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bball2000
39 Posts |
 Posted - 07/08/2012 : 17:56:52
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| I would have left when I saw 60 kids trying out. The coach was most likely looking for 1 or 2 players. Ask ahead of time, How many returning players do you have? If 9, don't waste your time going. The teams we have been on always post tryouts with all positions available. That is just not true. The returning kids keep the same position, esp coach and helper kids. There are many teams to choose from, if your kid is a good ball player any team would be lucky to have him. Choose what is best for the family and kid. A chaos tryout usually means the long season will be the same. |
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BaseballMom6
233 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2012 : 23:01:04
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| peashooter - good luck, I am sure your daughter will be happy to have you. |
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HITANDRUN
436 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2012 : 08:02:31
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justletemplay I am interested in finding out how your overall season went this year.
Did your son end up playing with the team that had the tryout you liked? Just wondering thanks, |
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HITANDRUN
436 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 12:08:16
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quote:
Originally posted by bbmom2
I think we have to remember that as parents - we have just as much of a "say" in the selection process and I think some coaches forget that. It has to be a match for the family as much as it is a match for the player. In the "baseball moms" group some talk about a sales pitch from coaches. It's really interesting for us this year as our "pretty good" player last year has grown 4 inches, gained 30 pounds and all of a sudden is more of a "hot prospect." Last year we felt at the mercy of the coaches - this year it's more even. Getting the sales pitches but can really sit down and have good conversations with the coaches. Still take it with a little grain of salt and doing a lot of homework but actually turning into a fun experience - more more or than less - with good workouts and picking up tidbits from every coach. Still hate the cattle calls but it does show us as parents how the practices are run so there are benefits.
Coaches - read and absorb here and you will get good players... I guess "build it and they will come" can apply to good tryouts!
I agree with you and I think what you see is that at the end of the season everyone is excited and looking forward to next year. The parents have the upper hand at that point and the coaches are doing everything they can to get players. But soon after everything shifts and the coaches get the upper hand when they are only filling a couple of their last roster spots. Then as the teams get closer to January and February the parents of players that haven't made a decision have a little more leverage than the coaches at this point and can usually find a team that lost a player do to injury or parents getting mad or other things. It's crazy either way. |
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bbmom2
119 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 15:15:19
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quote:
I agree with you and I think what you see is that at the end of the season everyone is excited and looking forward to next year. The parents have the upper hand at that point and the coaches are doing everything they can to get players. But soon after everything shifts and the coaches get the upper hand when they are only filling a couple of their last roster spots. Then as the teams get closer to January and February the parents of players that haven't made a decision have a little more leverage than the coaches at this point and can usually find a team that lost a player do to injury or parents getting mad or other things. It's crazy either way.
Agree back at ya! We had a good year. We did due diligence last year - both player and parents. We went with a team that, for the most part, lived up to expectation. That being said, we probably won't return to the team this next year just because we weren't crazy about an add on after we signed up. Not totally ruling it out but looking at options.
I truly hope we see some good tryout/workouts this year. Heard parents mention this thread a lot last year at tryouts so coaches need to pay heed - the parents are paying attention and have higher expectations. You want the good talent - you had best plan a good workout... |
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justletemplay
46 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 17:31:54
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That's a great ?
We did end up on that team that "put on" a great show. I'll say it now, made a mistake.
Fall was a great season. The team won many games, but in hind sight the caliber of our team, and other teams was surreal and impacted by the fall season. We really were a mid AAA team, not
major(except in the fall venue) In the fall my son played a lot, got better, and advanced in some areas where improvement was obviously needed. The practices were good and spring looked promising. In hind sight......the coach was not running the practices though. He had hired a professional. That was great. My son had 4-5 months of quality instruction and at a nice facility too. When spring came along......and all the other teams/players showed up, our team couldn't come together as a team b/c our "coach" kept looking for the next big dog. Also, the coach lacked the ability to coach, execute, or lead. His hired professional was no longer there to make him look good. He alienated many players, he lost many quality players trying to "court" the next stud. Once the winning stopped, the blaming began. Of course the coach blamed it all on the players, never his coaching. Every player was disposable. Every weekend we never knew who would show up to play, where the kids would play, or who would coach, or how many new players would be there and whose kid would be benched for the new kid. There was a quote on a board about "parents wising up." We decided to move on.
I moved him to 15u team in May. He'll finish with them thru fall.
We have crossed paths with 11 former teammates (all on other teams.) Most left before us, some after. The team didn't play, as far as I know, after the 1st weekend in May.
Lesson learned.
quote:
Originally posted by HITANDRUN
justletemplay I am interested in finding out how your overall season went this year.
Did your son end up playing with the team that had the tryout you liked? Just wondering thanks,
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myfakename
1 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 20:25:24
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| Question for the parents looking for teams next year. I am a coach of a team this year. We are gonna need one player it looks like for next year. We have been lucky that everyone wants to come back for another season and the parent chemistry has been great and the kids have come a long way improving. I am very tempted to when we post tryouts be bluntly honest about what we are looking for and how many. I do not want to waste anybody's time and from older team we have coached before would have like 60 kids show up for a handful of spots. As a parent would you rather see something like this posted? |
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bbmom2
119 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 22:21:49
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quote:
Originally posted by myfakename
Question for the parents looking for teams next year. I am a coach of a team this year. We are gonna need one player it looks like for next year. We have been lucky that everyone wants to come back for another season and the parent chemistry has been great and the kids have come a long way improving. I am very tempted to when we post tryouts be bluntly honest about what we are looking for and how many. I do not want to waste anybody's time and from older team we have coached before would have like 60 kids show up for a handful of spots. As a parent would you rather see something like this posted?
ABSOLUTELY!! If you are looking for one position- post what you are looking for and leave it at that. Saves you and the parents much grief and leaves a bad taste for the next time you need a player - ummm... we're not contacting you. Start honestly and the perception is - you will stay honest. Great question! |
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barehandit
19 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 22:22:17
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That's great fore-thought. As a parent, I'd be looking for a private tryout for a few players via individual contact thru the boards or via referral. When you have just one or 2 positions to fill why have 30 kids at an open tryout when you probably have the luxury of being relatively selective.
quote:
Originally posted by myfakename
Question for the parents looking for teams next year. I am a coach of a team this year. We are gonna need one player it looks like for next year. We have been lucky that everyone wants to come back for another season and the parent chemistry has been great and the kids have come a long way improving. I am very tempted to when we post tryouts be bluntly honest about what we are looking for and how many. I do not want to waste anybody's time and from older team we have coached before would have like 60 kids show up for a handful of spots. As a parent would you rather see something like this posted?
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bestplayinbaseball
67 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 23:34:35
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| Hey coaches, how about a 20-80 (2-8) assessment for our boys? It's universal throughout baseball. If every tryout/clinic did that, it would give our boys more objective feedback and a guide to improve by. Instead of waiting for the phone or email, or having to ask a coach after the fact for feedback that, IMHO, is generic. We have had some great feedback too, btw. That is not the norm though. |
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Newbie BB Mom
141 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 08:49:03
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quote:
Originally posted by myfakename
Question for the parents looking for teams next year. I am a coach of a team this year. We are gonna need one player it looks like for next year. We have been lucky that everyone wants to come back for another season and the parent chemistry has been great and the kids have come a long way improving. I am very tempted to when we post tryouts be bluntly honest about what we are looking for and how many. I do not want to waste anybody's time and from older team we have coached before would have like 60 kids show up for a handful of spots. As a parent would you rather see something like this posted?
Yes, be honest and as specific as you can about what you still need. |
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bballman
1432 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 09:56:28
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quote:
Originally posted by barehandit
That's great fore-thought. As a parent, I'd be looking for a private tryout for a few players via individual contact thru the boards or via referral. When you have just one or 2 positions to fill why have 30 kids at an open tryout when you probably have the luxury of being relatively selective.
quote:
Originally posted by myfakename
Question for the parents looking for teams next year. I am a coach of a team this year. We are gonna need one player it looks like for next year. We have been lucky that everyone wants to come back for another season and the parent chemistry has been great and the kids have come a long way improving. I am very tempted to when we post tryouts be bluntly honest about what we are looking for and how many. I do not want to waste anybody's time and from older team we have coached before would have like 60 kids show up for a handful of spots. As a parent would you rather see something like this posted?
I agree with this. Was about to suggest it when I read this post. If you're only looking for 1 or 2 players, why hold a full tryout? Just go out and recruit someone. By reputation or referral from someone already on the team. Do a private workout with that individual and talk to the parents to see if it's a good fit. I'm thinking this would be the most effecient way to go about it. |
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ramman999
241 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 11:34:27
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I've coached, I've managed, been a dad doing both and been just dad/fan. I've been a part of or attended some outstanding tryouts and been a part of or attended some stinkers... Team level doesn't matter, honesty does - it's real simple. If it isn't a true "open" tryout, with 10-12 roster spots "open", don't advertise as one - don't patronize me, don't make my kid give 110% to try to make a team, right next to a kid just going through the motions because he already knows he made the team.
There is no shame in top grading, there is no shame in advertising for what you are truly looking for.
And parents - do your homework - ask the questions, and look at their roster on line - if the roster hasn't changed much since 9u, and all of those kids show up up at the tryout, chances are it won't be an "open tryout" no matter how much they tell you it will be..
Call it a clinic, evaluate the kids and invite select players back for private workouts.
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agent21
97 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 16:32:01
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| On a related matter, coaches should have the decency and courage to personally communicate with a player/family about future intentions/status -- played for a coach for 4 years, went to next year's "tryout" and assumed (perhaps in hindsight stupidly) a continued spot on the team. NEVER heard from the coach so had to scramble to find a team. Fortunately, turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the new team is 100% better and we have ZERO respect for the former coach who was too big of a coward to contact us. |
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Newbie BB Mom
141 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2013 : 12:37:15
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| Last one. Lots of really thoughtful discussion in this thread that might be helpful as tryout season begins. |
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Note to coaches - please-
