Are tryouts real, or has the team already been formed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you are only trying out for one club. Why not broaden the search?

We have other tryouts, but the top choice unexpectedly didn't work out, and I'm venting because my kid had outplayed at least half of the kids who got offers. I would have ranked him in the top 3 based on speed and stats during the tryout. We've never had a coach or teacher complain about a behavioral issue. It's just perplexing, and I'm angry because he worked very hard to prepare, and he showed up and did what we thought he needed to do to get a spot.

Yep. Been there.
My son made another team and is one of its best players on a team that is better than the one he was not selected for.
Some of these teams have their unmistakable cliques facilitated and encouraged by the adult AHs.
Blessing in disguised that he was not selected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Baseball - same experience. And also there were spots allocated for different rules. I think we didn't "know" enough people/network hard enough/have parent friends to get on the team as we are newer to the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our experience is that most of the team is formed by tryouts. You'd need to be a total standout to bump current players (including bench players) off. The exception to this is if it's a newly forming team or if you have insider knowledge that many players are leaving the team for another team and they need to fill a lot of roster positions. Another exception is if your kid is younger. But the older the kids and the more established the teams--certainly true in soccer and basketball. Sadly, being a parent in the loop and a well liked parent helps your kid. It sounds like you've been a bit too uninvolved maybe????????

This thought has crossed my mind more than once. I'm busy and introverted, so I'm not in the loop. Maybe it's my fault. My kid has played on a few ad hoc national tournament teams and done well in that setting but has difficulty progressing locally during the regular season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Baseball - same experience. And also there were spots allocated for different rules. I think we didn't "know" enough people/network hard enough/have parent friends to get on the team as we are newer to the area.

NP: one of my DSs plays on a strong and well established travel ball team (with paid coaches- no dads). The core of the team has been together for a few years. The coaches have been clear that they only want to add “immediate impact players” at this point ( ace pitchers etc) so if a spot opens that is generally all they are looking for. They’ve had kids try out who would be in the top half or so of the roster skill wise and they still don’t take them unless they fit a specific need/role (for example if a catcher left -they’d be specifically looking for a catcher). . They view this as being loyal to current players. The team is already playing at the top level of competition and the kids/families get along reasonably well so they aren’t really looking to make changes. I think a lot of teams are similar, up through the early high school years at least.

I do think it helps to have connections with other parents as someone else said- they can often alert you to spots opening up on teams (and also clue you in to the kind of kid they are looking for or what positions are open etc).

[Anonymous]

What sport? If it is very position dependent- then he could be better than most of the team at general skills, but if they only need 2 of his position, he would need to be better than the kids trying out for that position.

I know certain clubs in certain sports definitely have already formed their teams before tryouts.

It depends on the sport, club, coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our experience is that most of the team is formed by tryouts. You'd need to be a total standout to bump current players (including bench players) off. The exception to this is if it's a newly forming team or if you have insider knowledge that many players are leaving the team for another team and they need to fill a lot of roster positions. Another exception is if your kid is younger. But the older the kids and the more established the teams--certainly true in soccer and basketball. Sadly, being a parent in the loop and a well liked parent helps your kid. It sounds like you've been a bit too uninvolved maybe????????

This is it. A good coach always prefers a known commodity.

For example, if your son outperformed the other players that were already on the team, but only marginally, the coach wouldn't be wrong to keep the player that they already know. They know that player has a good attitude, comes to practice on time, has a positive mindset on the sidelines, etc.

Forming a team is more than just who has the fastest 40.

Especially as these teams have matured and grown together, it gets harder and harder to bump a player from a well coached team

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our experience is that most of the team is formed by tryouts. You'd need to be a total standout to bump current players (including bench players) off. The exception to this is if it's a newly forming team or if you have insider knowledge that many players are leaving the team for another team and they need to fill a lot of roster positions. Another exception is if your kid is younger. But the older the kids and the more established the teams--certainly true in soccer and basketball. Sadly, being a parent in the loop and a well liked parent helps your kid. It sounds like you've been a bit too uninvolved maybe????????

This is it. A good coach always prefers a known commodity.

For example, if your son outperformed the other players that were already on the team, but only marginally, the coach wouldn't be wrong to keep the player that they already know. They know that player has a good attitude, comes to practice on time, has a positive mindset on the sidelines, etc.

Forming a team is more than just who has the fastest 40.

Especially as these teams have matured and grown together, it gets harder and harder to bump a player from a well coached team

+1

Adding a new player always brings some unknowns/risks….will he be happy with his role on the team? will he get along well with the other players? Will he show up to practice on time, hard worker? Are the parents supportive and nice?

They’ll generally keep the kid they know rather than the rock the boat and take a risk on a new kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Yeah, coach and assistant coaches kids sutomatically make the team-should they coach your kid and cut yours? Lol

[Anonymous]

I’d have your son ask what he needs to work on to improve his chances of making the team next year. If not old enough, ask yourself. Common thing to do. Sometimes they will give helpful information (and it may help answer your question), other times not really- but it doesn’t hurt to try.

It could easily be position-related. Hard to tell based on your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Yeah, coach and assistant coaches kids sutomatically make the team-should they coach your kid and cut yours? Lol

The point is the team does not represent the most talented players and nepotism reins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Yeah, coach and assistant coaches kids sutomatically make the team-should they coach your kid and cut yours? Lol

Right?

Often the dad coaches already have a group of kids/families that want to play together and are are having tryouts just to fill out the rest of the roster. Pretty much the most common way to start a travel team at the younger ages

Not a fan of those types of teams for my kids, but they are the most common ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Yeah, coach and assistant coaches kids sutomatically make the team-should they coach your kid and cut yours? Lol

The point is the team does not represent the most talented players and nepotism reins.

Its not really nepotism if the guy is the coach and his kid is on the team. Now does he need 5 assistant coaches? Hell no, and you avoid those teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Yeah, coach and assistant coaches kids sutomatically make the team-should they coach your kid and cut yours? Lol

The point is the team does not represent the most talented players and nepotism reins.

Its not really nepotism if the guy is the coach and his kid is on the team. Now does he need 5 assistant coaches? Hell no, and you avoid those teams.

The worst teams are the ones with a dad coach plus 5 assistant dad coaches. No one but the coaches' kids get opportunities to play on special teams, take a faceoff, etc. Avoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Yeah, coach and assistant coaches kids sutomatically make the team-should they coach your kid and cut yours? Lol

The point is the team does not represent the most talented players and nepotism reins.

Its not really nepotism if the guy is the coach and his kid is on the team. Now does he need 5 assistant coaches? Hell no, and you avoid those teams.

The worst teams are the ones with a dad coach plus 5 assistant dad coaches. No one but the coaches' kids get opportunities to play on special teams, take a faceoff, etc. Avoid.

+1

very true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've absolutely seen a travel baseball team with several dad and coach friends schedule a tryout , but keep many of their less athletic sons on "their" team.

Yeah, coach and assistant coaches kids sutomatically make the team-should they coach your kid and cut yours? Lol

The point is the team does not represent the most talented players and nepotism reins.

Its not really nepotism if the guy is the coach and his kid is on the team. Now does he need 5 assistant coaches? Hell no, and you avoid those teams.

Yeah, the 4-5 or five assistant coaches (all dads) is a HUGE red flag.

But also, by age 11 or 12, you can be on the lookout for teams with coaches that do not have kids.

My kids are 14 and 12 and both are on teams where the coach does not have a child on the team. Tryouts were competitive for sure, but its 100% fair. You earn your spot at SS; you earn that clean-up spot in the line-up.