Recruiting players during the current season

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What's the consensus for trying to recruit players to your program/team for the next season, at this time of year? Are more and more coaches/organizations doing this these days? Is it taboo? Is it acceptable? What's your opinion?

 

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If you have players that are aging out of your team you would be crazy not to be talking to players moving up.......now Ohio is booming with teams and wanta be teams. July and August has become a market for shoppers and recruiters. In my case I offer opportunity for players moving up that had no where to turn and they develope during all 4 seasons we play in and end up going on to very good teams. That makes us a nonstop recruiting team and by now many coaches know we are about keeping these players on the field and off the TV couch. Stealing players is a NO NO but open recruitment and posting tryouts is good for your team and for those less in the know about how to keep the girls playing...........I have talked to many parents searching for teams that had no clue where to turn in all levels of skills........ Offer the opportunity and reach those who need to know where the teams are........Now is better than waiting, many parents have no clue where your team is or how to find a team, if they wait until May its way too late to develope them in a 30 day training period for travel ball. JMO
Its not only about coaches recruitment its about giving parents help in finding teams as well its all good if you look at it that way.

 

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There's another similar thread going (when I find it I may merge it with this one), but I don't believe in active recruiting during the "season", even for next season; not to say I won't talk with a girl or her parents if approached though. My philosophy is that since I've asked my current players to be loyal to me for the full season, I owe them the same loyalty.

Mid to late July is when I do my final evaluations and start talking with my current players about next year; only after I've had those discussions, and wrapped up our "regular season" will I start active recruitment. I might lose a few good players that way, but I sleep better at night.

 

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There's another similar thread going (when I find it I may merge it with this one), but I don't believe in active recruiting during the "season", even for next season; not to say I won't talk with a girl or her parents if approached though. My philosophy is that since I've asked my current players to be loyal to me for the full season, I owe them the same loyalty.

Mid to late July is when I do my final evaluations and start talking with my current players about next year; only after I've had those discussions, and wrapped up our "regular season" will I start active recruitment. I might lose a few good players that way, but I sleep better at night.

Amen Bear! Recruiting players during season only creates issues on the existing team. Don't think their fellow player(s) are not aware of the recruiting of a specific player. . .these girls are smart and the take GREAT offense to the offending player(s) even discussing the possibility during the season. The kids feel sold out!

Parents asking general questions about your program and tryout dates is different than actively working to acquire a player. I say"Let the kids play ball".

You have the last week of July into August to recruit if that is what you choose to do. . .JMHO

 

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I have found most teams that do this are because thier current team did not qualify for a national, they are unhappy with the results of the thier past 2 months tournamanets and are looking to clean house - VERY COMMON!!!

In addition to that girls and families that actually talk to these coaches are unhappy where they currently are and are looking for a change -

I RAISE MY DD DIFFERENTLY!!! FInish your obligation!!!! Do not leave one situation before going to bigger and better - if you have outgrown your current team - THAT'S OK!! it happens all the time - BUT DO NOT BLOW THE BRIDGE - You never know when it might come back to haunt you. It becomes obvious to many coaches when one girl stands out on a loosing team and that girls gets a ton of offers, but be careful, investigate, ask questions, and do not make promises til you are ready to go AFTER YOUR SEASON IS OVER!!!

BE ETHICAL!!! Good luck!!

 

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Again I would say let your team be your recruiting tool. People will take notice if your team has success and are being coached well. (Along with the coaches conduct during games) Nothing wrong with giving out try out info when asked. Also what about pick up players? If you are short some players due to injury is it wrong to pick up a player from another organization if they are available and willing to help out?

 

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Again I would say let your team be your recruiting tool. People will take notice if your team has success and are being coached well. (Along with the coaches conduct during games) Nothing wrong with giving out try out info when asked. Also what about pick up players? If you are short some players due to injury is it wrong to pick up a player from another organization if they are available and willing to help out?

Just like everything else, there are right ways and wrong ways to pickup a player for game or weekend. The best way is if both coaches and the player(s)/parents involved all know what is going on and can agree that it is in the best interest of the girl(s) - no surprises => no hard feelings and therefore no accusations.

 

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Bear is absolutely correct. We do not recruit any player from another team during the current season. If a parent happens to call or e-mail, I will talk with them about the organization, and invite them to tryouts, but we do not actively recruit. We have made a commitment, a season-long commitment, to our players, and we will fulfill that commitment.

 

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You know if there is a talented player out there and some team or organization can offer that player more exposure or just a better grade of softball than what they are currently experiencing than I say its cool, it only benefits the player in the end. Also another question that can be asked is what's the real harm in asking a player or parent to look at the said team for the following year. Too much blame here is directed towards the coach requiting in the end its the player that makes the decision and their parents that foot the bill so as far as loyalty and commitment that doesn't go too far with me. Remember its not like these teams players are leaving and going too are paying you to play!

 

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I really dont think its a big deal at all. Its just IMO, but there are more and more teams, tryouts are overlapping, kids that are looking for a team are attending so many tryouts its almost like another season, without the fun part of playing a game.

It might save the kid and the parents quite a bit of time in august.

I am sure the current coaches wont like it, many of them seem to think kids sign lifetime contracts, but as a parent if a coach approached me about my DD during the season regarding the next season I wouldnt think any less of that coach or organization. Just my 2 cents

 

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You know if there is a talented player out there and some team or organization can offer that player more exposure or just a better grade of softball than what they are currently experiencing than I say its cool, it only benefits the player in the end. Also another question that can be asked is what's the real harm in asking a player or parent to look at the said team for the following year. Too much blame here is directed towards the coach requiting in the end its the player that makes the decision and their parents that foot the bill so as far as loyalty and commitment that doesn't go too far with me. Remember its not like these teams players are leaving and going too are paying you to play!

Wow - that says alot.

 

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Uber - just a question. If your DD is committed to a team, and another team approaches her in late May, is it ok for her to jump? Or, are you simply talking about after a season is complete? Would you make a commitment to a team for an entire season, or simply weekend by weekend, or game by game even? Pitch by pitch?

With neither one of these posts am I trying to put anyone down, but I would like to understand because I may have a parent thinking the same thing, and I want to be able to react appropriately.

 

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Wow - that says alot.

Buckeye let me make this clear I'm not suggesting a kid jumps ship durring the season unless they are clearly unhappy. But my point is theres nothing wrong with getting an invitation to for someone else to play the following year.

And who says you have to have total loyalty with your travel team..listen bottom line parents who have kids on strong teams are paying big bucks for their kids to ball in the summer, ut for the most part most problems occure amungst the middle of the road teams. You know you socalled travel teams that never leave its neighboring cities. Now what I dont like is the player and parents that are disruptive too the team, you see Buckeye this is where you have to make the decision since you highlighted my part about dedication and loyalty. If the player and parent are disruptive the coach has the ability to boot them fro the team so therefore the player can just as well leave.

It drives me nuts when these softball coaches try to be more in a players life than a coach, listen coaches judging from what I see amungst the younger age groups you have a hard enough time learning the game yourselvs let alone trying to be a roll model. Leave that to the parents!

 

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Uber - just a question. If your DD is committed to a team, and another team approaches her in late May, is it ok for her to jump? Or, are you simply talking about after a season is complete? Would you make a commitment to a team for an entire season, or simply weekend by weekend, or game by game even? Pitch by pitch?

With neither one of these posts am I trying to put anyone down, but I would like to understand because I may have a parent thinking the same thing, and I want to be able to react appropriately.

lol, I am talking about the next season.

 

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This is always such a sensitive topic. I think everyone agrees that a girl/family should not jump teams mid-season.

The issue is when is it OK to start considering options for the next season and what kind of a role another coach should play in that. While I'm not crazy about a coach approaching players at a tournament, I can see the merit of doing this and allowing the girl/family a chance to perhaps watch them in action. August is crazy with all of the tryouts involved and you can only get a glimpse of an organization and its coaches. Its unfortunate that the tryouts are so far in advance of the next season and immediately after the last season ... there just isn't much time to look at options.

If it is done, it should be done pretty discretely, definitely not during a game, and so as not to create animosity with the current coach or with other girls/families not being approached. Another valuable lesson to teach the girls is that if they are approached, they need to not brag about it and to remember that they need to remain committed and give 100% to their current team, and therein lies part of the rub as it is easier said than done.

 

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This is always such a sensitive topic. I think everyone agrees that a girl/family should not jump teams mid-season.

The issue is when is it OK to start considering options for the next season and what kind of a role another coach should play in that. While I'm not crazy about a coach approaching players at a tournament, I can see the merit of doing this and allowing the girl/family a chance to perhaps watch them in action. August is crazy with all of the tryouts involved and you can only get a glimpse of an organization and its coaches. Its unfortunate that the tryouts are so far in advance of the next season and immediately after the last season ... there just isn't much time to look at options.

If it is done, it should be done pretty discretely, definitely not during a game, and so as not to create animosity with the current coach or with other girls/families not being approached. Another valuable lesson to teach the girls is that if they are approached, they need to not brag about it and to remember that they need to remain committed and give 100% to their current team, and therein lies part of the rub as it is easier said than done.

As always Coach, the voice of reason, nice post!

 

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So is it ok if: a dd has pretty much ran the team in past years (because dad is asst coach) then all the sudden that is not allowed anymore. DD and family quit the team without letting headcoach know, dd texts one team member and lets her know she won't be at a tournament. Meanwhile the tournament before, the dd's dad calls 2 other team members ah**les at a tournament in front of EVERYONE???? AND THIS DAD IS AN ADDICTED MEMBER! Ok, as far as recruiting goes, IT GOES ON BY THE DD'S DADS! Yes that's ok, but! it is very uncool to quit a team mid to late season. And I hope the DD's dad knows who he is. Very unprofessional and not a thing to teach your kid.

 

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I have been following this thread along with the one on JJ and have been very leary of responding for numerous reasons but here goes....
IMHO I don`t think it is that big of a deal to approach another player around this time a year for NEXT year, We ALL agree players should finish out there commited season and if they want to go to another team wait till end of year. But if a player came to me and said: Coach I would like to go play for (insert org here) because of (insert reason here) I would say back to her " If you and your family feels this is right for you then I have NO problem with it...Bottom line is everyone is differant, everyone has differant goals and I as a coach should not stand in the way of a player or parent that has those goals. If they ask my opinion I will give it to them but I as a coach should ALWAYS have the best interest of my players in mind whether or not they are in the orginization I coach or another orginization. I have several players that are player for "other" orginizations for differant reasons I still root for them, cheer them and consider them "My Kids" because I want the best for them. I have always said THIS IS FOR THE KIDS and as a coach I want the best for EVERY young ladies that wants play this game.

 

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also, there might be girls on an existing team where the org has multiple teams at one age group, where a majority of girls on current team may be moving up and they are staying down in limbo land...these girls get itchy feet

 

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this is a complex issue and many responses and contexts...I have been approached, contacted numerous times on this issue by parents even if we just got whooped by them this year. I always talk about our web site and they should look for dates to be posted. Parents are definitely not bashful, they want to know so they push. Again, stay consistent and tell them your plans for next year and if they say we'll be there for you tryouts I say "we can't wait to see your DD" regardless of her talent or if I know her or not.

As for approaching the lil ones... I don't approach them ever if she is someone that catches my eye. Very discrete out of respect of the other coach's efforts and even more importantly the kids he has and instructs on top of my current team. I hope others would do that for me. I will also say I have several girls that other Head/assistant coach's have asked me who "XX" is and we laugh... funny but... you never know... it comes down to how you view your own ethics on "this" situation. Others are OK with their "deal" and that doesn't mean I like or will accept it but "it is what it is" till someone crosses our team boundary.