just as good at 12U? Or any level?]

‘’We have a need for a catcher and then that one special player to play either infield or outfield. Our roster has girls who can play multiple positions, so if you have a rockstar 1st or 2nd baseman, come and see us. Or if you have a great outfielder, join us this Sunday.’’ To be fair, they also add: ‘’We are looking for unselfish players who want to improve their game with a great group of girls around them.’’ But I don't trust the pursuit of 'unselfish players.'

‘’Looking for dedicated and committed players to bring their game to next level.’’ [Good!]

‘’Players that have the passion, work ethic, skill set and attitude to play travel softball.’’ [Great!]

''We are looking to fill 3 roster positions including;
1. Pitcher with the potential to become a #1 [Meaning you can be a little wild, but you'd better bring some heat in tryouts.]
2. Power hitter who consistently hits the ball in the outfield [aka, already good]
3. Infielder with a strong arm'' [aka, already good]

While I'm having fun at their expense, I really don't mind asking for what you want, and we all want good players. But if you really think you're a good coach, wouldn't you really look for dedication, commitment, passion and just a little talent? And not simply the girls that make you go 'wow' in tryouts?