Who do you cut?

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With tryouts looming less than a month away...
A few quick questions (pick a favorite) add your own...

- How do you decide who?s on the block?

- What?s more important talent or team chemistry?

- Are there "untouchable's" ?

- How many is to many for a travel team

- What if you finally find that allusive 60mph 12u pitcher and then find out her parents are BAT SKAT Nuts

- A gold glove level shortstop wants to join your team but her left footed cousin who knows about softball (She's seen a couple games [slow pitch] on TV) has to join to?

 

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I think your questions would be greatly impacted by the age of the girls and the overall goals of the team( exposure, win tourneys, just have fun). But in my opinion the answers would be. 1. Every player should have to earn their spot every year. Nothing is handed to anybody. 2. team chemistry is incredibly important and should always be considered but if you are about exposure or winning then talent is most important. 3. No such thing as untouchables (see #1). 4. very much based on age, but 14u and younger I like 12 with 3 pitchers and 2 catchers with most of them being able to play other positions. at 16U and up maybe 13 or 14 as players get busier. The more players the more pressure on the coach to conduct a balancing act. 5. If you know the parents are nuts and you still take the player you get what you deserve. 6. That cousin will create major problems because no matter what is said at tryouts she will expect and feel entitled to regular playing time. I don't think any player would be worth the problems that would create.

 

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Pretty much agree with everything Matt said. Answers definitely impacted by age, and team goals. If I had the right 11 families, I might try to get by with 11 at the lower age levels. I would not go with more than 12 unless I knew there were some soft/partial commitments, which is sometimes the case at the 18-U level. Definitely no more nut job parents ... learned my lesson the hard way on that.

 

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team chemistry is incredibly important and should always be considered but if you are about exposure ... then talent is most important.

Counterpoint: If your dugout is filled with cat-fighting and selfishness, college coaches see that and just keep walking.

 

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1) I keep players from a young age so long as they display a desire to improve because it is my job to develop them. It's time to cut them when they (parents included) become defiant or selfish and slow down the progress of the team. I don't care how good they are. My problem is learning how to recognize when that is happening. 2) I'm a chemistry guy and always have been. Our job is to develop the talent and teach team work. 3) Untouchables are players and parents that commit unconditionally to the team. The rest is on me. 4) I can not answer this one. I see teams playing with 17 and there are no issues. I see teams play with ten and there's all kinds of conflict. 5) Run for the hills. 6) It's about chemistry and the right mix. We've walked away from package deals so I guess we would move on.

 

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1. How do you decide who is on the block? Performance and attitude.
Start by asking players for a commitment to return to see what you have and to give unwanted players a chance to leave on their own. For players that want to return that you don't want, decline their commit and let them go. For players that you want to replace with an upgrade (if possible), be up front that you can't accept their commitment until after tryouts because you want to look at some other players first.

2. What is more important - talent or team chemistry?
Need as much talent as you can get with enough chemistry so the team isn't vulnerable to an implosion.

3. Are there "untouchable's" ?
Yes, there is usually a core group that will evolve over seasons. The core group largely determines what kind of team it will be.

4. How many is to many for a travel team? Varies by age and type of team.
Any player(s) that you'll be uneasy putting in games, after first 9-10 players, is too many.

5. What if you finally find that allusive 60mph 12u pitcher and then find out her parents are BAT SKAT Nuts?
Hmm, that describes a lot of 12u parents... It's not worth losing your team because of them, but don't burn any bridges either in case the parents grow out of it.

6. A gold glove level shortstop wants to join your team but her left footed cousin ... has to join to?
Only take them if you have a plan if/when they leave.

 

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1) I keep players from a young age so long as they display a desire to improve because it is my job to develop them. It's time to cut them when they (parents included) become defiant or selfish and slow down the progress of the team. I don't care how good they are. My problem is learning how to recognize when that is happening. 2) I'm a chemistry guy and always have been. Our job is to develop the talent and teach team work. 3) Untouchables are players and parents that commit unconditionally to the team. The rest is on me. 4) I can not answer this one. I see teams playing with 17 and there are no issues. I see teams play with ten and there's all kinds of conflict. 5) Run for the hills. 6) It's about chemistry and the right mix. We've walked away from package deals so I guess we would move on.

Pretty much word for word.

 

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With tryouts looming less than a month away...
A few quick questions (pick a favorite) add your own...

- How do you decide who?s on the block? Although everyone needs to tryout, spots are given to players who have shown improvement and desire. If they choose go separate way then so be it.

- What?s more important talent or team chemistry?
Talent equals wins if coached properly. Winning takes care of lot of issues but if parents are the cause of bad team chemistry I would let a player or players go.
- Are there "untouchable's" ? My daughter. JK. If player has shown commitment I would reciprocate.

- How many is to many for a travel team? Depends on age and if pitcher is strictly a pitcher. Older team should have more players because of extracurricular issues.

- What if you finally find that allusive 60mph 12u pitcher and then find out her parents are BAT SKAT Nuts
Find a pitcher with high fifties and excellent change up and don't touch.

- A gold glove level shortstop wants to join your team but her left footed cousin who knows about softball (She's seen a couple games [slow pitch] on TV) has to join to?

. Unless its a gold glove catcher or Monica abbot I would stay away. Even with them I would be clear on cousins role on team.

 

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12U..... 60mph, if you find that jump on it. There are not that many 16U's who consistently hit 60, 12U hitting 60mph are like Bigfoot or the Lochness monster :lmao:

 

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12U..... 60mph, if you find that jump on it. There are not that many 16U's who consistently hit 60, 12U hitting 60mph are like Bigfoot or the Lochness monster :lmao:

Unless they can't get the ball over the plate. A 60mph walk is the same as a 45mph walk.

 

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Unless they can't get the ball over the plate. A 60mph walk is the same as a 45mph walk.

I dunno, 60 is 60. You've got 9 months to tame that speed...Now at 16u it's a different story; that ball better not be over the plate unless it's over the black!

 

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12U..... 60mph, if you find that jump on it. 12U hitting 60mph are like Bigfoot or the Lochness monster :lmao:

I almost changed this to 70mph -
If you read the 'other' Fastpich Boards it seems like everyons DD or all of the girls they saw at states in: (TX or CA or MN or Maumee, Chevy Chase MD) pitches in the 60's and hits all her spots.

 

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3. Are there "untouchable's" ?
Yes, there is usually a core group that will evolve over seasons. The core group largely determines what kind of team it will be.

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I think this is something that most of us recognize exists but is rarely spoken about.

 

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LOL


UOTE=cobb_of_fury;466798]I almost changed this to 70mph -
If you read the 'other' Fastpich Boards it seems like everyons DD or all of the girls they saw at states in: (TX or CA or MN or Maumee, Chevy Chase MD) pitches in the 60's and hits all her spots.[/QUOTE]