True or False (HS Coaches)

[iMlearning]

The wife of the HS baseball team said that the coaches for baseball/softball have the team picked prior to tryouts. We also heard this from a former HS softball coach. He was ticked that at this past years tryouts, his DD didn't get a chance to show "her stuff" because they only hit a few balls off a tee and did grounders, but not much else. I thought this was crazy because they wouldn't have seen the freshman, but she said that they already know about the good ones.
So true or false? Maybe they just have a good idea going into it from returning players.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

We don't do tryouts for returning players, realistically you already know who can do what by the previous year(s). The older girls help run the tryouts and have a smidge of input to the coaches on what/who they like/dislike.

Yes, I'd say any HS coach worth his weight should have a general idea of the top incoming freshmen, even more if there is a middle school feeding team.

Let's say we like to carry "about" 20 total for the team. We had 20 on the roster last year and lost 3 to graduation. There were 2 great freshmen coming in and about 15 who tried out. The 2 greats were "automatic" I'm sure before they ever took the field, and we picked up 2 more who had a nice tryout.

Most of the time the travel girls are "chosen" before tryouts begin. If you've been playing ball 6-8 years before you reach HS your name is going to get tossed around at some point.

 

[iMlearning]

We don't do tryouts for returning players, realistically you already know who can do what by the previous year(s). The older girls help run the tryouts and have a smidge of input to the coaches on what/who they like/dislike.

Yes, I'd say any HS coach worth his weight should have a general idea of the top incoming freshmen, even more if there is a middle school feeding team.

Let's say we like to carry "about" 20 total for the team. We had 20 on the roster last year and lost 3 to graduation. There were 2 great freshmen coming in and about 15 who tried out. The 2 greats were "automatic" I'm sure before they ever took the field, and we picked up 2 more who had a nice tryout.

Most of the time the travel girls are "chosen" before tryouts begin. If you've been playing ball 6-8 years before you reach HS your name is going to get tossed around at some point.

I think this was covered in another post but is 20 normal for a roster? We only had 13 girls on our varsity last year.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Maybe saying that the team is picked, is a bit of an exaggeration. Some new star could always stroll in. But, yes. It is like All Stars, you generally know who is going to make the team.

I think that the BB coach's wife needs to shut up.

 

[quincy]

Niece’s HS had 2 freshmen Teams, 1 sophomore, 1 JV and 1 Varsity.

I do not follow it close but they had 60 players tryout for the sophomore team and I would guess all but 1 or 2 slots were opened before tryouts started. The other slots were filled before tryouts even happened.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I think this was covered in another post but is 20 normal for a roster? We only had 13 girls on our varsity last year.

We had 20 total in the softball program. That 20 player roster covers both Jv and V. We practice together, we use the same field, on game day the Jv plays first and right after the varsity plays.

 

[KCM]

We had 20 total in the softball program. That 20 player roster covers both Jv and V. We practice together, we use the same field, on game day the Jv plays first and right after the varsity plays.

Sounds like our school program. We fear fielding a team sometimes due to other school activities. Thankfully most are dedicated to the team.

 

[iMlearning]

Maybe saying that the team is picked, is a bit of an exaggeration. Some new star could always stroll in. But, yes. It is like All Stars, you generally know who is going to make the team.

I think that the BB coach's wife needs to shut up.

My wife has worked with her for 20 years...I don't think she ever stops talking.

 

[JAD]

If the softball coach is doing his/her homework, they should already have a pretty good idea what kind of incoming talent they will have, and obviously they know how many seniors they are losing. Every coach hopes an unknown STUD will show up at tryouts, but that is rare. My experience with coaching TB has been that better decisions are made watching a player in tournaments and multiple practices vs. a one time 2-hour tryout.

BTW - our HS team carries @ 24 girls between varsity and JV.

 

[Sparky Guy]

We don't do tryouts for returning players, realistically you already know who can do what by the previous year(s). The older girls help run the tryouts and have a smidge of input to the coaches on what/who they like/dislike.

HUGE mistake!!!! I don't care how good a returning player is they should NEVER believe that making the team is automatic. The other down side to that. You don't know how good the incoming players are until comparing them side by side to your current/returning players. Competition for positions on a team is ALWAYS a good thing,

When my DD' played every returning player participated in tryouts. Even the All-Conference, All-Region and All-State players. Everyone knew the coach would put the best players on the field. The Seniors "Earned it." BS did not work with her. Fortunately, she had the backing of the AD when a parent whined. It also makes competition for positions a REAL prospect when there are 120 kids showing up for the three levels in an area that is heavily populated with travel ball players.

She would only have 15 on the roster at the Varsity level. Tried 21 one season and it was a disaster.

The school had a hair under 5,000 students attending it. So competition for ANY sport was hard.

The same thing went for the travel teams she played for. EVERYONE tried out each year. It made her a better player because she knew she had to be better then all the other pitchers who showed up looking for a spot in the team.