Recruiting etiquette?

[CloudofDust]

Does it even exist anymore? Did it ever exist?

It seems teams are so desperate for players these days, anything goes. DD's head coach picked up a player (DD of another team's HC) for one tournament. These coaches had been friends for several years and all seemed well during this tournament. However, 3 weeks later our starting catcher bolts for the p/u players team. Friendship between coaches is instantly dissolved and team struggles to replace the catcher.

Different DD - her team (team 1) has a tryout for the upcoming season. Several DDs of another team's (team 2) coaching staff come to the tryouts saying that their team is disbanding. While these girls are trying out for team 1, the coaches from team 2 are talking with parents of other girls that are trying out. When team 1 offers a few girls from team 2, team 2 players decline, stating they are going to stick with their current team. Several players trying out for team 1 show up on team 2's roster. Team 2's DD and coach are seen at several other tryouts in the coming weeks, presumably trying to steal players from other teams too.

Both of these scenarios are pretty classless IMO, but this is the reality we're dealing with today.

 

[Greatdaytobeawildcat]

It is the wild west out there, without enough players to go around.

In my little state on one popular FB site in just the past 48 hours (all different orgs, names deleted (this just illustrates the demand for players, not saying in ANY way that these postings are like the behavior you describe):

• CT XXX is in need of the following to complete our 2021-2022 rosters: 14U: 1 catcher, 18U Showcase: 1B or P
• Looking for a 16u and 18u pitcher if interested please email
• CT XXX looking for pitchers for 16u and 18u
• CT XXX 14U is seeking a Pitcher and or Utility player - please contact
• A few openings still for XXX, 10U, 12U, 14U, and 18U
• CT XXX 18U looking for an 18U pitcher
• We are looking to find another 2-3 players for our upcoming season
• We are looking for a few specific players to round out our team
• Any 16U pitchers looking for a team? Please PM me for details.
• XXX 14U is looking for an additional pitcher
• XXX 16U X looking for 1 more player to finalize our roster
• CT XXX 14 X (08) seeking a catcher.
• 12u XXX looking for a pitcher
• CT 13U XXX Looking for another pitcher and catcher to finalize our roster.
• Our 14u X team is looking to add 1-2 players to our roster!
• 16U looking for an additional pitcher, infielder and outfielder.
• We still have a couple roster spots available on our 18U team.
• 16u CT XXX are looking for Pitcher and Catcher for 2022 season
• XXX 16U looking for a pitcher and a utility player to complete their roster.
• Due to an unanticipated opening our 16U team, we are looking for a catcher, Pitcher and Utility player.

Your situation is craptacular, but some folks will do anything to fill out a roster.

Also, be a pitcher or catcher and you'll never worry about finding a team...

 

[JumboJack]

My youngest DD plays club soccer. While there are many problems in that world this kind of stuff doesn’t really happen. When you join a club you are with them for the season. You sign a contract and an ID is issued. That ID needs to be presented at the start of games. Only players from the same club are allowed to guest play.

If you want to leave a club to go somewhere else your club has to agree to release you otherwise you are hosed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bmakj]

My youngest DD plays club soccer. While there are many problems in that world this kind of stuff doesn’t really happen. When you join a club you are with them for the season. You sign a contract and an ID is issued. That ID needs to be presented at the start of games. Only players from the same club are allowed to guest play.

If you want to leave a club to go somewhere else your club has to agree to release you otherwise you are hosed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

what about a player guesting who is not a member of any club, ie prospective player? no guest opportunities for that type of situation? (and DD played club soccere with ID cards one or two season like you describe, never came up, so just wondering).

and softball (and baseball) are a little different, more position specialization. this type of rigidity might actually hurt more than help

 

[Rolling Hard]

Does it even exist anymore? Did it ever exist?

It seems teams are so desperate for players these days, anything goes. DD's head coach picked up a player (DD of another team's HC) for one tournament. These coaches had been friends for several years and all seemed well during this tournament. However, 3 weeks later our starting catcher bolts for the p/u players team. Friendship between coaches is instantly dissolved and team struggles to replace the catcher.

Different DD - her team (team 1) has a tryout for the upcoming season. Several DDs of another team's (team 2) coaching staff come to the tryouts saying that their team is disbanding. While these girls are trying out for team 1, the coaches from team 2 are talking with parents of other girls that are trying out. When team 1 offers a few girls from team 2, team 2 players decline, stating they are going to stick with their current team. Several players trying out for team 1 show up on team 2's roster. Team 2's DD and coach are seen at several other tryouts in the coming weeks, presumably trying to steal players from other teams too.

Both of these scenarios are pretty classless IMO, but this is the reality we're dealing with today.

What state or area is this happening in? This is pretty shady. I new level scum. Tryout crashing. I mean can't you have your own tryout? So the plan is to take a few remaining studs from your "disbanding team" as advertisement to sway players from another teams tryout to join the now undisbanded team. WOW

 

[JumboJack]

what about a player guesting who is not a member of any club, ie prospective player? no guest opportunities for that type of situation? (and DD played club soccere with ID cards one or two season like you describe, never came up, so just wondering).

and softball (and baseball) are a little different, more position specialization. this type of rigidity might actually hurt more than help

They can try out but they can’t play any league or tournament games. If this wasn’t enforced there would be “super teams” put together for just about every tournament and important league game.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ang2bmd]

My youngest DD plays club soccer. While there are many problems in that world this kind of stuff doesn’t really happen. When you join a club you are with them for the season. You sign a contract and an ID is issued. That ID needs to be presented at the start of games. Only players from the same club are allowed to guest play.

If you want to leave a club to go somewhere else your club has to agree to release you otherwise you are hosed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes! MY DD played club soccer too and I loved this about soccer. I wish the softball world was like this but it has too many sanctions and levels. Soccer is so much more organized from the top down.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Shiloh]

I'll go the other way and say softball isn't nearly as bad as baseball.

By late high school, some national-level baseball pitchers don't even belong to a team, they just pick up at the tournaments they want to participate in. Since there's usually a crowd of scouts and colleges following them around, no one complains, except maybe the parents and their displaced players.

****

But, yeah, there are way too many travel teams. And 90% of them don't want or know how to develop players.

 

[Lance Steckler]

i've witnessed it many times over the years at larger org type tryouts. Coach shows up late, sort of blends into the crowd, sits in bleachers watching his age group of interest try out, and proceeds to intercept parents of the players he was interested in, out in the parking lot.

 

[marriard]

Does it even exist anymore? Did it ever exist?

It seems teams are so desperate for players these days, anything goes. DD's head coach picked up a player (DD of another team's HC) for one tournament. These coaches had been friends for several years and all seemed well during this tournament. However, 3 weeks later our starting catcher bolts for the p/u players team. Friendship between coaches is instantly dissolved and team struggles to replace the catcher.

Different DD - her team (team 1) has a tryout for the upcoming season. Several DDs of another team's (team 2) coaching staff come to the tryouts saying that their team is disbanding. While these girls are trying out for team 1, the coaches from team 2 are talking with parents of other girls that are trying out. When team 1 offers a few girls from team 2, team 2 players decline, stating they are going to stick with their current team. Several players trying out for team 1 show up on team 2's roster. Team 2's DD and coach are seen at several other tryouts in the coming weeks, presumably trying to steal players from other teams too.

Both of these scenarios are pretty classless IMO, but this is the reality we're dealing with today.

In softball it is the wild west out there as someone else posted. Totally nuts with LOTS of shady BS happening.

Someone mentioned Soccer not having the issue (ice hockey doesn't either) - that is is mainly because everything is primarily played under or rolls up to one governing org (USA Soccer, USA Hockey, etc) so they can enforce things they want to happen (like tying someone to a roster through a season , roster releases.etc, etc).

Softball doesn't currently do that - and there are no signs it ever will. This is primarily good (because I think USA Softball/ASA continues to be terrible).