Can your players go to other tryouts?

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At the end of every season, I ALWAYS encourage ALL my players to go to as many tryouts as they can. It is a good way to gauge their skills against others their age, get some extra practice, pick up some drills, and to see what offers they get. Alot of people think I'm crazy because I "allow" my players to go to tryouts other than mine. I am their coach not their parent, they don't need my permission to tryout for a team they want to tryout for. I think it is absurd NOT to allow your players to check out every opportunity that is available to them. I'm constantly being asked..What if you lose them? What if they get a better offer and jump teams? If they are jumping teams, than they weren't happy anyway and it is better to get it taken care of now than halfway through the season. If you are a good coach and you are doing your job well, than there is no need to worry about losing your players.

 

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Klump, I totally agree with you! I think it is a great experience for the girls to tryout for other teams.
My husband is the director of an organization. I am stunned at the number of parents who call wanting to try out but want to keep it "secret" for fear of the backlash from their current organization. They want to confirm that he does not share with other coaches who attends our tryouts.

As a Mom, no way in hades would I allow my daughters to play for an organization that uses that type of fear factor.

 

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At the end of every season, I ALWAYS encourage ALL my players to go to as many tryouts as they can. It is a good way to gauge their skills against others their age, get some extra practice, pick up some drills, and to see what offers they get. Alot of people think I'm crazy because I "allow" my players to go to tryouts other than mine. I am their coach not their parent, they don't need my permission to tryout for a team they want to tryout for. I think it is absurd NOT to allow your players to check out every opportunity that is available to them. I'm constantly being asked..What if you lose them? What if they get a better offer and jump teams? If they are jumping teams, than they weren't happy anyway and it is better to get it taken care of now than halfway through the season. If you are a good coach and you are doing your job well, than there is no need to worry about losing your players.

Amen sister! I always encouraged my current players and even have talked to parents at our try-outs about other teams their daughter should try-out. I want 11-12 girls that came to me after looking at all the rest because they know they will be in the best situation for them.

 

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We do not discourage our players from trying out elsewhere. This is America after all and the pursuit of happiness thing is alive and well as far as I am concerned.

We have so many new start-up orgs around us that are promising the world (and deliver very little) that I fear the glitz will draw some talent away. When your talent pool gets shallow it is practically a death sentence for those of us who deliver what we promise.

 

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I don't agree with trying out for teams that you have absolutely no intention of playing for. I think it is a waste of time to all involved and feel it is taking time away from others that actually do want a position.

 

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If you aren't willing to get out and look, you never know what you might miss.

 

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I would also say if you're with an organization that makes you "fear backlash", then you should look elsewhere anyway. Ultimately, it's about YOUR child's future.

 

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I told my players after our last game at the nationals to go explore other options for next season if they wish.

 

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Sometimes, the parents are under the impression that it is "not ok" to try out for other teams because they feel they are not showing loyalty to the organization.

The problem with this is that the organization is a temporary thing, when their loyalty should be with their DD...

 

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If you have players that have already committed for next year to your team then I say no. They are wasting the time of the people running the tryouts and also taking time away from the other girls there to actually try-out.

Now if you have already committed to a team and you want to come to a try-out just for new drills and the practice, then let the coaches know when you get there so that they can charge you the coaching fee.

 

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Two years ago you are offered a spot with the same team and don't go to any other tryouts. Then two weeks after most tryouts are done you get a call and the coach( large organization) has pulled the offer. Why I disagree with Bill. It depends on the coach . Trust goes both ways.

 

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THANK YOU KLUMP!!!!!!!! My daughter was just released from a team because we are taking her to a couple try outs. We told him that she more than likely was going to stay with his team but wanted to go to tryouts to see where she "stacked up" against others. He didn't approve and wanted a commitment to his team on the spot. I think this is very unfair! She is so upset to think a coach that she has looked up to for 2 years could do this to her. Oh well, maybe it is a blessing in disguise.

 

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I just heard of a coach threatening to take a kids position away from her if she tries out for another team. Thats classless and makes the whole org look bad.

 

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It is very classless to do that to a young lady! My daughter has been nothing but dedicated to her team for 2 years. She chose not to go to 4H camp and on a family vacation for her team because 1) she wanted to fulfill her commitment through the season and 2) coach pleaded with us to keep her home because he "needed her to catch". I feel she went above and beyond to be reated this way. What do you say to a 13 year old to help her make sense of this when I as a parent can not make sense of it???

 

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wow, so it is more common than i thought, because you arent even who I was talking about. sorry to hear that .

 

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I started a Organization back in 2000 and my dd had Great Coaches (not me) and I still took her to at least 3 tryouts a year and she played her whole fastpitch career with the same team. My point is see were they match up against others she made most the teams tried out for but was loyal and loved her coaches. On a 2nd note if at any time a Coach told my dd that if she tried out for another team she would be cut I would inform him that there was no need to cut her cause she Quits! A good coach will not worry about a girl leaving if he's teaching how to play this GREAT SPORT OF FASTPITCH!! Just my thoughts!

 

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Very Classy of you Klumpp!!!!
Need more coaches like you!

 

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I personally would not be happy if someone came to my tryout just to pick up some reps or drills. If you know you are not interested in joining a team if you recieve an invitation I think you are taking away reps from a girl who WANTS to make the team. I also would not hold it against a player who may want to try to make another team. I always say travel softball is the ultimate example of free agency, everyone has a 1 year deal. At the end of the season both coaches and parents have to make difficult decisions on what is best for their team/family. As a coach I hope that my returning players enjoyed their time with me and found some positive growth for their DD's and want to come back to play for another year.

 

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I hate to hijack this thread but its kind of the same thing. Has anyone on here ever heard of this? A friend of mine last season subbed for a team on her regular teams week off. immediately after, she was removed from the teams email list and wasnt invited to her teams last tournament of the season (happy ending is that the girl subbed for a different team and finally won some hardware)...

 

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Interesting reading... thanks for starting it Klump.

I went to all my players that started the season two weeks ago and told them that I would like to have everyone of them (10) back for next year. I asked them to give me an answer before Aug 7th and everyone accepted. Had any not accepted I would not have been upset, I would have just proceeded to look for a better player at tryouts.

My parents all told me they appreciated that their DD's were not 'hanging' out waiting - I appreciate knowing our team will only improve going into their second year of 12u. And the girls can't wait to start practice for 2011 later on today! LOL .. actually just a little hitting training tonight for those that can make it.

We have 2 spots to fill yet -if the right player and parents come along. Last season we sat at 10 thru June.. I hope to add 1 this year.

I was talking to a parent last night and he told me that their coach had told all his players that he will make offers around the end of August after tryouts conclude and that he encouraged all his players to go tryout during August.

I don't really understand that - I know there is not much loyalty in FP - everyone is a volunteer but really? If you have good players and families on the team, why would you not secure them before tryouts if they wanted to stay and you wanted them. That sends a message that the coach is going to see if he can find a better player than you but if not he will be back to offer. I take it as a challenge to train my kids, with their hard work, I personally find it much more rewards to build a team that has success than recruit one every season.

We have kept our team together and improved our girls for the past 3 years - always moving forward in their skills and training - the last thing I want to do is start with a bunch of new players every year - even talented ones - teaching them the game, Carriers hitting methods and the like. I have seen many 14-16u kids come in our org that have played with 3-4 orgs/coaches every year. Each one has changed their swing or re-positioned them for the team. I hope to engrain our kids with the training we get from Howard, Hartwig and all the instructors we bring in to show us how to teach the kids. That produces a more fundamentally sound and successful team in the long run.

My last comment is that if a player wants to go to some tryouts please do .. but not if you are committed to your original team - as said above - don't waste the coaches time at the tryout at the expense of another player.