Tryouts vs recruitment

[GOINGDEEP]

Been on here about 2 years, I've been playing competitive ball since 8YO. Seen alot, heard alot, learned alot.

I never had a tryout, DD has never had a tryout, never had a tryout when I was putting a softball TB team together.

My point and question is............. If you're putting a team together shouldn't you already know who you want from the area? ( 50-100-200 miles ) Shouldn't you treat it like college/professional drafts or recruitment? Shouldn't you know the positions needed and go after the best talent?

I understand if maybe in a rural area you might need to go wide and have tryouts because of limited players. We live in a big city, the only teams I see having tryouts are ones with issues or some irate parent trying to build a team around his own kid.

I also understand a one or two player tryout for last minute/last position needed filled. But what's the deal with so many teams posting "new/whole team tryouts"? It's like a flood of these in our area.

 

[howellhandmade]

My DD joined her first travel team after several tryouts in August. Nobody knew her, having only rec experience. We're not in a rural area.

You may have enough knowledge of good players in your area, and your organization may be well enough regarded, to field a team without tryouts. That may very well be the best thing for YOU. No tryouts means no irate parents of kids who didn't make it, no hauling the pitching machine around, no extra paperwork. All wheat, no wasted time dealing with the chaff. But it's not the best thing for the kid you don't know (in spite of your vast knowledge), who has been working her butt off all year in some backwater rec league because she wants to play at a higher level, who wants a chance and has something to show you. As a parent of one of those kids, I find the "don't call us, we'll call you" attitude a bit too smug.

Or maybe it IS the best thing, since there seem to be enough other coaches who have at least some curiosity. Maybe they DO know every single good player in the area. But unless they give everyone who wants it a tryout, they'll never know who might have shown up.

I guess this is why most college teams and (I think) at least some pro teams have tryouts. Every once in a while a walk-on goes big. If a kid is good enough and you don't give her a chance, someone else will.

 

[PA SB Dad]

I'd say there are at least 10 established TB organizations within a 25-30 mile radius of where I live and countless other teams that have popped up. Sure there is a lot of recruiting going on, with parents contacting coaches and coaches contacting parents toward the end of the season, and I think many of the more established teams do know going in what their roster will be and what needs, if any, they need to fill. But tryouts work both ways, for the coaches, and the player, to evaluate each other. Despite all the recruiting and deal-making that goes on late in the TB season, you never know when you might find a better fit.

 

[Bucketrider]

I like tryouts not only to evaluate each other, but also because the girls are there because they WANT to be there. All the talent in the world is of no use without the desire. Give them a number and make them earn their spot. You generally will see them at their best. You will also see some of the chemistry between players. Sure it's no fun to tell girls they did not make the cut. Right now I have seen the number of TB teams explode in the area and the talent pool has been spread thin. Daddy ball makes it even worse because they will take their dd who they BELIEVE is the best and build a team around her.
Only once in five years have I been to a tryout. The team has them twice a year. Our first time the team was just forming. I asked the coach how many of the 24 girls he was going to pick for the roster. He told me he would take the ones that were the best but no more than 12. Being the wise guy, I asked what if there weren't that many, he said that then he would not field a team this season and try again in the fall. He was asked to build a winning team. If that is what you want, hold the tryouts and be honest. Figure out where you want the girls to go and pick only those that will get you there. If there are not enough, don't just pick girls to fill the roster as that does no one any good.

 

[Momo'sDad]

If I were forming a new 10u team, I'd want a core of at least 5-6 players and would build around 2 starting pitchers and at least 1 catcher. So, the tryout would be to fill in the roster. 11 is my ideal number.

My buddy and I are forming a 10u select team for next fall (only) and looks like we may have found catcher #2 already. Both of our DDs pitch, and we've got a third pitcher who will get plenty of innings. Six players are already guaranteed spots. The plan is to recruit players for the remaining positions, but we may end up holding a tryout.

If I were forming a new 12u team, I'd still build around 2 starting pitchers and a catcher, but would have 8-9 roster slots available at the time of tryouts.

Even though we get to see lots of different players during all-stars, I think tryouts are a great way for the coaches to see who's out there and also for the parents to get a look at one another, too. Maybe a great player didn't make A-S because of politics or unavailability. The tryout process itself is great for kids, regardless of whether they make a particular team.

 

[nanotech14]

so momo'sdad,you all ready have two pitchers and sounds like 2 catchers,now I see light in your other post,you are afraid that if another girl pitches she might be better then what you have.Any body that goes into this,think they have there #1 and #2 pitchers and catchers,with out even considering that another girl on the team is better or someone coming in,has classic daddyball,and thats what you have daddyball IMO!!! wouldn't even consider your team,you all ready have your team before try outs,you just need a few girls to take the back up roles on the team.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

so momo'sdad,you all ready have two pitchers and sounds like 2 catchers,now I see light in your other post,you are afraid that if another girl pitches she might be better then what you have.Any body that goes into this,think they have there #1 and #2 pitchers and catchers,with out even considering that another girl on the team is better or someone coming in,has classic daddyball,and thats what you have daddyball IMO!!! wouldn't even consider your team,you all ready have your team before try outs,you just need a few girls to take the back up roles on the team.

In defense of Momo'sDad, I would never try to form a travel balll team unless I was pretty confident that I had 1 or 2 decent pitchers and at least 1 catcher. Good pitchers don't just fall out of the sky and show up to your tryouts by chance. So yes you build around your most important player(s) otherwise you are doing a disservice to the other players on the team.

Of course you need to have an open mind and continually give opportunities to other players, but to suggest that you form a travel ball team without having a core group of solid players is foolish.

 

[RookKev]

Good pitchers really can fall out of the sky. Great pitchers, I'd say no... but, I know of a few parents who have girls that have been playing rec ball, and have girls who pitch, and are good. They aren't great, but they definitely are good. They all just happened to decid eat once to go competitive, so, this season, I am excited to see what the landscape may look like for the upcoming season.

 

[RookKev]

And about the forming a team with pitchers in place. I guess the thing in question is, are the positions available? Let's say x girl comes to tryout, and she writes down middle infield... but also asks if she can show her some pitching? Does she even get the chance? If the answer is no, and I mean no, as in sure, we'll watch you, but in the back of the head is 'our daughters are the pitchers'... then it is daddy ball. Now, teams have to start somewhere, so having insurance policies in place is a good way to begin, but you should be open to players trying out for the spot you were worried about. If a better player comes along, then that should mean your other player will have to share time now.

 

[Momo'sDad]

so momo'sdad,you all ready have two pitchers and sounds like 2 catchers,now I see light in your other post,you are afraid that if another girl pitches she might be better then what you have.Any body that goes into this,think they have there #1 and #2 pitchers and catchers,with out even considering that another girl on the team is better or someone coming in,has classic daddyball,and thats what you have daddyball IMO!!! wouldn't even consider your team,you all ready have your team before try outs,you just need a few girls to take the back up roles on the team.

SoCalSoftballDad knows what I'm saying. Anyone who tries to form a 10u competitive team without at least 2 pitchers and a catcher is either unwise or a masochist. They don't have to be coaches' kids, but they have to be there. We know who's available in our town now. If a new player arrives from somewhere else in the next 6 months, wants to play, and is a better pitcher than what we've got already, then she has an opportunity to earn the #1 job, no questions asked. I would love to go into any tournament knowing we had 4 go-to pitchers on the team.

It will be a fully competitive team, being put together to play 1 short fall season with a goal of doing well in tournament play.

No one will be joining the team without the knowledge that it has been essentially hand-picked. We'd like to be able to fill the roster without a tryout, but if there are too many applicants, that may be the best way to do it. Parents and players want to be on our teams. This fall, for example, we both had to turn people away even though we expanded the rosters to 13 players for our respective teams.

There will be a max of 11 on the fall 2012 roster, so playing time will not be an issue. We also have a sponsor, so we aren't looking for extra players just to reduce everyone else's costs.