How to handle tryouts

[undergroundga]

This is my first post ever on a forum so please bare with me.
For the next three weeks my dd has 10u tryouts. Last season she played with an organization that had 2 8u teams. The first was a dominate more experienced team that was her age. The second was a developmental team with younger players. She was not very good at start of season so she fit on developmental team. The coach of the team was terrible and ended up quitting a few months before season end. It was a bad experience, But she dramatically improved(thru much hard work) this year and has turned into a high caliber player.
Team 1: We were with this org. last season and they have some drama. Some of the parents(big surprise) are unhappy and jumping ship, despite their dominance at the 8u level. So there might be openings might not. most of these girls have been with the coach for years and we are not sure our dd will be given a fair shot.
Team 2: this is the premier org. in our area and a new team. They have to fill an entire roster and with dd's ability I am confident she will make team(but you never know). this is the team I want her to be on.
Team 3: I hate to say this but is a lesser org. Plus the coaches daughter will move up next season and my daughter might be left out. My wife likes this team cause of their name,logo and color.
Tryouts are the next 3 Sundays in that order. I want her on team 2 so should we not go to team 1's tryouts? If she makes team 1 should we just stop there? Although I prefer team 2, team 1 has a good thing going plus we have a bunch of stuff with org, name and colors already. I don't wanna pass on team 1 and then not make team 2, but think it would be rude to make team 1 and then make team 2 and bail on team 1.
So what I need is advice on what the best cause of action would be. The main thing is that she wants to play and I don't want to pass on an opportunity and then get turned down.
Sorry to be so long winded but this is important to her and us.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

I recommend that she go to a team where first and foremost she will have fun and secondly she will get to play.

Go to all of the tryouts and talk to the returning parents. Also watch how your DD gets along with the other players.

10U is the age where the kids MUST have fun and MUST be learning the fundamentals.

 

[quincy]

First get your house in order, what does your Family want to do?

Assuming you want to be on Team 2, still go to Team 1 tryouts. Explain to them before the tryouts that you are caught in a timing Issue and you would prefer to be on Team 2 and why. They might change your mind. Also explain to them that you are not going to bolt during the season, you are going to make a commitment to a Team and stick to it for the Season.

You would be surprised how much coaches discuss various players and parents, if you are honest and uphold your commitments you will find a Team you are comfortable with both next year and in the future.

 

[SoftSocDad]

She's 9. Don't overthink it. Relax and let your DD go play with others of similar ability where everyone gets a lot of playing time.

 

[undergroundga]

She's 9. Don't overthink it. Relax and let your DD go play with others of similar ability where everyone gets a lot of playing time.

You are right. I am over thinking it. Due to circumstances outside of my control I am currently unemployed and have too much time on my hands to think about it....and read this forum.

 

[Slick]

I don't know what part of S. Ill you are from but if close to St. Louis, this was posted on Kirkwood's website.

KAA Message Board: FREE CLINIC to prepare for tryouts!!!!

I am thinking about taking my daughter to it. We too are struggling with finding the "right" team.

 

[undergroundga]

Thanks for the heads up Slick. Can't beat a free clinic. Looks like fun.
Our first tryout is at 10am this Sunday with the org. we were with last year. There is a lot of drama with them and neither my wife nor I really want her on this team. After talking today I think we are gonna attend tryouts just for the experience, look toward making one of the other two teams. Maybe it will help her get over any nervousness she might have.

 

[undergroundga]

So we just got home from our first tryout. I believe the wife and I were more nervous than dd was. Although she did get up at 5 this morning. It was more excitement than nerves. She performed well. Not the best kid out there, more like upper middle. I thought the field was pretty well even and would hate to have to choose.
Got some pretty good feed back on her pitching as well.
We won't know if we made the team until some time in the next week. Like I said, this team is not our first choice. The org. has had a lot of drama the past season. Still, I feel bad if we make the team and I have to tell coach to give us some time to think about it so we can go to other tryouts. Pretty much his whole team is returning, or at least they were at tryouts. But I know we will see several of them next week at another tryout. I would hate for coach to expect us to play, then us play somewhere else. Then some girl(which might be us) ends up being a second choice. I'm surprised at how cutthroat tb is but I have learned over the last couple weeks(especially from reading this forum) that there just isn't much loyalty out there.

 

[undergroundga]

So, we went to second tryout this past Sunday. Dd was a lot less nervous/excited than she was at first tryout. Tryout was later in the day and it was extremely hot/humid.
Overall, I would say dd performed in the top middle again. She is rather half-hearted when it comes to warm ups, often times not putting the greatest effort forward. It drives me crazy sometimes, she is a great fielder, but during warm ups she makes lazy throws and lets balls bounce off her glove. She did well during drills.
The thing that worried me most was hitting off the machine. She did well.
She whinned a little about having to stay and pitch(hope no one noticed). She was hot and ready to cool off. She pitched well though.
We left feeling very confident. Coach said there was 5 or 6 more girls that couldn't make it and were having a select tryout later. He said he would let everyone know as quickly as possible, since another team was having tryouts the next Sunday. We tried to watch the other girls and felt like dd was better than most( but we are her parents).
One of the dad's from our team last year called me Mon. morn. and wanted to know if we had gotten a call yet. One of the other girls had gotten a call Sun. night. I tried to shrug this off,but as time passes it is eating at me. I hate not knowing.
There is one more tryout this Sun. Dw likes the team cause they are closer to home, and she likes their colore. I 'm not sold on them, mostly cause the coaches dd will be moving up next year and I'm worried that dd will be left without a team again.
I'm also trying to come to come to grips with the thought that maybe dd isn't as ready as we thought. If she doesn't make a team there has to be some weakness(which might be me). I know I overthink this way to much(dd is unphased, which is good). We'll see how this Sunday goes.

 

[MsDinosaur]

I also hate not knowing and I overthink way too much. I think there are a lot of us out there!

Both this year and last, I had big calendars with tons of planned tryouts written in and they went mostly unused. In fact, DD ended up on a team that I hadn't bothered to write in because I didn't want to drive that far, LOL.