Tryout Season (aka Silly Season)

[YOCOACH]

I can speak from a coaches perspective on this as well as a parent. I know it is frustrating for many families but the teams are in a no win situation. We have scheduled our tryouts for the 5th of August. We finish up our season the week before so we want to hold tryouts right after and then give the team a break. You are also racing every other team out there to try and get them scheduled. So the only option would be to try and find a weekend when know one else is having them but then there is the possibility you will miss out on the girl that would be the perfect fit because she jumped on the first offer she saw. You can't blame them because they are in a situation where they don't know if they can wait for another tryout if they have a solid offer.

And then you have those coaches that are always looking for the next/best replacement players for their current ones because they don't know how to develop them themselves. They tell last years' players that they'll contact them but never do while filling the team and leaving 1 or 2 spots open for "studs" they'll never get. Meanwhile, 5 families are sitting on the sidelines hoping to get a phone call to go back. Several weeks later, the coach "settles on," the players that haven't been offered and hung out waiting as opposed to going to other tryouts. Of course those players see limited field time if any at all. I wish everyone the best of luck finding a home this year!

 

[YOCOACH]

Thoughts about a club coach offering all current players a spot on next year's roster, but requiring a $200+ non-refundable deposit NOW before all the other competition tryouts?

I've done it in the past but due to a dynamic situation with our organization, failed to do it this year. Now we have no 12U team.

 

[YOCOACH]

And can I just add how ANNOYING it is to go to a tryout thinking that's going to be it to hear "We hope you guys can come to our next workout and the org tryouts." Now I have to figure out what to do with the two other tryouts we were planning for those two dates. They really shouldn't have to see girls three times to know whether they want them or not. Coaches have told me that they can tell within 8 or 9 swings of the bat whether a girl has the goods or not.
And how many fielding drills do you need to see? Super frustrating.

ETA: I always wonder if this is some kind of loyalty test when they do this and they're more likely to give offers to those who show up for all three times than those who can only come to one. But I think it's kind of foolish to put all your eggs in one basket like this unless you've gotten some clue that they're probably about to make an offer. Ugh. Like I said originally, I loathe tryout season.

Usually it means your DD is on the bubble. If by next tryout they can't find a better player, they'll offer her....usually.

 

[YOCOACH]

I think I'd feel the opposite. Like, why is nobody else interested in this team? lol

You know what's really crazy about tryout season? How often the sleazy lying used car sales guy coach gets the player. Some of these guys will say ANYTHING to get players. There will always be parents dumb enough to fall for it.

As I've always said and continue to tell my parents, "IN TB, the grass is usually greener on the other side of the fence because it mostly fertilized with BS!"

 

[YOCOACH]

Coaches at youth level, especially before 16u, need to understand it is in childs best interest to do multiple things. keeps them active but using their muscles and joints differently.

when it comes to ranking commitments, for us we are clear with all HCs (once offers are made). Last weekend in July is off limits, that is always championships for summer swim season, she has swam for this team since she was 3, they taught her to swim. And she needs at least 3 Tues or Thurs nights during July for swim meets, otherwise, summer swim does not interfere with softball (practices are AM, two blocks from our house). Winter swim is very flexible practice wise (they hold practices 6 nights a week, must do 2, really need to do 3), and there will be about 6 or 7 saturdays within Dec-Feb for meets. when she played soccer (not currently), in fall that was priority, but since she is not playing soccer anymore, softball and swim will be 1a and 1b (DD really does need to start getting pool time out of swim season as well). In spring/summer, other than that one weekend and 3-4 weeknights entire month of July, softball is number 1.

PS coaches of other sports should really love swim as players other sport. low impact, very low chance of injury, great for conditioning and strength.

looking to maybe find another tryout or two now that we know we are down to two. just wish everyone would be clear on what opportunities are available.

While I agree with this in general and make provisions on my team for school sports, by HS, as others have said, she'll need to choose between the two about which sport to become the most serious about. Just remember, there are far more women's swimming scholarships available than SB at the moment.

 

[YOCOACH]

Here's a question... My DD made another team and I heard from the grapevine that a girl from her old team got a private tryout and an offer on the team my DD just made. Now the backstory is that this girl wasn't asked back to the old team because of issues with her lack of hustle, focus, was a distraction in the dugout, etc. Not to mention the parents are major issues as well. She's been kicked off multiple teams and has bounced around all over. It was just a toxic situation in the dugout towards the end of the season and you could tell the rest of the girls wanted nothing to do with her BS. So the question is do I give the coach a heads up so he knows what he's getting into? I don't want to come off as a problem before the season even starts, but I know how last season went and I really don't want a repeat of it for us or my DD.

Believe it or not, TB is a small community...especially in many geographical areas. As a coach, I'd want to know the reason you backed out of your commitment. ..especially if I was stupid enough not to do my due diligence on families before offering. I pick families for my team not actually the players themselves. If they're athletic, after 16 years, I'm not afraid to teach them. If the family is toxic...I'm not afraid to show them the door either.

 

[YOCOACH]

OP here. We had an offer we were sitting on and yes, I know how some of you feel about sitting on offers. But DD had a private tryout with one of the Assistant coaches and we had not been able to meet the Head Coach or any of the girls. Although they are joining a solid (but not top-tier) org this year, we were just way too nervous about accepting an offer with knowing next to nothing about either the team itself or the coach. There was an Org tryout on Sunday and HC told me by text that he would not extend an offer to a catcher from that tryout until after he gives us right of first refusal. Cool, that's nice of him.

Monday night, we get a text saying he found a catcher at the Org Tryout who was willing to commit immediately, so he gave her the spot. I mean, what? It is so hard not to get disillusioned with this process. I don't know that we ultimately would have accepted the offer, but don't lie to me. Be honest and say hey, we're having an org tryout and I may offer the spot to someone else if we don't hear from you.

We have had several "you're still being considered, but we're looking at other catchers before we decide" responses from higher level teams. I'm starting to get nervous, but I think we have another week before we really have to worry and several tryouts scheduled for this weekend. Wish us luck!

Often times I offered 12 spots to 15 players. However, I also told them that I was doing so. The first 12 to commit got spots unless I needed another skilled position player. If I needed one, tried them out, was offered and they accepted, then so be it.

 

[YOCOACH]

Tryout season is over here now school has been back a week and all the good teams are done... According to our local 'looking for player site and Facebook group' the remaining teams just need 53 pitchers and 25 catchers between them to complete their teams.

Good luck with that.



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Lol...I had 4 solid pitchers and 2 very good catchers. I needed other positions at 12U. As soon as 1 committed, another one left but not the 1st 6 I mentioned. I'm sure my past 12U team made several other teams in my area happy since many were in the same boat.

 

[YOCOACH]

And it always works out so well picking up girls with disgruntled parents that quit their current teams year after year.

I cut 2 pitchers last year due to their parents. Their reputation got around about the 3rd week into the season. I managed to keep them in check since their DD's were great kids but let them know after the season was over, they weren't welcome back. Fast forward 4 weeks of tryout season and one was offered and had to accept a spot on a team, the last, 45 minutes away and the other was offered the last spot on a mediocre local team. I'd bet both teams regret it by seasons' end.

 

[YOCOACH]

Now school has been back 2-3 weeks, we have entered the 'desperate' phase of tryouts locally. Teams are starting to look for bodies versus players. Coaches are living in hope that a miracle pitcher will turn up or that they can wait it out until some other team's parent's crack under the pressure of 'not having enough' and give them a call.

What the coaches should be doing is merging teams - but of course they all have around 8 players so that makes a merged team's roster 15 or 16 and too large or they have to leave someone out... and they probably still don't have pitching. Oh and their egos are getting in the way.

Believe me, I've tried. Unfortunately it has been with lesser organizations and since I only had 4 solid pitchers and 2 very good catchers to merge with, it wouldn't happen. They refused to come over to a non-parent coached team (mine) so that they could maintain control so that Li'l Suzy could be the starting pitcher or the AC's DD could be starting Catcher as opposed to sharing time behind the plate or in the circle. Needles to say it didn't work. Too many ego's involved.