Travel Team coaches?

[Rolling Hard]

If your DD is really really good, coaches would make room for her. If she is pretty good most coaches would have a private tryout or invite her to practice with their team. Most top teams are not going to add a player unless they really have a need and even then they will be very picky. Skill, personality, parents, etc. Will all be considered. Also not sure on what terms she left her prior team but remember coaches talk to each other.
Also attending p5 camps means very little. May even send a signal that parents are over estimating DD's skillset. Coaches don't want that problem.

 

[Chilixa]

Yea These are travel coaches. We are looking at the Top teams for the major brands. But my thought is that if you aren’t looking for a utility player just say that, it is the lack of communication that seems off. It has been with several of them, that is why I wondered is this normal

Reality is the top travel teams can be picky. Utility players are also the easiest to find a lot of the times. When they add players they are looking to improve their team. Pitchers/Catchers and even elite middle infielders seem to be in higher demand. If she is a power hitter she will also get more opportunities.


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[angispeds]

I think it’s hard at her age being a utility player sometimes has an undeserved bad connotation as a kid who’s just OK instead of great. You might change your marketing strategy to her primary position while you’re trying to get picked up. Teams at the level you are aiming for are often looking to fill a specific need especially at this time of year.


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[Sparky Guy]

Yea These are travel coaches. We are looking at the Top teams for the major brands. But my thought is that if you aren’t looking for a utility player just say that, it is the lack of communication that seems off. It has been with several of them, that is why I wondered is this normal

You need to understand. The coaches from the TOP organizations get the types of emails you are sending on a regular basis. Most of them rely on recommendations from people whom they know and trust to give them unbiased evaluations or their own observations of a player's abilities. A highlight reel is great but it can not show the complete picture of a player's abilities. Is the team your daughter playing for competing in the tournaments these teams regularly attend? If not, that may part of your problem. She needs to be a standout player in those types of tournaments to get noticed.

I coached a team in a nationally known program a while back. The head of the organization let his voicemail fill up on purpose so he would not have to listen to messages. The people he wanted to hear from knew how to get in touch with him.

 

[RADcatcher]

the response is pretty bad. Even coaches that say they are looking for a player, MAY respond and then ask the basic questions and then nothing.

I do understand that the majority of coaches have a lot going on and they're busy. To try and respond can be difficult task. It's often said that coaching travel team is like a full-time job in itself.
However to respond to ask basic questions and then not respond is
low communication/people skills.
Thats it.

This communication gap in society
is not one-sided.
Several travel ball coaches I chat with frequently have experienced trying to reach out from families emails and getting the same ignore response. Also hearing of this same scenario from instructors. People contact the instructor and then don't follow through when the instructor contacts people back.
Maybe it's that emailing or texting is so removed from human to human contact that communication has become less important to a percentage of people.

 

[Strike2]

Wondering if we are providing too much info or too little, or if they are just plain weird.

I think the problem is that the coaches you're trying to contact just aren't sufficiently impressed. No offense intended to you or your kid. My impression from your post is that you're trying to move from that "respectable" team that plays mostly local tournaments to that "top level" team that P5 coaches go to see. Unless your kid is a real standout, that may take some time. I watched several very good players at the "respectable" level try to break into that higher level only to bounce back after a couple of months on the bench. Smaller, speedy, "utility" players are pretty common. EVERYONE at that level plays solid defense, so what breaks you out is hitting. That means hitting for power or being so fast that getting an out can be a problem even with a perfect defensive play.

I firmly believe that any competent player who wants to play in college can find a place. Having some speed and being able to play more than one position makes finding that place easier. However, it might not be at the top level. Stay realistic about where your DD stacks up. I know several players who never played an inning on a top level travel team who now play on D2 and mid-major D1 rosters.

 

[Rolling Hard]

I didn't notice the term utility player. Never, ever use the term utility player. That is code for mediocre, substitute player. My DD can play anywhere on the field including catcher but I never list her as utility. Shortstop with big bat sounds so much better.

 

[ApplesnotOranges]

Yesterday’s list: mostly ACC schools on east coast. We shall see what the list is next week

 

[Rolling Hard]

I would not be contacting college coaches without being on a team. Being In between teams is a bad look too.

 

[uncdrew]

Agree with lots above.

1. Utility Player is a nice description for 12U and under. Over that age it means you don't really have a position. Much better to say she's a SS/OF, or MI or OF. Because at older ages, you should have a position (or two).

2. The top travel coaches I know have a full roster, and 3-5 players they have their eyes on as their next adds. These are players that we play against and admire. These girls have proved it on the field and impressed us. If a spot opens we will approach them, or more likely, put out the word we're looking for a certain position and make sure that family knows we're looking for someone just like their girl.

3. Top travel coaches field a ton of requests, most are parents who think their little princess is amazing. But usually they are amazing in their rec league or their C-level team. And the parents simply don't know how much better some girls of the same age are at this sport.

4. Being ranked by EI or Legacy & Legends will raise eyebrows. I'd lead with that if possible. Going to camps is more a function of money in many cases. Doesn't really mean much to most of us.

5. Volunteer to pick up with these teams. That may get you a shot. Many coaches love having a short list of players in case of injury or such.

6. Coaches are probably more likely to reply to your DD than to a parent. Parents are a pain in the butt.