Iluvblue wrote:Just curious Momos dad... how many other "Advanced tryout" sessions have you watched? and what did they specifically do that was impressive?
Where are they out of?
They're down in Elk Grove and have their own field, I think. I can't remember the name, though. This particular tryout was at Softball Skills School.
I don't pretend to have you guys' level of experience, but I began shopping around for 12u teams about 3 years ago and have checked out the tryouts or practices of many of the Sac area teams. I've watched a few of the older teams, too, but mainly focused on 12u to form an idea of knowledgeable and organized vs coaches that were lacking. I wasn't looking for a specific coach, but wanted to see many different styles. In 10u, you don't find a lot of great coaches. If you're looking at a winning 10u team, it's usually because the coach happened to be a great recruiter.
It was the specific breakdowns of the fielding drills that stood out to me. Anyone can just hit grounders and watch kids field, but these guys were looking for technique, not merely whether a player could get to the ball and make a play. They would do a quick demonstration and then the players were expected to execute, to demonstrate how quickly they could pick up a new skill. If several girls were struggling, the coach would take a quick break, slow it down, and show them again. For all the girls there who were coming straight out of rec, it was an eye-opening experience.
I also appreciated the amount of attention we received from the head of the organization. He answered all the questions we had, not just about their organization and this new team, but about A level ball in general.
When I asked whether they were looking to start an 02 team, he was clear and honest about wanting to get the one team going first and also that they wouldn't even entertain the idea of taking on another team just to have it. Before it will even be considered, they want to make sure they've got an excellent coaching staff in place. You don't need me to tell you that there are other organizations around here who'll let anyone have a team just to avoid having a gap in years.