Private tryout FAIL

[guero_gordo]

Another thread about a coach got me thinking about this.
DD's hitting coach pulled in a favor and got her a late private tryout with a very good coach on a lesser known org. Coach is all excited because the HC does not lavish praise lightly. He brings two girls and a bunch of coaches out to watch.

DD gets out of the car and does everything like she's been embalmed. Time to first was literally 4s, pop time could have been marked on a calendar, she moves laterally like she's standing in wet concrete.
DD actually loses and cleats her own glove reaching for a ball.

They go to hit, and the girl they dragged out to pitch to her throws nowhere near the strike zone, so DD manages to loop a few low and away balls by reaching, but the only thing over the plate was above her hands. Those she abandons all form for and whiffs away with a nice big loop in her swing.

Just a dream come true all around.

 

[Classof2020]

Oh man that is rough. I'm sure our turn is coming for one of those days. Thanks for the grins though

 

[RubberBiscuit]

There are all kinds of tryout outcomes. DD has had those. Then there is this one the other side of the spectrum:

DD was invited to tryout on her first REAL national TB-A team at 12yrs old on 14U (on arguably the most high-scholarship productive team in our little SB state).

Note - We expected to get there and have her pitch to me on a bucket in front of the coaches in a side area somewhere.

Here was the scenario when we walked into their training facility:
1. DD started to do some warm-up with their catcher.
2. Then the coach stops the practice and has all the players grab their helmets & bats and says "here is a new pitcher trying out - let's have you guys bat against her".
3. At this point there was not a sound in the facility except for my heart pounding the underside of my chin.... I can imagine DD was the same.
4. Well stone cold DD proceeds to get up their and basically dominate the rounds of at-bats.
5. Fast forward to the regular season => DD pitched maybe (3) games as pitcher #4 that started the season with one less.


Just shows ta go ya - be careful what ya wish for......

Ya just have to trust the outcome is part of a bigger plan.

 

[SCDad]

One day folks will realize tryouts are a joke.

Your tryout is playing against teams in games and trying to talk to the coach afterward.

Until the coach can connect the kid with the parent, with the kid who just beat them, it is meaningless.

I have been around travel softball for a long. long time. It is all about making a connection with opposing coaches, reminding them who just beat them, and making friends.

We DO NOT GO to open tryouts. We have two or three teams who would take DD on the spot.

If your DD cannot beat other teams, then you are behind the eight ball. Good luck.

 

[cuzmail]

One day folks will realize tryouts are a joke.
Your tryout is playing against teams in games and trying to talk to the coach afterward.
Until the coach can connect the kid with the parent, with the kid who just beat them, it is meaningless.

Truth !!!!

 

[Cannonball]

I don't know that tryouts are a joke. My dd's program just held tryouts and 58 girls showed up for the 16U tryouts which will carry 12-13. That was stated up front before tryouts were held. The 14U Team had 45 show up. All of the 16Us were HS starters and some played on very prestigious TB teams before these tryouts. The 12U Had 44 show up. In all of these cases, not one was promised a position on the side per a private tryout or a promise to make the team if they tried out. These tryouts were 2 (12U) and 3 days long and included a call back. The competition was pretty intense.

Per a tryout that my dd attended when she had just turned 13, we went in to a tryout held at a JUCO facility where the coach began screaming that if you didn't throw 60 then you would not be consider as a pitcher for this team. All pitches were gunned. DD went ahead and threw anyway since we drove a couple of hours to get there. I think at that time, she might have hit 52-53 mph. Not one pitcher threw 60 that day. Heck, we could have stayed at home and saved that money.

 

[tmolina]

To the original poster, what age group was this tryout for?

 

[guero_gordo]

To the original poster, what age group was this tryout for?

14U, though she looked about as prepared as a solid 10 B player.

 

[tmolina]

Thanks. I have seen alot of tryouts where the kid makes an error or strikes out, maybe both. However the good coaches were looking at mechanics, how they react when they do strike out or make an error. Also looking at hustle and atittude more than if the kid hits a homerun or makes a unassisted triple play!! They know when a kid is nervous and can play...Tell her to keep her head up and keep working on her game. Best of luck.

 

[sb03dad]

Reminds of one of my DDs first TB tryouts. Real sluggish, times on the bases the equivalent of a 76 year old great grandmother, throws all over the place except to her target, and fly balls falling in front of her after she calls them. Felt bad for her. After the tryout she felt feverish. Took her to doc, she had the flu.

But despite all that she got a callback. Went with a different team in the spring, but is now with that team. I guess she showed enough to make an impression that was remembered 8 months later.