How long do you give a player to commit to team??

[sbfan]

Ok Coach's

You have tryouts and you call up the 2 girls you want on the team. There are two others that looked good but the first two were that much better. One of the first two girls says we will think about it and get back with you with no time limit.

Do u give them a time limit?

You know the other girls that looked good will be still looking for a team if they dont get that call within 24 hours?

I know there are a bunch of opinion's on that one.

[Sam]

They get one day. After that, I go to the next player (if there is one). The only way they get more than one day is if there is no other player to choose.

[frito_burrito]

They get one day. After that, I go to the next player (if there is one). The only way they get more than one day is if there is no other player to choose.

Or if they are that good. Usually call in the evening and give them until the next day at 5:00. Always tell the girls you will contact them within 48 hours if the made the team. That way when you call the 2nd girl she doesnt really know she wasnt the 1st choice.

[Softballshouldbefun]

I agree with having 24-48 hours to commit, but that has to go both ways. As a coach, you can't keep having open practices with 14-16 girls for 2 or 3 weeks while only committing to 7 or 8 of them. Coaches need to stop worrying about getting that 'one special player' and move forward with their season. When tryouts are over in any given area of the country, that 'one special player' is suiting up for someone else anyway.

JMHO

[fasterpitch92701]

Not to throw a red herring into this thing, however, there are other considerations. In the past 2 years many teams have moved their tryouts to within 2-3 weeks of Nationals concluding. Earlier if the teams/areas didn't make Nationals. It now appears to be a "race to the gate" to see who can hold the earliest tryout and lock in players.

The problem is that if an area has, oohhh.... 4 competitive teams that look promising based on previous play, reputation or ????... not everyone is going to want to commit after the first early tryout. It becomes a game of who does the first tryout and coaches are adjusting. But in some areas there simply isn't time to set up a tryout two Sundays after Nationals. And, frankly, some girls, parents and coaches might want a brief break.

Perhaps this is a topic for a thread all it's own. I am all for timely replies back to a coach who contacts a player and says... "I want you on my team". However, if the only criteria is who held their tryout first, buyers remorse may set in. Or players simply decommit (probably burning a bridge).

Just some thoughts...

enjoy in good health.

[3Bsnag]

Maybe it is different in different parts, but I kinda agree with FP92701 and can see both sides on this. There are so many variables now- tryouts are very early (there is a big difference in player quality for tryouts on Aug 9th/15th versus the 23rd/30th because they are being asked to commit right away), kids are moving up, changing teams, etc.

So, I've done my homework and I want to change teams. My 1st choice is The Swingers and my second choice is The Dirty Dogs. Swingers tryouts on the 8/23, Dirty Dogs on 8/16. Now what? So I just hang around for the Swinger tryouts because I don't want to make the Dogs coach wait a week? Come to find out at Swinger tryouts (thats a funny mental picture), that their #1 pitcher moved up to 18G, the #2 pitcher and her SS best friend went to the Dogs, and #1 catcher went to another team, coach is replacing 4 key players and I'm an OF.

Flip that to what Sam said about the coach's perspective and it all becomes a crap shoot.

That being said, thank goodness for rumors and parents sharing stories because we usually know who's going where way before it actually happens.

[traveldude]

24-48 hours,
Everyone has good points. There is no easy way. The players are the ones who have to juggle which team, which friends team etc. The Coach can only control his/her part. Have a tryout give them 24-48 hours.then move on. A little rule from the ASA which limits how early ASA teams can hold tryouts would make way too much sense. Let everyone get through Nationals and Western Nationals And whatever Nationals your region has then...Bam. The players would have to do their homework and be sure which team they want to play for. And be ready to commit. We have had players who have told us after a tryout that they would let us know after they went to a few more tryouts. We just said thanks for coming but we are going to keep looking. We have had players come back and the spot was filled and they got upset as if we were holding spots. Oh well JMO.
Traveldude (SoCal)

[Demonboy]

Maybe it is different in different parts, but I kinda agree with FP92701 and can see both sides on this. There are so many variables now- tryouts are very early (there is a big difference in player quality for tryouts on Aug 9th/15th versus the 23rd/30th because they are being asked to commit right away), kids are moving up, changing teams, etc.

So, I've done my homework and I want to change teams. My 1st choice is The Swingers and my second choice is The Dirty Dogs. Swingers tryouts on the 8/23, Dirty Dogs on 8/16. Now what? So I just hang around for the Swinger tryouts because I don't want to make the Dogs coach wait a week? Come to find out at Swinger tryouts (thats a funny mental picture), that their #1 pitcher moved up to 18G, the #2 pitcher and her SS best friend went to the Dogs, and #1 catcher went to another team, coach is replacing 4 key players and I'm an OF.

Flip that to what Sam said about the coach's perspective and it all becomes a crap shoot.

That being said, thank goodness for rumors and parents sharing stories because we usually know who's going where way before it actually happens.

Depends on how good the player is. If she's a bonafide blue chipper, she tells the Dirty Dogs that she will make her decision after she finishes her tryouts. "Everyone else" has to walk along a tricky tightrope.

In the end, it always comes back to that.

[fasterpitch92701]

Travelball... actually, there is a semi-easy way and it's the one you noted: no tryouts before xx/xx/xx and no commits prior to 48 hours after the tryout. The comedy routine is the game playing. In the example I noted, 4 teams in an area, it wouldn't take a great deal of rocket science for 4 teams to hold tryouts on one weekend, AM/PM, Saturday/Sunday. Let the best team for any given player win. Open, available, complete visibility, no sucker punches. Ahhh... but I live in a Pollyanna world.

True, prior research should be done and backgrounding the coaches is a smart. However, the decision also often depends to some degree on who else is on the team, was on the team, is coming back, has left, who the player really likes/dislikes, chemistry between the player and coaches and other semi-intangibles.

But, in my area, 4 teams would all do tryouts Saturday AM. That way you have to pick your team ahead of time, make it and then commit by Monday night. If you don't like your initial pick, hope that "plan B" isn't already saturated.

And one wonders why there is player churn...