Coaches poaching players

[coachjwb]

It's getting about that time of year when at least accusations start flying about travel coaches poaching players. Poaching could refer to coaches trying to pick up a player for the current season, while it might also refer to "recruiting" of players for next year. I'd like to get a little discussion going on this prior to tonight's radio show where this will be a topic.

In your mind, what's OK and what's not? I have some pretty strong feelings about the subject, but I know there are some others who would tell me that I'm either behind the times or not being realistic. How do you feel? What have you seen? I'd ideally like to keep the mention of any individual coaches or organizations out of the discussion. I'll hold some of my thoughts until others have posted and/or for the podcast tonight.

 

[wmorrison]

Having coached a little and having a daughter make her way up the age groups and now into playing college, I believe as long as you
are not "poaching" and recruiting for the next year, all is fair game. Many parents may not have the insight of what another organization can offer
their child as far as, competition, exposure, etc. I believe, that if we did not change organizations, when we did, because a great opportunity presented itself,
my daughter may not have gotten the exposure she did and may not of gotten the D1 offers she received (and excepted). We changed teams in the winter. We were with
our previous team for 2 years, but after the opportunity presented itself, I contacted the coach, explained our situation and the opportunities the other organization
had and we parted ways. I have to say our old coach understood and wished us best (we left on good terms).

 

[Ferrigno20]

I do not think it should be in done in season.

 

[maddball44]

Do unto others........... If you can handle someone leaving your team after being recruited. Recruit. If you get upset when they leave. Don't recruit. Unfortunately, what I see is the recruiters are the ones that get mad when it's "done unto them".

 

[Westler33]

If your team is good enough they will come.

 

[OliviaMcBride]

I think it is one thing to just put it out there that you have open slots....It is another thing all together to go out to that player and try to spirit them away. Making them aware is ok. But I think that aggressively going after them is wrong. It creates too much turmoil. Like Westler said, if you have a good thing, good players will come to you.

 

[alborules]

Extending an invitation to the parents "if they are not completely happy with their current situation" to talk about next season is fine. During the season I would never try to take/recruit a player from another team.

 

[coachjwb]

Some great comments so far. Certainly, I think pretty much everyone would agree that players and their families should always be looking at what is the best fit for them and their goals, and shouldn't feel badly about seeking out other opportunities, especially after the summer travel season ends. And I think most, but not all, would agree that there shouldn't be an issue with a travel coach contacting families of girls from other teams after their summer season is over to invite them to come to tryouts for their organization. I also think most, but not all, would agree that travel coaches shouldn't be actively pursuing players from other teams to leave their current team and come join the travel coach's team to play the rest of the summer season. One way some coaches might get around this is having their players' parents do this "dirty work" for them.

I think one of the biggest areas of debate is whether it's OK for coaches to invite players to come try out for their organization next year when it's the middle of the summer season. I personally have an issue with this because I think it risks destroying the chemistry of that current player's team, especially if the conversation takes place directly with the player, and/or in front of other players or familes. But again, that's my opinion.

Another question around this issue is what is fair game from say September through April ... after tryouts happen and players are committed. I agree a lot with Olivia and Westler about players seeking out good things on their own.

I have more thoughts on this, but wanted to throw out some of the above, and will probably save the rest of my thoughts for the show tonight, though I may be hard pressed to do that depending on what others post in the meantime!

 

[mike_dyer]

Try out season begins on August 1st and ends on July 31st.

 

[coachjwb]

So, Mike ... what are your thoughts then about coaches poaching/recruiting/talking to other players say during this time of year?

 

[JSad]

There will always be unsatisfied players....players won't always meet expectations....disgruntled parents....coaches under pressure to win....and broken promises. all these are the recipe for this "groundhog day" thread

 

[JSad]

Why point the finger just at coaches? I'm not defending it but the parents or players must be listening to what they are selling....correct. The real issue is no player wants to be the 10th thru 12th player on a teams bench. Maybe be number 7 over there....or maybe one of the too many teams with too few of players on their roster have a spot. will never end just like this thread. shocking it was the first long running thread on temporary ofc lol

 

[mike_dyer]

So, Mike ... what are your thoughts then about coaches poaching/recruiting/talking to other players say during this time of year?

I don't care about it one way or the other. Not even a little bit.

 

[Fastpitch1]

I have to say if your not happy leave, just don't expect a refund of club fees... If you're a coach don't approach but if approached understand there are two sides to everything... If a coach can fill a spot and is approached by a parent or kid, then all's good. I think a coach recruiting during the season is tacky and bush league stuff...

 

[mike_dyer]

http://dictionary.search.yahoo.com/...wRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDQ1N18x?p=poach&.sep=

The use of the word "poaching" implies that the parents and the player have no say in the matter. It's almost like you're saying any random coach can say "I want that one and that one" and then they just have to show up and play for him or her. That's not really how it works.

 

[coachjwb]

Poaching is not the right term for sure, not to even mention the fact that it carries a negative connotation to most people.

I don't know if you coach or not, Mike, and you don't need to address this I guess since you don't care, but here's the scenario I have seen or heard about most often ... a travel team is carrying 11 players on the roster in say June, and usually you can figure there is going to one player who is either injured, ill or otherwise out of town, leaving the team with 10 healthy players to play in the next tournament. The parent of one of these 10 players is approached by a coach or parent of another team which is either looking for a player itself, or wants to upgrade it's roster. That player is promised more playing time, or playing a position they want to play more, and so they "leave for greener pastures" now leaving their old team with just 9 players, and at risk to even field a team if something happens to one of it's players. They then have to go out and find another player themselves somehow, somewhere.

Is there no commitment to be expected when a player is part of a team to the other members of the team? Are we teaching our kids the right thing if we let them leave? I have known some parents who have actually told coaches who are recruiting to get lost, and that they wouldn't want to play for a team that does this, but most are probably going to listen to a coach who does this, partially because it strokes their ego. I agree with fastpitch1 that recruiting during a season is tacky/bush. I have never done it, and wouldn't ever do it personally, but I've coached a couple of teams that this was done to over the years, and have heard of a whole lot more it has happened to. And in fact I received texts/messages from two different coaches today that it's happened to just in the last week ...

 

[flarays]

I don't like the word poaching. It is way to vague. The only thing I am against are parents, coaches and organization heads recruiting players during a tournament. That is simply bad form. If you really want a player then ask the parents if you can call them later in the week. Recruiting for the current season or for the next one isn't going to stop. The game has changed. There is virtually no roster control - especially for older top level teams - and that lends itself to team jumping. Now with 2 seasons a year it is very tough to hold a team together for years. Local community based teams have an advantage in this area.

In my opinion some people do it during tournaments just to cause problems for the team in question.

 

[coachjwb]

Mark ... I know you're in Florida these days and that you have talked here before about the 2 season thing for at least older, elite travel organizations but, unless I am out of touch here recently, I don't think that 99+% of the travel teams up this way look at it that way. Tryouts are in August for pretty much all teams (which is admittedly part of the problem since it's so far from the main part of the travel season), and neither coaches nor parents or players are thinking about there being two seasons ...

Totally agree with you that openly recruiting during weekend tourneys is bad form, no matter what you think about recruiting in general.

 

[Hilliarddad3]

At work we call it "Relationship Recruiting"

There is such a short window at end of season and tryouts, there should be nothing wrong if coaches talk to players at a tournament to offer them a possible opportunity. The family has to make the choice if they want to move to another team, so it's all part of the environment......

 

[Westler33]

If you show on the field then parents or players will approach you or a player on your team and ask when and what location your tryouts are and then you can build your team that way. I know it does not work that way in most cases because I see it at the park coach approaching a kid or parents and that is not the way to go about it.