Team Merger

[krazykat]

My dd did this at 12U. I combined my best 5 from the 10U team I coached with the best 5 from our fiercest 10U rival. I knew going in that my role would be as assistant coach. I had to cut one of my top 5 because I knew the parents would not mesh with the other team. We had two really good years before the team split up (amicably) at 14U. It takes mature coaches, parents and players for this to work. If there are egos and/or drama involved before the merger, I would be concerned.

 

[radness]

My dd did this at 12U. I combined my best 5 from the 10U team I coached with the best 5 from our fiercest 10U rival. I knew going in that my role would be as assistant coach. I had to cut one of my top 5 because I knew the parents would not mesh with the other team. We had two really good years before the team split up (amicably) at 14U. It takes mature coaches, parents and players for this to work.

If there are egos and/or drama involved before the merger, I would be concerned.

Absolutely great point ✔ paying attention to how the conversation circulating can be a good indicator for assessment of doing this!

 

[Nimrod]

I'd be curious to know how much the players liked their previous teams. Were players getting frustrated by not advancing further in tournaments, or was that mainly an adult thing? If you had two happy teams of players, it's hard to justify messing with that. But if it's two teams on the verge of breakup, then it's probably for the best.

 

[DryHeat]

I think OP should start a vlog here to chronicle the details of this merger and possible s**tshow it could become. Or maybe it'll be great. Could be entertaining either way.

No kidding. I could go through a whole Costco box of popcorn on just that one thread.

 

[uncdrew]

This is most likely going to go very poorly..... one team might be better, or they might not click at all. The teams that got all their best players taken from them isn't going to be good and all of those girls will most likely leave. Plus hurt feelings of them not being up the A team.
So have your popcorn ready.... drama is about to start.

Yup.

Also, many outsiders (coaches, parents, kids) will view this move as "These coaches couldn't develop their own talent so took the wimpy way out". I've seen it several times and that stigma will follow the team for a long time.

 

[_MIA_]

Yup.

Also, many outsiders (coaches, parents, kids) will view this move as "These coaches couldn't develop their own talent so took the wimpy way out". I've seen it several times and that stigma will follow the team for a long time.

While I am sure this is true it is a silly view. Many of the top 14U and above teams have very few kids that have been with them from 10U..

 

[uncdrew]

While I am sure this is true it is a silly view. Many of the top 14U and above teams have very few kids that have been with them from 10U..

Agreed.

But some teams have tryouts and add a player here and there. Others realize they can't cut it and find another team in the same boat and merge with them. They cut half of each team and leave them blowing in the wind as they move forward with the new super team.

Perhaps it's clever, perhaps it gets the coaches a top team faster than other methods. It does leave a lot of wreckage in most cases.

 

[ang2bmd]

This happened at 16u with two very very high level teams. Started out with a roster of over 20 kids. By the time nationals rolled around they were down to like 10-12 of their actual players left


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[_MIA_]

Agreed.

But some teams have tryouts and add a player here and there. Others realize they can't cut it and find another team in the same boat and merge with them. They cut half of each team and leave them blowing in the wind as they move forward with the new super team.

Perhaps it's clever, perhaps it gets the coaches a top team faster than other methods. It does leave a lot of wreckage in most cases.

Not saying merging is a good idea, or a bad idea, only in that most cases the idea of coaches "developing" players is overblown..Coaches can help obviously but talent and hard work outside of the team (two things that are hard to predict at 10U..) are mostly responsible for development.