The Buzz on Youth Sports
Spring Tryout Hints© Jon Buzby, www.JonBuzby.com
This column is for everyone getting ready to start playing baseball or softball. To avoid repetition and save word space, I'm going to refer to everything as baseball, but the exact same can be said for softball.
Through the years I've experienced baseball tryouts as a player, parent, coach and league commissioner. I've watched tryouts indoors and out, in good and poor weather conditions, and with all kinds of distractions.
The one thing that has been consistent throughout my tryout experiences is that kids get a minimum number of attempts and opportunities to showoff their skills. Because of the large number of kids who are trying out and the short amount of time available, typically a player will get 10-20 pitches to hit, 5-10 grounders to field and another 5-10 fly balls to shag.
Some players are already 'well known' and the tryout is basically just because the rules state he must attend. But most kids are completely unknown to the evaluators and so impressing them right off the bat (no pun intended) is important.
I know as a coach I always looked for kids using proper technique. The reality is on a cold day in March, most players are not going to hit the ball hard or far. But if a player looks like a hitter, that impresses me.
It's the same with fielding. Pre-season field conditions make for wicked hops that most professionals couldn't handle, but proper mechanics not only tell me that a player knows how to field, but just as importantly, he doesn't have bad habits to break.
Coaches don't want players throwing 'all out' at tryouts. Most arms are not ready. But they will be looking for proper throwing mechanics, from the crow hop to the follow-through. And I always think accuracy is more important than distance.
A few non-baseball specific hints include:
Players should dress in layers if it's cold. Bring a knit hat to wear because most coaches won't care what is on your head and you'll be much warmer (and therefore more effective) than the others in baseball caps. Also bring winter gloves and put them on when it's not your turn or when you are sitting for long periods. It's easier to hit and catch with warm hands than numb ones.
If you have a shirt with your name on it, wear that. Also, try to wear a hat (knit or cap) or jacket/shirt that will stick out in the crowd. Do NOT wear jeans or khaki pants, but instead 'real' baseball pants (and don't be afraid to put a pair of long underwear on underneath ' nobody will know but you ' a warm you, that is).
And kids, last but not least, try to have fun. In most youth sports leagues you aren't trying out to make a team or not, but rather just so coaches can see where they want to draft you. And the draft order is over-rated. One season my first-round selection quit before the first game and our third-round selection became our best player.
Good luck and have fun!
P.S. Parents, you can be seen but should not be heard. Most coaches figure if you are loud and belligerent at tryouts, you'll be even worse during the season.
©2009 Jon Buzby
Jon Buzby is a successful syndicated columnist and former youth coach. His column, The Buzz on Youth Sports, appears in newspapers and magazines around the country as well as throughout the Internet. His latest books are, Coaching Kids: It's More than X's and O's and Raising a Sports Fanatic. Email your questions or comments to Jon via email or visit his website at www.jonbuzby.com for more information.
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