Advice on starting a travel team

[TNSoftballDad]

This is all new to me, so I figured I'd get some insight from people who have probably been there before.

Another coach and I are starting a 10U team in West Tennessee. We've got a group of 5-6 players to start with. We've posted tryout announcements in various places (the one in our local paper hasn't printed yet) and have thus far gotten no bites.

I'm worried that we started too late in the process. We're not in a huge area and I think the 10U pool is kind of thin around here anyway.

Does anyone have any advice on the best methods to find/recruit players? I don't want us to put in all this work only to not be able to fill the roster.

[futurestar]

Go to local rec leagues and look for players.

[dallasfungo]

build with talent. look for great athletes in other sports; any 10 year old with speed and strength would be someone to invite to an open practice. a lot of kids who are bored with soccer, gymnastics or basketball could be converted to softball. I've even seen a girl pulled out of competitive dance do very well on a softball field.

[UTNOONE]

Try contacting the area tournament directors, hitting instructors and pitching instructors. They often know girls that are looking for teams. I am a coach in this area and it is diffcult finding players.

[CallingCadence14]

10U Tn ball is just jumping with Teams.I suggest going to some of the Tm websites ask Coaches for girls who didnt make the cut but were truly good athletes.I am surprised you all are soo behind the power curve most tms made there selections during the fall for this upcoming season.You'll have to hit some the local winter camps and search.
Hit all the Pitching Schools and Hitting Coaches you'll be surpised with what you can come up with.
Best of luck to you.

[Kelly Crusaders]

This is all new to me, so I figured I'd get some insight from people who have probably been there before.

Another coach and I are starting a 10U team in West Tennessee. We've got a group of 5-6 players to start with. We've posted tryout announcements in various places (the one in our local paper hasn't printed yet) and have thus far gotten no bites.

I'm worried that we started too late in the process. We're not in a huge area and I think the 10U pool is kind of thin around here anyway.

Does anyone have any advice on the best methods to find/recruit players? I don't want us to put in all this work only to not be able to fill the roster.

good luck with your endeavor

we're just starting out as well, but with 16U. It's our inaugural season. The past few years i've been involved with another tb team but the politics and drama and lack of organization with that group, as well as other reasons, my friend and I (their 16U manager), another coach of that team and some of the girls who've played for us for years left the organization.

We were contacted by someone else who was roughly in the same boat as us, who shared the same opinions/goals/love of the game that we all do so now we're starting our own team for all the right reasons.

Keep us posted on how things go with your 10U

[Travel Ball]

In no particular order:
Develop an idea about what you want to be 3 years from now and sell that to players/parents.
Don't be a in hurry.
Don't put the emphasis on winning early.
Recruit parents who are as good as the player.
Don't be afraid to cut immediately a kid/parent who is a cancer on your team.
Establish boundaries early with the parents (24-hour rule).
Recruit pitchers who will be great pitchers tomorrow and not just great pitchers today.
Recruit great athletes who love softball and not necessarily great softball players who love athletics.
Honestly assess the limitations of your teams. Where are your holes you have to fill to get better long-term and not necessarily right now.
Honestly assess your own DD (darling daughter).
Really, really commit in one or two of your long-term "projects" and sell their eventual skill development to future prospects/parents.
Surround yourself with good coaches who share your vision
Expect players/parents to leave for lots of good and stupid reasons, and don't get upset by it.
Be honest with kids and parents. Never lie. Never promise positions/play time.
Assign each parent a responsiblity, no matter how small, so that they are "vested" in what is happening. Parents who don't what a responsiblity are parents you don't want to.
Cut out the "crap" on the field and in the stands from the beginning.
Be the "class" of the field whether you are winning, losing, being cheated by referees, etc.
Try to do everything off the field "better" than your competition (better uniforms, better website, better organization, better pre-game warm up, better parent shirts, better hotels . . . just present the image that you are better, whether you actually are or not).
Make friends with your opponent coaches.
The coaches who can't/won't be friends with you are threated by what you are doing.
Make friends with the parents on other teams, but don't "actively" recruit other team's players. . . they will come to you if you do the right things, the right way. . .you must recruit constantly to develop a winner, but don't actively recruit other teams players.
Make friends with the tournament directors. They are NOT your enemy.
Make friends with the umpires.
Don't worry about what other people think about you.
Worry alot about what your own parents and kids think about you.
Learn the game yourself.
Teach the game at a "higher level" than your competition (drills, skills, etc.)
Teach fundamentals.
Teach fundamentals.
Teach fundamentals.
Teach fundamentals.
Teach fundamentals.
Teach fundamentals.
Teach fundamentals.
Teach fundamentals.

[jofus]

"Establish boundaries early with the parents (24-hour rule)."

Pardon my ignorance, but what is the 24-hour rule? Something to the effect of "wait 24 hours to bring up an issue from a game", or similar?

[Sftbll4ever]

The 24 hour rule is that no parent or player should approach the coach until 24 hours after the last game. This will give a cooling off time and maybe even a chance to make sure that you are not reacting to a situation that you may have miss understood.

In most cases, the parents do not understand what or why they coach has done what they did in a specific game situation. The parent of little Susie will vent on the coaches without thinking.

[Sftbll4ever]

I peronally have never had to worry about it, but I wish that some other parents would have with another team.

By the way, nice to see you showing more of yourself. I could do without the man cleavage though.