At 10U you will need to partner with and or poach from the local Rec teams. I know that doesn't sound like a nice thing to do but you will need to get in front of kids who are interested in softball. You could offer your local rec org to hold a winter camp for 10U and under kids. Have the girls on your team help or at least take part in the camp. The parents may ask you for more details. Most kids at 10U are coming from Rec teams and are just getting interested in travel. Also the not so fun part of the process is marketing your team. You need to be heavy on socials and softball boards around your area. Most importantly make sure your team is sound fundamentally and wins. That more than anything will attract kids and parents during tournaments.
Finding Dedicated Parents/Players
- Thread starter ETXmayhem
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And how many players do you have that are all in?.....Maybe take them and join another team, at 10U, that shouldn't be too difficult, plus with your coaching experience, any team would be happy to have you. If you want to be the head coach and the decision maker, well that's another thing......
It’s almost like there is a global pandemic or something.
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Have you tried looking through forums where players (or I guess at that age, parents) post looking for teams? There have got to be players who are just now looking to jump into travel or who maybe made a team that disbanded or whatever.
And if you really just can't find the players to build a team, that might be a sign to maybe join up with another half team or disband entirely (you could always jump into coaching with a different organization).
And if you really just can't find the players to build a team, that might be a sign to maybe join up with another half team or disband entirely (you could always jump into coaching with a different organization).
There is a chance you're scaring them away. 10U is kind of early to expect any real level of dedication to a sport, and it's early for parents to want to commit time and resources to. You seem like it's important to you, and that's wonderful, but at 10 most kids aren't. And I wouldn't want them to be.
So maybe rephrase your pitch some. Focus on fun and learning rather than competitive softball. Tell parents it's a good way to help girls make new friends -- open your team up to anyone who wants to play. At 10, you've got lots of time to help them build skills. Scale back the money and the travel to as low as you can get it and see if you can find girls who might fall in love with the game instead of trying to find girls who already are.
So maybe rephrase your pitch some. Focus on fun and learning rather than competitive softball. Tell parents it's a good way to help girls make new friends -- open your team up to anyone who wants to play. At 10, you've got lots of time to help them build skills. Scale back the money and the travel to as low as you can get it and see if you can find girls who might fall in love with the game instead of trying to find girls who already are.
If you know the softball scene, you know which teams are in trouble or have issues and which players you would want from those teams. Target their parents at the next tournament - strike up a conversation - see if they are as unhappy as you expect they are - and then invite them out or even offer them a spot if you think that is appropriate.
You HAVE to be proactive and sell your team to potential players directly. All the tryout posts in the world won't work if someone else is actively showing a player you might want direct love.
Having previously lived in Deep East Texas for 13 years and now living just north of Houston I can see that what you are trying to do is a challenge. DD has picked up with some teams in ET at 10U (12U now) and we have played tournaments with our current and former teams in ET occasionally. The level of commitment you are going to get isn't like you get here in the big city. Especially at 10U.
My advice is scale back your expectations a little bit for now to get your team going. Also, this is a bad time of year to expect parents to commit. Budgets are tight at Christmas and really only the most committed are thinking about softball in the winter. Make do with what you can get now and hit the late spring early summer super hard as rec ball is ending. That is when you will have the most interest. Catch those girls that just finished all-stars and want to keep playing.
Play the long game and you will be in good shape for fall 21.
My advice is scale back your expectations a little bit for now to get your team going. Also, this is a bad time of year to expect parents to commit. Budgets are tight at Christmas and really only the most committed are thinking about softball in the winter. Make do with what you can get now and hit the late spring early summer super hard as rec ball is ending. That is when you will have the most interest. Catch those girls that just finished all-stars and want to keep playing.
Play the long game and you will be in good shape for fall 21.
It may be a little early in the year to attract players/parents for a 10U team. The majority of your pickups will be first time TB players and they are not thinking about softball right before Christmas. I would suggest you chill until after the first of the year. After the first of the year, schedule a skills camp and charge a nominal amount (remember people perceive free as worthless). Include your existing players and market as a tuneup for the coming spring season. I would include the ages 6-12. Talk to the parents and explain your situation. I bet you find enough players to fill your team.
Lots of great advice above, and I feel your pain. We had to abandon our team due to just having 6 committed families. It was tough, but proved to be the right decision. But it means I don't get to coach.
Seems you could:
1. Take your good girls and join another team that has half a good team. Combine to one good team.
2. Find athletes and friends of girls on your team who have never played and add them and develop them. Will be a fun team of friends, but talent will dip for a while as new girls learn skills.
Seems you could:
1. Take your good girls and join another team that has half a good team. Combine to one good team.
2. Find athletes and friends of girls on your team who have never played and add them and develop them. Will be a fun team of friends, but talent will dip for a while as new girls learn skills.
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