Over the years, I have talked to many parents whose DD's were trying out for travel teams. Their #1 complaint is that the coaches / players / parents were not very friendly / not very welcoming. My DD recently tried out recently for a couple of top travel teams in So Cal (to remain nameless). She's a monster player but she's not going to join a team if the girls are not very friendly. At one 3 hour practice, not one player made even the slightest effort to converse with my DD.
Travel should be competitive but that doesn't mean it should be devoid of human nicities, compassion and general friendliness...especially on the same team. I don't think it's too much to ask to still have a fun enjoyable environment yet still be competitive...especially if you're paying $$$ and going to be spending 15 hours a week with them.
Note to Coaches - If you have a player coming to tryout remind your players to be friendly and welcoming...just a little bit.
Not to parents - Tell your player that it's okay to smile and to be nice to new girls...at least once in a while.
I coached for 7 years and won a few championships, but I prided myself on how friendly all my teams were...how well all the players got along...and how welcoming they were to new players. It was my job as a coach and a parent to prep my team if a new player or 2 were coming to tryout...make sure they were friendly and welcoming. I would even make a game out of it...'Find out 3 things about the new player that you can share by the end of practice.' If my players began to fall back into their comfortable clicks at breaks, leaving a new player isolated...they were running laps.
Get with it coaches. There's more to coaching than hitting grounders and running drills. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.