Tryouts or Individual Workouts? Collect Uniforms?

[lostbayou21]

Now that the spring/summer season is ending, how will you prepare for the fall and 2013? Do you have tryouts, or do you prefer individual workouts? Do you have just one tryout or multiple opportunities? Do you collect all the uniforms? Looking for opinions to see what fits best for our operation going into September. Any feedback or lessons learned is appreciated!

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I'm not a big tryout person, I'd much rather recruit players I "know" can play. And that goes from 8u forward. You can see talent just by hanging around the fields, scouting on your own. Exception for players who might have moved here recently.

I usually keep my core from the summer going into the fall. But, girls have other sports in the fall that require pickups to fill the roster. ( soccer, volleyball, basketball ) That's the time I "evaluate" pickups. Do they have talent? Can they mesh with the other girls? And how are the parents?

If I'm building a team for 2013 summer, I'll start recruiting from November ( 2012 ) until the roster is full. Sometimes a month, sometimes several to get it done. I take all things into consideration, my previous players, pickups, free agents ( TB girls who have quit their previous team ).

Uniforms........ I'm not sure how most do it but they paid for the uniform at the beginning of the season, it's theirs to keep. I do order 2 extra each season, just incase someone loses theirs or for pickups. I've also never had a problem asking to use a former players uniform for a weekend if I needed a special size. I just wash it and return it in the same condition.

I know lots on here are big on tryouts, but I'd much rather go after who I want and need for positions. I find that much easier than hoping ill find a piece of gold in all the dirt ( tryouts ).

 

[Momo'sDad]

We've done a mixture of tryouts and recruiting for the coming season. We require each player to buy 1 uniform, which is theirs to keep.

The coach and I had a plan for this fall that we first started thinking about last year. Because of the changing landscape of 'B' ball (all players on an ASA 'B' team come from the same league) in the area, we decided to target 2 tournaments and play in the regional league with the best team we could field from our town. This is a 1-season only team. In Spring 2013, 4 will become the core of a 12u start-up A team, with 7 likely to return to rec. The

We had over 30 girls competing for 11 spots, which really meant 9 available, of course. The tryout consisted primarily of basic skills work, where we also evaluated speed and hustle. We wanted the best bats we could get, but a good bunter with great speed is also an asset in 10u.

We ended up selecting 8. A 9th offer was extended, but the parents wanted me to guarantee the #1 or #2 slot in the pitching rotation and I refused, but told them the plan was to balance the innings very well throughout the rotation in season, with the top 3 expected to do most of the tournament pitching. They said they wanted her on the best team possible, but they also wanted her as the featured pitcher. This was not the team for her then, so the offer was rescinded.

A parent then requested a private tryout for their player. Lots of heart, total team player, I could tell. Loved the kid, but her current skill level is too far below the rest of the team and Coach said he was only going to play her the minimum, so I told him that we could not take her on then.

We then recruited our 11th player and ended up getting another pitcher, terrific bat, and a GREAT coach in the process.

With my DD and her crime partner expected to be the only 9yo's returning to rec next spring, there is no plan at all as our 10u division suddenly gets very young and the prospect of performing well in All-Stars looks bleak, so our top 2 9yo's are looking at the possibility playing both ASA and rec next spring and going ASA next June.

 

[lostbayou21]

When you do tryouts or workouts, do you grab a kid right away if you like them or do you try to stick to a process or timeline?

Also, will a talented kid with rotten parents (or great parents with a spoiled brat) have a shot for your roster or do you avoid those at all costs? Some coaches seem to "manage" those situations better than others. Personally, I'd rather not devote a whole lot of energy on putting out fires all season long.

And, if a parent offers use of their trailer or some other incentive does that weigh on your decision making? Be honest.

 

[Momo'sDad]

If doing open workouts, there's a sliding scale. If we love a player and the family seems cool, then we'd want them right away. If we like a player and the family is cool, we may hold out for a couple weeks, but keep her on the short list. If we like a player, but the family is really really bad, then she's welcome to continue working out with us until the team is complete, but when asked, we'd be candid in stating that we do not have a spot for her at this time.

If doing a tryout, however, then we want to give them an answer within 24-48 hours, yea or nay.

I'd take a super-talented kid if I felt I could control the parents. I will NOT put up with a bratty kid, though. I have deferred to the HC on a player, though. He and the parent had a bad history, so I let him make the call on whether to take her. (declined) I fully agree with your position to not take on something that's going to require a lot of maintenance. It's my strength (to a point), but it's not for everyone.

What families bring to the table is important, but the primary concern there is how they mesh with the other families. I would not take a marginal player just to land a huge sponsor. A minor sponsor, maybe, but not a major sponsor, because 9 times out of 10, the parent expect that contribution to equal unearned playing time/position for the player. I'm not trying to evaluate long-range potential in 10u/12u. I want skilled, but hard-working players who can go out and compete well against regional talent.

 

[Momo'sDad]

The irony of my posts is that we suddenly have a weird situation brewing here, because of having had such a successful summer season so far.

My buddies now want to form a 12u A team for Spring 2013.......without a single tryout!

We have a mid sized league here in NorCal. From the 3 largest leagues, it might work, but trying to go into full-time A ball with 12 girls from the same not-big league?

I like the idea of allowing girls to stay together, but when I told them I'd consider letting DD play friendlies with them until March 31st and then re-join after All-Stars, I was under the impression that there were 7 local girls and they'd use outside recruiting or a tryout to fill the roster.

 

[Cannonball]

When you do tryouts or workouts, do you grab a kid right away if you like them or do you try to stick to a process or timeline?

Also, will a talented kid with rotten parents (or great parents with a spoiled brat) have a shot for your roster or do you avoid those at all costs? Some coaches seem to "manage" those situations better than others. Personally, I'd rather not devote a whole lot of energy on putting out fires all season long.

And, if a parent offers use of their trailer or some other incentive does that weigh on your decision making? Be honest.

You'd better make sure you have pitching. I've seen teams created over the fall that failed to do so and so when parents find out that the pitching is suspect, they take their child to another team that they know has pitching.

 

[Momo'sDad]

You'd better make sure you have pitching. I've seen teams created over the fall that failed to do so and so when parents find out that the pitching is suspect, they take their child to another team that they know has pitching.

There is a reason why even the best 10u pitchers play 10u A, NOT 12u A, when coming right out of REC. I'm in stunned semi-silence right now.

 

[02Crush]

When you do tryouts or workouts, do you grab a kid right away if you like them or do you try to stick to a process or timeline?

I would recommend sticking to a process. I have a one on one session to evaluate the player. I then think about it. I then have phone conversation with the parents to interview them. After these three steps if they pass the litmus test I invite them to three workouts with the team. After that we decide on offering them a slot. I do this with everyone. Even if I know we would really like to have them on board b/c we know their talent level from seeing them play. I find that any family interested in playing with you will stick it out. Anyone merely shopping for the best TB team deal for their DD will find another home before my "process" is over which saves me heartache later. I learned this from experience...Rush decision are ones you may regret. May not work for all but it is beginning to work for me. The last few additions have been great.

Also, will a talented kid with rotten parents (or great parents with a spoiled brat) have a shot for your roster or do you avoid those at all costs? Some coaches seem to "manage" those situations better than others. Personally, I'd rather not devote a whole lot of energy on putting out fires all season long.

If I find (from a reliable source they are a problem off the field....They will not have a spot on my team. A lesson learned through experience. Managing the off the field stuff will "suck" the life out of you. Let someone else deal with it.

And, if a parent offers use of their trailer or some other incentive does that weigh on your decision making? Be honest.

NEVER TAKE ANYTHING donated from a parent unless you have it in writing that no donations, fees paid or equipment donated will ensure playing time or position. Nor can any of this be refunded, repaired if broken or given back if given for team use.

I had a parent pay for Nice uniforms and in the end we did not mesh as personalities leading to me cutting them. I did not like the decision nor did I feel it fair to them after laying out the money for the team. It was a genuine gift and given on good terms but in the end while in an argument he asked for the money back. To which I showed him his budget signed and told him he signed that nothing given was returned (as I stated above). I am so glad I thought of having this signed b/c otherwise I may have owed him $3,800 of which the team did not have. I then knew we would never accept donations where things are specifically dictated. Lesson learned....Anything used by the team needs to be owned by the team.

 

[JAD]

We include the uniform cost as part of the team fees every year, so we never collect jerseys at the end of the season. Most girls outgrow their uniforms year-to-year anyway, and ordering new jerseys allow girls to choose their numbers.