worst try-outs

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All right, look. Parents expect players to be on equal footing during tryouts. They expect a coach to give an unbiased look at their dd's.

Unfortunately, that's not always what they get.

In my experience, many coaches are looking for a specific type of athlete, irrespective of her softball-playing ability.

I remember going to a fairly large program's tryouts and watching the infield evaluations. Trust me on this, the final ranking of the fielders (which I was privy to through a friend who was a coach) had nothing to do with how the girls fielded. It was not at all how the girls performed -- but rather all about how they "looked."

One of the top rated fielders was a girl I knew well who had not fielded a single grounder cleanly. That little detail was not mentioned on the ratings sheet.

I agree that "coachability" matters. But so should a girl's actual softball ability, shouldn't it?

Just askin'. ;&

 

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All I can say is I have never seen a rec coach teach the right way to do anything..

So if they were teaching the girls the right way to hit, field, throw etc. then they are trying to see if the girl can be a fast learner and do it, did she get better. If the girl was really , really bad I dont think most coaches would waste to much time trying to help the girl get better at a tryout..

On the other hand if they see ability they might want to see if she can do this and show improvment, if so that might be what earned her a spot on the team, if the parent says something to the coach like "please don't try to change her style she does really great the way she is" then that would make the coach scratch her name off the maybe list...

 

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again i feel you guys are missing my point !!!!! im just surprised that good organizations are running there TRY-OUTs like a rec ball practice ... i have no problem with coaches coaching a practice and teaching the kids how they want it done there way but when i go to a tryout i want to run the girls hard and see what THEY bring to the table .....small corrections are fine to get a read on attitude and coachablity ..... but to turn a 12u travel try out into a rec practice or clinic on how to break down a over hand throw to a bunch of girls is very aggervating ...... and surprising !!!! and yes i wood think very long and hard before i wood ever consider playing on a team such as this ..... just venting didnt see this last year surprised to see it this year thats all .....

And I think what g3 is saying, no offense, is please organize your tryouts better, keep things moving, don't keep people standing around for 2 hours.... again, no offense, but it speaks to how you will run your organization.

Please coach our girls, please evaluate how they will take your feedback... don't waste time figuring out which drills to run next. Just get your act together.

Just my opinion.....

 

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Tryouts go both ways. The players should also observe and rate the coaches.

You can learn a lot about programs and coaches from the try-outs they run.

 

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first off. What do you mean(what was so "rec" about the try out). If your talking about sticking to the thread, try it some time. guy has a simple statement about tryouts and the firsst reply is about knee injuries and cleveland clinic studies. #15 reply your the state director for whatever. #23 the bear mays on his way. #27 your life as a 16 yr old. Stay with the thread.

Actually, the person said the tryout was so "rec" and I asked .. What was so rec about it?

I see no response from him.. all I personally see is a blank .

I'd like to know what was so rec about the tryout so.. these good people on here can explain why what the coaches was doing.. is not "rec" type tryouts. There is a purpose to these coach's thoughts on tryout and what they do.

Personally, I'd have a tryout like this:

1) Main coach: Interviewing perspective parents
2) Asst: working hitting
3) Asst: working fielding
4) Asst: working throwing
5) Asst: working speed runs

Then switch groups..

Then switch groups again...

Then switch groups again....

The switch groups again....

and end first round of tryouts..

Coaches meet and compare notes and ratings and coachability issues.

Start the first round of cuts that next day.

Order of reasons for cuts:
1) PARENTS
2) Coachability

CONTACT PLAYERS AND PARENTS of CUT players on Monday evening. Call all others for a return and 2nd tryout.

Have a another tryout next Saturday.

 

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the best thing in the original post was that intentionally or unintentionally said "train rec" instead of train wreck...awesome

 

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WELL PUT !!! try-outs go both ways !!!

 

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intentionally!!!!

 

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again its not a clinic. If she can't throw, hit, catch, or run why bother. I also don't want a coach telling my dd how to do fundementals if he/she doesn't know themself.

At 12u a coach is looking for a project, some speed ,athletic ability and a desire to be taugt, some kids spend a few years just kicking a ball around so throwing a ball or swinging a bat may be rough to watch but with some time and effort you have a "ball player", thats why they bother , as far as coaches not knowing fundementals thats a different story .

 

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At 12u a coach is looking for a project, some speed ,athletic ability and a desire to be taugt, some kids spend a few years just kicking a ball around so throwing a ball or swinging a bat may be rough to watch but with some time and effort you have a "ball player", thats why they bother , as far as coaches not knowing fundementals thats a different story .

Daddo: That's why I tried to explain to him about the kids I coached. They were ABSOLUTELY terrible. They were. Did I tell them That? Of course not.

But, a little spit shine and polish... you have a ball player because of coachability.

If I kid wants to learn and has no ability.. then teach them. They might not make the team this year... and if she really, really wants it.... and no kidding here....

I'd put that one kid on my roster and continue to work with her.

Why? What the heck in one more kid on a roster.. especially if she shows desire and COACHABILITY. She might not play much.. unless our team was either behind of ahead by a large margin... then she would play and watch and listen and learn.. and have coaches' attention on her...

Why, because of coachability !!!!

Find friendlies to get into and let her play to get better. Watch the other girls put a mother hen's wings around her to give her confidence and inner peace because the DD knows she not as good and the girls STILL LIKE ME.

Then watch her blossom as a player because of.. coachbility and the desire to be better and "fit in" with the others in regards to ability.

Gotta love all these first posts from some posters, Statman....

 

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OK i think Im going to puke !!!!! Im done !!!

 

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everyone must be talking about 1st or 2nd year organizations, or teams that strive for" B" tournaments. I've watched and had my dd paticipate in organizations that play at the "A" level.coaches aren't there to show you how to throw or if you can hit or bunt. Your dd better bring her A game if she wants to compete.

 

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well Im very disappointed in the few try-outs Ive been to this past few weeks seems like they were all very unorganized

That is unfortunate.

. and they looked more like a rec practice than a try -out maybe its the age 12u but .... lots of wasted time and dumb drills that dont seem to show what the kids are able to do

How do you know this? What made the drills dumb?

..... i just feel that 12u coaches should not be correcting kids on there swings or at bats and there throwing over hand . they want it done like this or like that ... and it just seemed to take a good kid make them really nervous and then they hold back or its screws them all up

Does this mean at 12u these kids should know everything already? Some of the kids are nervous to begin with but it has been my experience if you talk to them and actually show you aren't there to bite them, they relax and perform better on a whole.

...... i wood rather see a hard run balls out try-out lets see what you got and can bring to the team

Since you are the expert here, what is a hard run balls out try-out?

.... if we like what we see and you make the team then coach them into how you want them to swing or throw ...... i watched these coaches correct 3 kids that looked like really good players and after that they were all jacked up and there confidents was gone . im so glad it wasnt my kid . but the girls were just trying to adjust to what they thought the coaches wanted and it was not good .....

You said these kids "looked like really good players" if they were really good players why did they need some guidance?

again small adjustments like get down in front of that ball or make sure you use both hands or charge that ball harder . is all fine and good but ... these guys were like trying to reteach the art of throwing a ball and it turned into a train rec for some good kids ....... thats all ....

Why is one suggestion like charging the ball better than maybe you should try and throw this way?

Just askin;&

 

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Daddo: That's why I tried to explain to him about the kids I coached. They were ABSOLUTELY terrible. They were. Did I tell them That? Of course not.

But, a little spit shine and polish... you have a ball player because of coachability.

If I kid wants to learn and has no ability.. then teach them. They might not make the team this year... and if she really, really wants it.... and no kidding here....

I'd put that one kid on my roster and continue to work with her.

Why? What the heck in one more kid on a roster.. especially if she shows desire and COACHABILITY. She might not play much.. unless our team was either behind of ahead by a large margin... then she would play and watch and listen and learn.. and have coaches' attention on her...

Why, because of coachability !!!!

Find friendlies to get into and let her play to get better. Watch the other girls put a mother hen's wings around her to give her confidence and inner peace because the DD knows she not as good and the girls STILL LIKE ME.

Then watch her blossom as a player because of.. coachbility and the desire to be better and "fit in" with the others in regards to ability.

Gotta love all these first posts from some posters, Statman....

And then a coach can have a good story like yours , it's not how you start but how you finish , funny how teams with heart mean more sometimes than teams with ability .

 

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This is getting good......

 

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Funny thing Daddo... that girl's parents wouldn't be complaining about playing time like some other DD's parent with ability but no coachability would !!!!

That would be refreshing...LOL

 

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This is getting good......

The puking part

It'll have to "see" the "getting good" part tomorrow. Got an early drive time in the morning to go umpire. It's my last three games.. I'm giving it up. But, I sure am going to savor those three games tomorrow. It's been a long road of fun over the years.

Wouldn't trade it for nothing.

 

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This is getting good......

I just got annoyed that there were quite a few good points made in this thread that were directed to the OP. Hitter's post for example; yet OP has chosen to ignore all the post except those that seem to agree with him. I don't know OP from the next guy, but if you are going to come on here, at least be willing to defend your position, explain in some detail, and at times acknowledge maybe you don't know what you are talking about in the first place.

 

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DD is a seasoned pitcher and been to nationals twice with 2 different teams, we have been to many tryouts, I have been in charge of tryouts, helped with others, but this year I witnessed the best tryout ever. It wasn't the normal tryout it was a 3 hour fielding lesson, hitting lesson, and pitching lesson. I was in your shoes at first about the coach changing the way my DD warmed up for pitching but soon figured out that the coach was seeing how coachable my DD was. What I saw was my DD diving for balls that she would not be able to get to before, diving to get the short pop up in the outfield, and a returning well rounded 15u team. The coaches are two college seniors and the results that these two girls got out of the team was nothing short of remarkable. So if you don't like the way the coaches hold the try out don't sign with the team because they will change the way your dd plays, but if you want what is best for your dd step back and listen what others are offering and if you are concerned about the validity of that information ask those on this forum about that topic, you may be supprised with what you hear.

 

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ok .one last try .... i went to a few tryouts of some well known teams . and it was disappointing . for me as a parent and for my dd as a player becuase it seemed to go from a travel tryout to a practice or a clinic ......i guess im not interested in going to tryouts so coaches can take time to break kids down and teach them how to fundamentally throw the ball over hand . if this was a first practice of a team we just joined i wood be 100% fine with what ever the coaches need to or wanted to do to get the team heading in the direction they wanted ..... but as a try-out i wood think these teams wood have a set agenda of speed drills, in fielding drills, out fielding drills , and hitting ..... line the girls up and let them compete for the top spots ..... i just wish when teams announce try outs they could say come try out for this team so we can teach you how to hit and throw while we decided if we are interested in you playing for us !!!!! that way i can pass them up.....