Why are there so many travel team tryouts before the summer tournament season is over?

[klinder]

Just an observation but there seems to be a lot more try outs for travel teams before kids are able to finish their seasons with this summer's team. Plus I have heard about a lot of coaches asking kids to make decisions about next year's teams before this year's team is even done with their schedule. It is causing way too much stress for the athletes and their parents, it creates drama among parents and coaches, and kids aren't able to stay focused on the enjoyment of the game. Their focus of playing is being taken away by having to focus on tryouts and where they are going to play next season when they still have tournaments to finish this summer.

Why can't teams wait until at least August 1st before they start hosting their try outs? Let the kids finish their seasons. It is especially hard for the 10U players who play and pitch with a small ball, then have go participate in tryouts for 12U with a big ball, and then go back playing with a small ball. May not be a big deal for hitters but it is difficult for the pitchers.

What is the motivation for teams to have the earlier try outs and wanting early decisions? Just like the college recruiting process we are putting way too much pressure on families who should not be having to make rushed decisions on where to play when they haven't had time to make educated decisions.

I wish there was some way to slow the process down. For the HS kids, it starts with college coaches not making offers and forcing early decisions and for the travel ball kids it starts with travel coaches using some common sense and wait until the season is over to talk about decisions for the next season. There is no need to offer 9th graders scholarships and there is no need to make a 10 year old go through try outs until she is done playing 10u tournaments. Why not allow kids 2 or 3 weeks to go through try outs after their season is over and keep some integrity in the system?

www.aspirehighersports.com

 

[3ballbratz]

Great post Karen !! My oldest dd was put in this same situation. We were forced to give a decision with 3 tournaments left. When we chose to leave you could imagine the drama that started with the team. This opens the door for coaches and players to start mistreating you. Our coach was so unhappy we were leaving he starts contacting other potential coaches, trying to ruin opportunities for my dd. Once this was discovered we had no choice but to immediately remove ourselves from the team, cutting our losses. Now we are being criticized for leaving with one tournament left. Coach even threatened to contact college coaches who are interested in my dd, telling them we failed to meet our commitment. All we were trying to do was remove ourselves from a very toxic situation. This is a great topic for discussion, these kids should be allowed to finish their season without pressures from a coach who is ready to move on to the next. This is not how tryouts should be handled and if you choose to handle them this way be prepared to face the consequences.

 

[brownsfan]

I think it has to do with the fall season. Not even five years ago fall was not talked about much. It really wasn't even considered a season. You may see one or two teams from the state go to Scenic City, D9, and even St. Louis; but now it's multiple teams from multiple orgs going. Most of those want to make sure a good chemistry has formed before attending, thus the earlier tryouts. It allows time for coaches to evaluate the players while the players are learning to trust each other.

Now the positive affect it has gotten more girls recruited to larger programs. I'm starting to see girls more from Ohio whereas before it was just southern and western girls.

It does put undo pressure on the parents and players. But not only that, the coaches as well. They do realize the commitments of player's they are interested in, but also need to keep in perspective the next year. Until the early recruiting ends, this cycle will only continue to grow.

 

[HITTER23]

With so many teams now and from the looks of OFC , a ton more coming out of the woodwork, everyone is trying to get the players before the next guy. Its not all on the teams either as some of the blame lies with the parents/players leaving early also. Im curious 3ballbratz, how did they force you to switch early?

 

[wow]

Its less to do with the schedule and more about backroom deals. Did you ever play musical chairs as a kid? If the music stops and there is not a chair, your out. Kinda the same concept. If your last, as a coach, to tryout season a lot of kids have already committed and you are out of luck. Deals are made, prior to try outs, on parents wanting playing time for their kid, positions guaranteed, and most likely a promise of a certain schedule. Then you add in the preverbal parent who thinks his/her kid is a all universe player and starts the "Well if Susie comes back we are leaving" tripe, you get the backroom dealings. Add in the "All parent coaching staff because my kid cant make it on their own" and it makes sense way this happens. How many parents in the dugout is too much? 4, 5, 6? Look I am not a advocate of early try outs or pre-seasons deals, but there is reasoning on why it happens. I have no opinion either way. I would also make a argument "try outs" as we know them, are dead after 10u. Softball has a very small and tight knit community. After the second year 10U everyone seems to know everyone.

It is sad that a kid could miss a opportunity to showcase their talents in a historically open try out.

 

[wow]

There is no need to offer 9th graders scholarships

Don't say this too loudly. Some of the best talent is recruited in 7th and 8th grade! .....................................................................insert comments here..

 

[wow]

Its not all on the teams either as some of the blame lies with the parents/players leaving early also. Im curious 3ballbratz, how did they force you to switch early?

Ding Ding Ding! we have a winner. I saw more kids leaving early this year than ever!

 

[Run26]

This seems to be a fairly new trend. My kids are all grown and out of competitive ball but this was not the case 2- 5 years ago. All teams were able to finish up with nationals then get at least a week or 2 off before getting back on the dirt. As with any sport these days, it's all about chasing the scholarship funds and trying to put the kids on the best teams possible. The funny thing is - the true elite teams have tryouts post nationals and most of this is due to THEY ARE PLAYING IN THEM.
The fringe teams are busy chasing the next great player which requires the early bird syndrome.

IMO, if a coach is requiring you to leave your current team early then it screams disloyalty. If your kid is truly a top level player then the teams will wait on her decision. Parents need to know that YOU are in control of your playing future - not the coach.

 

[yossarian]

Seems to me like those teams are taking a cue from retailers who put out their Christmas stuff earlier and earlier every year.

 

[klinder]

Agreed. If you are a very talented athlete you can take control of the situation. Coaches will wait for you however that is a very small percentage of kids in that category, maybe 1%.
This madness started when the big time college coaches started watching and offering 14U kids money and now it has unfortunately affected younger kids who may not have the ability or desire to play in college. Unintentional consequences of a change in process made by high level college coaches that has not necessarily been good for the game.

Its funny because the college coaches who offer 8th and 9th graders scholarships talk out of both sides of their mouth. They say they hate the process and that it is too early to offer a kid, yet they do exactly that in the next breath so they can get a jump on what they think is the best talent. Then when that 9th grader doesn't develop like they should, they will pull their scholarship and go offer it to a kid who is committed to another school but has not signed a letter of intent yet. Not much integrity in the process. That is what started this madness.

It is sad that it now has trickled down to travel ball. The big boys have set a very poor example and now we have kids and parents chasing the scholarship by jumping teams to get what they think is a better opportunity. It used to be nobody offered an athlete a scholarship until they were in the 12th grade and that kids stayed in their organization for their entire career. Times have changed for various reasons. Some are selfish reasons, some are due to poor coaching, and some due to too much drama by parents.

What concerns me is the amount of ego that is driving this process at both the college and travel ball levels. College coaches are being selfish as they are not looking out for the best interest of the athlete. If they were, they would wait for the 14 year old to be 17 where she is equipped to make a better decision. They just want a jump on talent. Travel ball coaches want to boast about how many kids they have going to play college ball and use that information to attract the higher quality talent. Parents want to keep up with the Jones and say their kid is committed as a 9th grader so they can be the first on their team to get a scholarship. I get it, parents are proud of their kids. Travel coaches want to be known for their ability to get kids in college. However that can still be accomplished at a later age without pushing for early decisions.

I wish I had some answers as to how to change and slow the process down. Even if the college coaches started waiting to offer kids later, would that slow the process down for travel ball? Not sure but it is worth a try for the welfare of everyone involved.

Some suggestions:
Travel coaches please wait for your seasons to be over to ask kids for commitments and to host your try outs. Give them at least a 2 week window after the last game to make a decision.
Host your tryouts after August 1st or later.
Start your fall seasons late in August or after September 1st.

www.aspirehighersports.com
Growing Softball: Mental Training, Recruiting Education, Skill Development

 

[daboss]

Back in the day, practically nobody had a tryout before August 1. Back in the day, national tourneys and world series in sanctions weren't held till about the last of July or the first of August. Organizations were waiting on those teams to return home before hosting a tryout. With anxious coaches they started hosting tryouts sooner and sooner BUT would hold a few spots in hopes of landing some of those kids that were returning from the nationals. It still created stress as many didn't look at the upcoming season planning to stay local. They all wanted a team capable of playing in the big show. Many teams today know going into a new season that they don't have the funding even if they qualify. They don't bother to leave any open spots and fill their roster sheet. Their main interest is getting a financial commitment ASAP. This forces the hands of many to make a move sooner and the chaos takes over.

Sanctions have added to the problems as they started competing with each other over the dates of their TRUE national tournaments. They started sliding them up the month and competing with dates. Back in the day, there were only 2 hard core respected sanctions in the business which were ASA and USSSA. They were smart enough to stagger their dates so if it were the situation the same teams could play both. Light bulbs started going on as they saw the chance to increase revenue by adding regional competitions to allow more teams to compete for a brass ring. Class groups were put into play such as "A", "B", and "C" classifications to allow even more teams into this lucrative gimmick. They would play regionally but the prize had a world series or national champion flavor. Others saw the opportunity of financial gain and created new sanctions that would host their own form of national competition. Bottom line; greed has created the stress and anxiety you are dealing with while loyalty, commitment, and common sense is being tested. Don't lose sight of the facts. This is still a game. The rest is about the money. It simply depends at what level and at what capacity you are involved on how you view the situation. Oh, and for those that are enlightened by this revelation keep in mind it's the same in BB, so*****, VB, and the rest. Sorry.

Add sanctions creating fall ball or recognizing it as a season that allows you to reap the rewards and get a jump on others and the chaos practically becomes anarchy. With organizations falling into such a trap you end up with school age kids deciding if they want to play softball year-round and give up school sports. What a sad thing for a kid to have to decide. Schools are starting earlier than ever as teachers unions force the state and school districts to pamper their working year. Schools are making rules to either play for us and nobody else regardless of the sport for fear a crown jewel would be lost if a talented kid were to get injured away from the game instead of by their own malpractice.

All this stress and chaos has kids turning to mental relief regardless if they have any spare time off or not. Kids are committing suicide as early as the age of being able to write their own suicide note. Give them money to get a hot dog and a drink from a concession stand and they have enough to buy enough drugs that can kill them. They are selling them to each other. They are carrying them in their pocket, in their shoes, in their underwear. The amounts are so small yet so deadly, many wouldn't know what they are if they saw them.

Greed, chaos, anxiety, stress, confused yet? Do yourself a favor. Step back and take a deep breathe and think this thru with a clear head. Personally I believe taking a break from the game for a few months is the healthiest thing you can do for you and your child. Living the game 24/7 is the work of a professional. These are kids still trying to find themselves. Let them experience different facets of life that will make them well-rounded adults. They have too much pressure on them to be the best while good-hearted parents want their kids to be or do better than they have. We all get it. The problem is reality. Some kids will never be doctors. Nurses are in demand and should be well respected. So will the tech's and others in health care be needed. Electricians, plumbers, hair stylists are important and much needed.

Look how quickly I got off topic but did I really? Let's worry a little more about our kids being mentally stable and happy and not drive them to the brink of insanity over a game.

 

[3ballbratz]

With so many teams now and from the looks of OFC , a ton more coming out of the woodwork, everyone is trying to get the players before the next guy. Its not all on the teams either as some of the blame lies with the parents/players leaving early also. Im curious 3ballbratz, how did they force you to switch early?

They definitely didn't force us to switch, and we didn't switch, just removed ourselves from the situation. It became more of a divorce than a fun summer ending to softball. Lol. Threats were made if we did choose to leave and I felt it was best for the team and my family to remove ourselves. Honestly have never handled tryouts this way and was caught off guard. I would def handle things differently if in a similar situation. Wow and others made some good points about the back room dealings and coaches perspective , which this thread has helped me to understand. I agree there is blame on parents and players, not a fun time of year sometimes. Lol. However, it needs to be handled with much more class, and the kids have to be left out of it. No one should no longer feel apart of a team with 3 tourneys left. This isn't a good situation for the team or player, especially when replacements have already been brought to the team for next year.

 

[Heavy Hitter]

Agreed. If you are a very talented athlete you can take control of the situation. Coaches will wait for you however that is a very small percentage of kids in that category, maybe 1%.
This madness started when the big time college coaches started watching and offering 14U kids money and now it has unfortunately affected younger kids who may not have the ability or desire to play in college. Unintentional consequences of a change in process made by high level college coaches that has not necessarily been good for the game.

Its funny because the college coaches who offer 8th and 9th graders scholarships talk out of both sides of their mouth. They say they hate the process and that it is too early to offer a kid, yet they do exactly that in the next breath so they can get a jump on what they think is the best talent. Then when that 9th grader doesn't develop like they should, they will pull their scholarship and go offer it to a kid who is committed to another school but has not signed a letter of intent yet. Not much integrity in the process. That is what started this madness.

It is sad that it now has trickled down to travel ball. The big boys have set a very poor example and now we have kids and parents chasing the scholarship by jumping teams to get what they think is a better opportunity. It used to be nobody offered an athlete a scholarship until they were in the 12th grade and that kids stayed in their organization for their entire career. Times have changed for various reasons. Some are selfish reasons, some are due to poor coaching, and some due to too much drama by parents.

What concerns me is the amount of ego that is driving this process at both the college and travel ball levels. College coaches are being selfish as they are not looking out for the best interest of the athlete. If they were, they would wait for the 14 year old to be 17 where she is equipped to make a better decision. They just want a jump on talent. Travel ball coaches want to boast about how many kids they have going to play college ball and use that information to attract the higher quality talent. Parents want to keep up with the Jones and say their kid is committed as a 9th grader so they can be the first on their team to get a scholarship. I get it, parents are proud of their kids. Travel coaches want to be known for their ability to get kids in college. However that can still be accomplished at a later age without pushing for early decisions.

I wish I had some answers as to how to change and slow the process down. Even if the college coaches started waiting to offer kids later, would that slow the process down for travel ball? Not sure but it is worth a try for the welfare of everyone involved.

Some suggestions:
Travel coaches please wait for your seasons to be over to ask kids for commitments and to host your try outs. Give them at least a 2 week window after the last game to make a decision.
Host your tryouts after August 1st or later.
Start your fall seasons late in August or after September 1st.

www.aspirehighersports.com
Growing Softball: Mental Training, Recruiting Education, Skill Development

It needs to start with the NCAA putting a rule in place for all division. Coaches can't talk to a prospect, anyone about a prospect or have someone else talk to a prospect for them until after the prospects Sophomore year. Make the rule tough, restrictive and make the penalty against the school and coach harsh.

 

[wow]

Its funny because the college coaches who offer 8th and 9th graders scholarships talk out of both sides of their mouth. They say they hate the process and that it is too early to offer a kid, yet they do exactly that in the next breath so they can get a jump on what they think is the best talent. Then when that 9th grader doesn't develop like they should, they will pull their scholarship and go offer it to a kid who is committed to another school but has not signed a letter of intent yet. Not much integrity in the process. That is what started this madness.

Some are selfish reasons, some are due to poor coaching, and some due to too much drama by parents.

What concerns me is the amount of ego that is driving this process at both the college and travel ball levels. Travel ball coaches want to boast about how many kids they have going to play college ball and use that information to attract the higher quality talent. Parents want to keep up with the Jones and say their kid is committed as a 9th grader so they can be the first on their team to get a scholarship. I get it, parents are proud of their kids. Travel coaches want to be known for their ability to get kids in college. However that can still be accomplished at a later age without pushing for early decisions.

I wish I had some answers as to how to change and slow the process down. Even if the college coaches started waiting to offer kids later, would that slow the process down for travel ball? Not sure but it is worth a try for the welfare of everyone involved.

Very well stated you hit the nail on the head!

 

[21 Rocks]

Back in the day, practically nobody had a tryout before August 1. Back in the day, national tourneys and world series in sanctions weren't held till about the last of July or the first of August. Organizations were waiting on those teams to return home before hosting a tryout. With anxious coaches they started hosting tryouts sooner and sooner BUT would hold a few spots in hopes of landing some of those kids that were returning from the nationals. It still created stress as many didn't look at the upcoming season planning to stay local. They all wanted a team capable of playing in the big show. Many teams today know going into a new season that they don't have the funding even if they qualify. They don't bother to leave any open spots and fill their roster sheet. Their main interest is getting a financial commitment ASAP. This forces the hands of many to make a move sooner and the chaos takes over.

Sanctions have added to the problems as they started competing with each other over the dates of their TRUE national tournaments. They started sliding them up the month and competing with dates. Back in the day, there were only 2 hard core respected sanctions in the business which were ASA and USSSA. They were smart enough to stagger their dates so if it were the situation the same teams could play both. Light bulbs started going on as they saw the chance to increase revenue by adding regional competitions to allow more teams to compete for a brass ring. Class groups were put into play such as "A", "B", and "C" classifications to allow even more teams into this lucrative gimmick. They would play regionally but the prize had a world series or national champion flavor. Others saw the opportunity of financial gain and created new sanctions that would host their own form of national competition. Bottom line; greed has created the stress and anxiety you are dealing with while loyalty, commitment, and common sense is being tested. Don't lose sight of the facts. This is still a game. The rest is about the money. It simply depends at what level and at what capacity you are involved on how you view the situation. Oh, and for those that are enlightened by this revelation keep in mind it's the same in BB, so*****, VB, and the rest. Sorry.

Add sanctions creating fall ball or recognizing it as a season that allows you to reap the rewards and get a jump on others and the chaos practically becomes anarchy. With organizations falling into such a trap you end up with school age kids deciding if they want to play softball year-round and give up school sports. What a sad thing for a kid to have to decide. Schools are starting earlier than ever as teachers unions force the state and school districts to pamper their working year. Schools are making rules to either play for us and nobody else regardless of the sport for fear a crown jewel would be lost if a talented kid were to get injured away from the game instead of by their own malpractice.

All this stress and chaos has kids turning to mental relief regardless if they have any spare time off or not. Kids are committing suicide as early as the age of being able to write their own suicide note. Give them money to get a hot dog and a drink from a concession stand and they have enough to buy enough drugs that can kill them. They are selling them to each other. They are carrying them in their pocket, in their shoes, in their underwear. The amounts are so small yet so deadly, many wouldn't know what they are if they saw them.

Greed, chaos, anxiety, stress, confused yet? Do yourself a favor. Step back and take a deep breathe and think this thru with a clear head. Personally I believe taking a break from the game for a few months is the healthiest thing you can do for you and your child. Living the game 24/7 is the work of a professional. These are kids still trying to find themselves. Let them experience different facets of life that will make them well-rounded adults. They have too much pressure on them to be the best while good-hearted parents want their kids to be or do better than they have. We all get it. The problem is reality. Some kids will never be doctors. Nurses are in demand and should be well respected. So will the tech's and others in health care be needed. Electricians, plumbers, hair stylists are important and much needed.

Look how quickly I got off topic but did I really? Let's worry a little more about our kids being mentally stable and happy and not drive them to the brink of insanity over a game.

daboss, that may be the best and most honest post that I've ever seen on here.

 

[Bink44]

Karen, thank you for a great topic of discussion. I'm a little old school and believe both sides of the equation should finish up Nationals before any deadlines are given. Now don't get me wrong, I've made 1 offer to a player for next year and asked to let me know by Sunday August 13th. Which is the last day of our Lasers Green tryout in Columbus, Ohio.

 

[Run26]

Karen, thank you for a great topic of discussion. I'm a little old school and believe both sides of the equation should finish up Nationals before any deadlines are given. Now don't get me wrong, I've made 1 offer to a player for next year and asked to let me know by Sunday August 13th. Which is the last day of our Lasers Green tryout in Columbus, Ohio.

Lee,

That's a more than fair request on your end. You're allowing her time to finish her season, attend other tryouts and weigh her options. Again, she is in control of her future not the club. The problem occurs when these teams put undue pressure on the players to make a decision that day or within 24 hours. It's an unfair scenario especially considering that most teams have multiple tryouts and the coach has an opportunity to offer many players whereas the offered player is under a deadline has to decide whether they can attend additional tryouts or not.

BTW, can I get an offer to be on your team? I'll do the book, grab hot dogs, fan you.....whatever.

 

[Louuuuu]

If the coach is asking you for an "early" declaration of intentions, turn it back on them "Coach, if I return, will you guarantee me starting at 3rd base (catcher, batting cleanup...)?". Very few will. It's a one way street - the player has to commit, but the coach never does.

 

[HITTER23]

BTW, can I get an offer to be on your team? I'll do the book, grab hot dogs, fan you.....whatever.

Would it be considered poaching if i made a offer over his?

 

[okiedad1961]

Would it be considered poaching if i made a offer over his?[/Qhit
Between you too ,No it wouldnt
,both your orgs swap player's so often,its hard to tell which there on.Outside your orgs yep.