Preparing for upcoming tryouts

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In the past, there have also been a number of posts discussing tryouts and since tryouts are a little more than a month away I want to try to broach the topic, especially for the players and parents that are relatively new to the sport.. ?

What coaches expect from players and their parents during tryouts.

Players

1. Be on time. ?If it was unavoidable (auto accident, flat tire, traffic jam) tell the coach.

2. Come fully prepared for all phases of the tryouts. There are a couple of red flags that I look for ? such as not wearing sliders or ?forgot my glove?.

3. Pay attention. ?Red flags here are girls that are talking among each other while a coach is giving instructions. ?Another red flag is a players looking towards the stands for instructions from her father or mother.

4. Follow instructions. ?Red flags ? ?I don?t like to slide?. (I don?t have a problem with ? ?I can?t slide very well but I will try?.) ?Another is ? ?My father told me not to slide. ?He does not want me to get hurt for the other tryouts.? This actually happened last year.

5. Come prepared to give your best effort. ?Red flags ? ?I went swimming 2 hours before coming here and I am not doing as well as I usually do?

6. Be clear about what positions you wish to be evaluated.

7. Have a good time and try not to be nervous. ?Most coaches can usually tell if a player is nervous and will try to calm her down. ?

8. If you feel you did not do well with one section of the tryout ? respectfully ask the coach for another try.

9. Don?t try to be perfect. ?No one is. ?If you are perfect ? OSU needs you.

Parents

This is what I expect from parents at tryouts. ?Read all of the material handed out and ask any and all questions you may have for the coach/organization.

Sit in the bleachers and do not interfere with the tryouts. ?A major red flag is a parent hanging on the backstop shouting instructions to their DD. ?Hey Suzie, show the coach how you can throw with both hands?

Do not attempt to talk with the coach DURING tryouts. ?We are a little busy and we will make the evaluation from what WE see on the field. ?We do not have time for a narrative on all the previous stats and stories of glory. ?This is a major red flag in my book. Don?t try to be a salesman and market your daughter. ?If she is good, we will see it.

Do ask the coach after the tryouts what he/she feels your DD should work on. ?Ask questions concerning what you, as a parent, can do to help your daughter. (Materials, literature, fielding and hitting drills, etc.) ?Coaches appreciate parents that are willing to work with their daughter.

Coaches ? do you have anything to add to this list? ?This will be helpful to everyoune, especially those new to the sport.

 

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Parents and players
Assume the tryout starts from the moment you open your door in the parking lot. Things being discussed (argued over) that do not relate to softball need to be left in the car. You do not know who is paying attention. The older your child is the less you need to be involved. Part of the tryout is the interaction between existing and potential new players. Butt out.
Hustle, Hustle, Hustle.

Players and Coaches, give honest answers on intentions. If you want to offer a player a spot do so, if you want them to work out with the team before making a decision, arrange it quickly. If you don't want to play for a certain team, just tell them no, don't keep them on hold to see if you get a better offer. DO NOT PROMISE OR EXPECT ANYTHING OTHER THEN THE CHANCE TO EARN PLAYING TIME.

Coaches please be honest with current players, and those trying out about your plans for the upcoming year. If you are not going to ask a player to return, tell them up front. If you are only looking for a shortstop for next year, let people know. Be honest about where you are going to play. If you are going to try to play GOLD ASA if you find 3 stud pitchers, a catcher and shortstop, plus 2 great hitters, don't say that is your goal. There is room in this sport for all levels of play, be honest. In my opinion these are musts.
A suggestion that would be helpful, have a way to identify parents of returning players that can be available to answer questions. If you have 25 kids show up for a tryout and a coach spends 2 minutes (not very long) talking to each parent that is nearly an hour. Many of the questions could easily be answered by someone from last years team. Tournaments played, performance, how was playing time distributed, how does the team get along, fundraising, how do the parents get along. etc. etc.

 

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At my tryouts I'll have players from my team there too. I want to see how they interact with each other as well as with me. So during the tryout - you are on all the time... not just when you are hitting or throwing or fielding.

If you are injurred or sore let the coach know prior and maybe they can reschedule or take it into consideration. There is a difference between a reason and an excuse. We want to know the reasons

We understand that you are probably attending many tryouts. Only tells us about your other tryouts if we ask.

I run my tryouts like practices in fact if you sign up for a Classics tryout early you may be invited to come to a team practice. Its much more relaxed and you can see how you fit in.

Parents: ask questions, by email or phone before the tryout, or during the time for questions during a tryout, or after. It is fair to ask about topics like; playing time, $$$, travel expectations, practices, preparing for college, shedules. Out of bounds topics: how you daughter compares to another player, about other teams, specifics about how they did at that moment.

 

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DogsDad brought up a VERY important point. You are being watched from the time you open the door in the parking lot. Actually, if a kid wants to play in college, this is a biggie. Coaches also watch VERY closely how a player interacts with their own parents. That's a very good sign how you will interact with your coaches and teammates.

Lackluster hustle will cancel out the greatest of skills. Always run ALL THE WAY to first base - EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW YOU"RE OUT!! Coaches want to see your speed - not you're disappointment!

Be very vocal - especially in calling for the ball in the outfield. Coaches are VERY impressed with a kid who has great field communication skills.

 

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I think at 18 level it's a good idea for parents to go out for coffee for a bit instead of hanging out at the field the entire tryout time. Kids seem to be more natural and responsive when mom or dad aren't right there.

 

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I have questions more than a suggestion.
1. If you aren't currently on a team and need to attend multiple tryouts that are being held at the same time, is it better to request a private tryout or go to the organization's tryout a little late? For example, last year, one tryout was from 8-12 pm and another tryout started at 12 which would meant that players that attended both tryouts would be a "little late" and probably a "little tired."
2. If your daughter is young and doesn't have much experience with a pitching machine (new to travel ball), is it better to watch her miss every pitch, or make one small reminder that would allow her to hit at least 90% of the pitches.

Suggestions for coaches. If teams are only looking for girls that have played travel ball, then disregard the following comments.
1. Don't rule people out before you've had a chance to talk to the parents, especially with the younger girls. Maybe there are red flags, such as a girl didn't wear sliders, which could be cleared up by having a conversation with the parents. Maybe this girl is talented, but is new to travel softball and the girls that played on her rec team never wore sliders. This doesn't mean that the girl was unprepared, it means she was uniformed.
2. Do realize that the tryout process is both nerve racking for both the parents and the girls trying out. This tryout will determine what you are going to be doing for the next year of your life, the people you are going to spend time with, and how enjoyable your travel softball experience will be. You may have no idea what you are getting yourself into and your experience may not meet your expectations. I think that some (not all) parents try to sell their daughter because the daughter may not have performed well because she was nervous.

I would agree with having your daughter being clear on what positions she would like to play because at some tryouts she will be evaluated more on her abiliies at a certain position rather than on overall ability. A player I know attended five U12 tryouts last year. At four of these tryouts, she was evaluated on her overall ability, but at one tryout she was asked to pick a position. This girl was very shy and picked a position she had played at on her previous team. She was one of the best players on this team because most of the team was made up of girls that had never played travel ball. However, the position she tried out for was very competitive and she would have done better to try out for a different position where her skills met the team's need.

I also agree with DogsDad that "the older your child is the less you need to be involved." The reverse of this is that new coaches need to realize that at 10U and even with young 12U, parents are going to be more involved. Most parents are not going to drop their 9-year-old off at a tryout. Some girls are going to be very insecure and looking to their parents for assurance. Rule out the girls and parents that display the "red flag" qualities to the extreme, but don't rule out a girl just because her parent took 10 seconds to remind her of the qualities of a good batting stance. Parents shouldn't be involved at all at tryouts for older girls, but younger girls are a whole different breed which is why many organizations don't even bother with 10U teams.

 

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There are a few big things that I look for in a player at tryouts(amoung other things).

1. ATTITUDE!!!! Does the player have a good attitude or bad one. I would probably speak for most coaches about this. I would take an ok/good player with a great attitude then a great player with a bad one.

**Players: if you make a mistake forget about it!! Don't dwell on the past. Pick yourself back up and get the next one!!

2. HUSTLE!!!!!! HUSTLE!!!!!!! HUSTLE!!!!!!

 

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There are a few big things that I look for in a player at tryouts(amoung other things). ?

1. ATTITUDE!!!! ?Does the player have a good attitude or bad one. ? I would probably speak for most coaches about this. ?I would take an ok/good player with a great attitude then a great player with a bad one.

[highlight]AMEN[/highlight]

**Players: if you make a mistake forget about it!! ?Don't dwell on the past. ?Pick yourself back up and get the next one!! ?

2. HUSTLE!!!!!! ?HUSTLE!!!!!!! ?HUSTLE!!!!!!

[highlight]Again, AMEN[/highlight]