So, how do you know if a travel team will be the right fit for your child? Here are 10 things to consider before signing your kid.

What does your child want?

It has to come from the youth athlete. Travel teams require more time commitment than other teams, so it is important that your child wants to be part of this kind of environment. Make sure the interest and excitement is coming from the kid and not you. It can be tempting as a parent to get excited that your child made the team, but make sure you are listening to their needs and wants. If they are passionate about playing the sport at a new level, go for it. If they are hesitant, ask more questions and make sure they are fully committed before signing up.

Does it work with your schedule?

Travel teams require, well, travel. So before signing your child up for the team make sure you can make it work. Lots of players on travel teams are part of carpools, so before signing up figure out the travel logistics. If you can’t bring your child yourself, no problem, but look into coordinating with other families to make sure it’s possible.

Facilities

Most travel teams have either one or a couple facilities that they host practices and games at. Do the facilities make you as a parent comfortable and proud? Are the facilities safe? Take into account travel time to get to the facilities, the up keep of the locations, and the safety measures taken to ensure that all of the athletes well-beings are at the forefront.

Does the travel team’s mission statement and goals match yours?

Most travel teams have mission statements and clear program goals stated on their website and social media. Make sure that as a parent you feel aligned with their goals and purpose as a club. The last thing you want to do is sign up for something that you thought was fostering development and fun, but ended up being all about performance and unequal playing time. Before you sign up, make sure you feel like you understand and also your child understands the program’s goals. If you have questions, don’t hold back!

Coaching

If this is your child’s first travel team it may also be their first time with a coach that isn’t a parent. Get to know the coach, study their background, and maybe do a trial practice to make sure your child clicks with the coaching style. Even though your child will likely come across many different coaches and styles throughout their life, that first travel coach is really important. That coach will set the foundation for their love of the sport and how they receive feedback moving forward. Be choosey, research, and make sure your child can develop and have fun under that coach’s leadership.

Cost

Can you afford it? Travel teams typically come with higher costs than recreational teams. Financially can you make it work? If not, does the team offer scholarships?

Team dynamic

How does the team seem to get along? One of the beautiful things about sports is that it brings together a bunch of individuals and finds a way to connect them through the game. As a parent, make sure your child feels supported to grow and learn with the travel team. How did your child feel after tryouts with the team? If your child got along with the other kids, that’s a great sign. If your child didn’t feel supported nor enjoyed their time during tryouts look into why. It’s important that whatever team your child plays on the team dynamic is a positive one and supports growth and fosters a lot of fun.

Clear pathway

Most travel teams have several teams within their programs. Since travel is a commitment and includes more practices and games, you want to make sure the investment is worth it. Does the club have a clear pathway? This means that after this season is there a team in the next age group, is the structure of the club supportive of players getting older and helping them achieve opportunities to make their high school teams and even college one day. It’s always a good sign if the club has a clear plan for its players, so take that as a positive if the club has a clear plan.

Ask around

One of the best ways to determine if a travel team or program is good is by asking other parents and families in the program. Read up on reviews and try to generate a pros and cons list.

Compare

If your child went to multiple tryouts, compare the way the tryouts were ran. Which program was more organized? Which coaches had more engaged coaches? Which program had kids smiling more? One of the best ways to come to a decision about the right travel team is to compare programs head to head. Have your child part of this discussion too, as your kid will likely have more of a first-hand opinion on what they’re encountered.

We hope these suggestions help you select the right travel program for your child.

Do you or someone you know need help managing their sports team or club? Sign up for a free 21-day trial today. Or check out our club and league solution, TeamSnap for Clubs and Leagues if your team is part of a larger sports organization.

If your child is a travel team athlete and your weekends are constantly filled with trips, games after games, and very little time home to regroup, follows these tips to carve out some downtime even when you’re on the go.

Using the time in transit to rest

While for the driver it’s far from relaxing, your athlete can use the time in the passenger seat to rest. If you’re driving your athlete to practice or a game, encourage your child to use this time to relax. Even though having to travel far during the week and weekends can be a daunting task, it can also be a perfect opportunity to put on some headphones, catch up on podcasts and audiobooks, and make new playlists. Allow your child to use this time in their own way. Try to avoid talk about the sporting event, unless they bring it up.

Take stops

Scheduling out some time to break up trips with new restaurants, museum visits, and park time is a great way to implement downtime on sport travel events that are typically centered around the sport. Downtime doesn’t necessarily have to mean napping and or sitting, it can also be doing an activity entirely different than the sport itself. Tap into other interests your child may be curious about. Show them your adventurous side by pulling over after a long day of games to a cool ice cream parlor or family owned restaurant on the journey home.

Protect your time

When it comes to time, it’s okay to be a little bit selfish. You can also be selfish with your child’s time; to protect them. If you are starting to notice that entire weeks are booked up with the same lineup of practices and commitments, talk to your child about mixing things up. The last thing that you want to happen is your child to decide they no longer like a sport that they have invested so much time and energy in. Show them that you are there for them and want them to love what they are doing. If your child is struggling to keep up with homework with all of the practices, maybe take a day off of practice to catch up on work and ease up some of assignments piling up. Also, make sure to continuously check in with your athlete to make sure they are feeling fine with the time they are spending at sporting events.

Lead by example

As a parent, you have the opportunity to show your child that downtime isn’t going to make or break a situation. Lead by example. Show them that taking an extra 15 minutes for a proper breakfast won’t effect the arrival time at practice. In fact, not scarfing down a grab-and-go breakfast but enjoying a nourishing and balanced meal will actually better influence their performance. Show them that after practices and games it’s more than okay to use the time to decompress and not think about the game. Try to not immediately press your child about the game, but rather let your child speak about it on their own terms. It’s healthy and usually more productive to let what just happened digest for a bit before immediately reacting. Show your child that that’s okay and focus on re-fueling, resting, and supporting them after any sporting event.

We hope these suggestions promote more downtime and allow you and your child to foster memorable experiences beyond the playing field.

Do you or someone you know need help managing their sports team or club? Sign up for a free 21-day trial today. Or check out our club and league solution, TeamSnap for Clubs and Leagues if your team is part of a larger sports organization.

Share the history of the city or sport

It’ll take some research and planning ahead of time, but windshield time is a perfect opportunity to share some intel about the history of the sport they love or the city you’re traveling to. Get the conversation flowing with some historical anecdotes and fun facts about the city you’re driving to. You can learn about important events, famous people who were born there, or a fun mascot or story that the city is known for. Additionally, many sports have a rich history of influential players of all backgrounds and defining moments that changed the game. Sharing these tidbits can spark your child’s curiosity about other places, encourage them to think critically, and lead to some fun conversations to help them get excited to visit new destinations and discover new role models within their sport. 

Experience the local culture

Taking some time to explore the food, art and music from your destination can be a fun way to teach your kids about other cultures. Plus, you can support local small businesses by eating at a family-owned restaurant representing the local culture and cuisine.You can also check out local art galleries or museums to explore the exhibits and help tap into your child’s creative side. Consult the city or region’s Visitor’s Bureau or Tourism Board for must-see or must-do recommendations that highlight what makes that area unique.

Check out the parks in the area (or along the way)

All across North America there are a plethora of beautiful city, state/provincial and national parks. Between scenic drives, hiking trails and lookouts, you’re sure to find the activity that fits your family’s interests! Keep in mind that national parks and some state parks have entrance fees, so if you’re looking to enjoy one, consider whether it fits into your trip budget. As an alternative, a city park may be a more affordable option. Great views, space, and adventure will be guaranteed at any park you choose.Keep in mind that some national parks have a timed-entry system, so some advanced planning may be required to ensure you can access the park(s) you’re interested in.

We hope these suggestions tap into your adventurous side and allow you to foster memorable experiences beyond the playing field.

Do you or someone you know need help managing their sports team or club? Sign up for a free 21-day trial today. Or check out our club and league solution, TeamSnap for Clubs and Leagues if your team is part of a larger sports organization.

As a parent going on a trip with your athlete and the rest of the team, here are some tips to ensure the travel runs smoothly. Travel teams typically do a lot of, well, travel. As a parent who signed your child up for this, you also signed yourself up for it. Here are some ways to ease the stress, enjoy some fun road trips, and see your child happy and developing.

Parent manager

Many travel teams have parent managers or parent coordinators. What this does is help the coaches and the rest of the parents with team communication, logistics, and more. If your child is going on a trip with the travel team and you have a parent manager, refer to that parent! The parent manager is usually in close communication with the coach so knows everything from arrival time, what jersey to wear, the team’s standings and more. If your team doesn’t have a parent manager, and you’re up for it, suggest being the point person for the weekend and create a checklist for yourself to ensure a smooth weekend. TeamSnap helps coaches, parents, and more with communication, scheduling and availability, reminders, registration and more. Lean in to TeamSnap to be your parent manager, it won’t disappoint. 

Pack ahead

There’s nothing quite like being two hours into a road trip and remembering you were supposed to bring both color jerseys. Make sure your child’s sports bag is packed the night before travel. Make a list, double check it, and tap into reminders on your phone and the TeamSnap app. This kicks the travel day off on a strong start. Load up the car and take off!

Know your route

Since travel teams require many hours getting from fields, to courts, stadiums, to rinks, figure out the best route ahead of time. Play around with different maps and routes and look for the most direct route. Communicate with other parents and always allow yourself plenty of time to get to the practices and games. Travel teams usually require more commitment than a recreational team, which allows means earlier arrival times and longer post-game talks. Find out how much time before practices and games your coach wants the team there, and give yourself an extra 15 minutes if possible in case any unexpected hurdles get in your way to team commitments.

Back up plan

One way to plan for any unpredictable work commitments or anything else that could get into your way of getting your child to practice is to have a back up plan. This could be having a direct line of communication with another parent and letting them know that your child may need a ride if something comes up. Life happens, so rely on other members of the team to step up when you need them. As much as your child is part of a team, as a parent you are too.

Ask questions

As a travel team player and parent, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Your questions can be directed to the coach, but also other coaches and members of the travel organization. If you are a travel player and confused about the club’s mission statement or policy around playing time, ask away! A travel organization is only as strong as the players and families that make it up, so ask away. Additionally, if you are a new travel parent and you are trying to navigate this new space, don’t be afraid to ask other parents about things that seem new and confusing.

Find balance

Although travel teams require a lot of time commitment, find balance where you can. If the car rides are long and monotonous, maybe opt for some playlists, podcasts, or audiobooks. If you know that you have a tournament in a new city, maybe take the rest of the trip to explore a new place, try new cuisine, and be a tourist! If there is a lot of car time it also doesn’t hurt to pull over to rest stops or stop at a restaurant for a good meal instead of non-stop playing, driving, and eating on the go.

Make sure it’s fun

With all the travel, practices and games, you want to make sure your child is enjoying the sport and environment. For some athletes, travel teams aren’t enjoyable but recreational sports are. Recreational teams usually are local and don’t require tryouts, travel, and higher fees. If your child is on a travel team, it’s important to check that they like being part of the team and still are having fun playing the sport. What keeps kids playing sports is a love for the game, so above all else that has to be the priority.

As a former athlete, I remember the long car rides home after tough losses. I used to dread them. The thing is, it doesn’t have to be dreadful. If you are driving your child home after a game use the time to let your child come to you with their own interpretation of the game. It’s important to let them analyze and digest their performance without any outside noise. Focus on providing support and being a good listener. If your child doesn’t want to talk about the game, good or bad, think about ways to get them to reflect.

One suggestion is to use positive reinforcement to call out a moment in the game that you thought they did well. Ask them what the coach had to say after the game. By asking what the coach says, it allows the player to think more about the entire competition as a whole and not over analyze his/her own performance but focus on the overall team.

[Watch: Too Many Kids Leave Sports Because Of The Car Ride Home]

If your child really doesn’t want to speak about the game, respect their space and ask if they want to listen to anything in particular on the radio. Let them know that if they don’t want to talk about it now, you are always there for them if they want to discuss at another time. It’s also great when teammates carpool to and from practices and games. It’s usually more conversational and an open dialogue when multiple players are riding together.

You can even coordinate and assign carpool duty using the TeamSnap app!

As a parent driving the carpool, again be a good listener but also look for moments to get a pulse on the kids’ general attitude around the sport. The most important thing is that they are enjoying it. For some players, the team aspect is why they continue playing. For others, it’s the memories of traveling to away games, out of state tournaments, and post-game pizza parties. Be part of these memories and encourage your child to use the ride home to remember the things they love about their sport. If they aren’t liking the sport anymore, this can also be a gateway into finding a new activity or sport they may enjoy more.

If for some reason the bluetooth in your car isn’t working or your child hasn’t gotten a cellphone yet, behold a good old fashion game of 10 fun questions to ask your young athlete on a long, yes very long, car ride. Focus on questions around their sport, how they are doing, and of course, fun.

1. Scale of 1-10, how strict am I as a parent?

2. If you could have any road trip snack in the world, what would you have?

3. Would you rather go the direct and fastest way to a location or the long and scenic route?

4. What do you want to be when you grow up?

5. What household chore do you dread the most?

6. What is one skill you really want to master?

7. What is your favorite part about playing [sport]?

8. If you could communicate with any animal, what animal would it be?

9. What would be the perfect day for you?

10. How long until we are there?

Let us take away some of the stress of preparing for a family trip and connecting with your kiddos on the road with these 10 questions.

First, it’s important to determine the facts. What age group are you coaching? Is this a recreational team or a travel team? What day of the week does the training fall on? Is there a game coming up? What level are the players?

Ask yourself these questions before sketching out your practice plan. This allows you to answer the why and fill in some of the details that can dictate the direction of your session. For example, if you’re trying to plan a practice the day after a game, it may be smart to run a lighter practice. The kids may have heavy legs and above all else their safety is the highest importance. On the contrary, if you don’t have a game for a week, this may be a more intense training day since the kids will have some time before their next match.

Check out these tips to build out your practice plan for your soccer team.

Who’s coming to practice?

Before jumping into your training activities, make sure you have a headcount. How many players will be at training? Make note of how many players you’re expecting, this will help you with planning and duration of activities. If you are expecting less players than usual, be mindful that the players in attendance will likely be getting more repetitions than usual. Make sure they are getting adequate rest and recovery between exercises.

What’s your focus?

What are you hoping to teach and focus on during practice? One of the best ways to determine what to focus on is by thinking about the soccer game in simple terms: attacking and defending. If you are hoping to improve scoring goals, create chances forward, you will likely want to focus on an attacking practice. On the other hand, if your team has been struggling to get the ball out of their half and have been getting score on, the right focus for training may want to be defending. Once you decide your focus, we can get into the activity planning part.

How should the session flow?

Now that you know how many players are coming and your focus for practice, it’s time to get into the fun stuff — what the kids are going to do. Depending on your soccer organization or league, there may be a certain methodology required during practices. But, if you’re building this on your own, one of the best ways to jump into planning is by following U.S. Soccer’s method of a play-practice-play model. Play, practice, play is exactly how it sounds: Players jump right into playing when they arrive, then the core practice activity occurs, and then the players apply what they learned during the bulk of the practice into a final playing environment. Before practice, create a plan for a small-sided or full-team playing environment to kick things off. Depending on the age group, the field space available, and numbers at practice will determine how big of a game the first play phase is. One example would be making two small sided games of 4 vs. 4. This would mean in total you will need around 16 players. If you have less than 16 players, another idea could be just one small sided game of 4 vs. 4 which would only require 8 total players. Some math is required in soccer, but don’t lose sight of the main purpose: getting the kids playing right from the start.

How do I find and/or create practice activities?

This is a personal preference and skill. Some players can make sessions up on their own and some may need to research, watch YouTube or Instagram soccer highlights. There’s no right or wrong system here, as coaching in general is incredibly collaborative. Feel free to ask other coaches what kinds of activities they suggest. Keep it specific too. If you want to run an attacking focused practice, ask other coaches what some of their best offense drills are. They may suggest a shooting game or maybe something more to goal like 2 vs. 1 or 1 vs. 1. Think about your practice activities as the bulk of your session. You’ll want to have variations in case it’s too challenging or too easy for the players. In your practice plan think about including an easier activity to get the players confident and lots of repetition. Once they get into the groove, find ways to challenge them more. If you’re running a 2 vs. 1 game to goal and the easier version had the two attacking players going to a goal without a goalie for a more challenging version include a goalie and if the goalie makes the save the defender and goalie can try and get over the line in the opposite direction.

Once you create and or find an activity, write it out! Break up your team ahead of time. This will allow for smoother transitions during practice. Also writing your practice plan out is a great archive to come back to and share with other coaches.

How do I end practice on a high note?

If you ask soccer players what their favorite part of practice is, most will typically say “scrimmaging.” One of the best ways to end your practice on a positive note is to wrap up the day with a final play phase. This is also great for the players to apply what they learned throughout the duration of the session. Implementing a final play phase should still be organized. Mark out your teams ahead of time and think about moments throughout this scrimmage to ask some questions to the players and encourage them to show what they learned during the activities in the big game. The duration of the final play phase is dependent on the age group and how much time there is slotted to the practice. If the kids are younger, you’ll want to structure it similar to a half of their “real game”. For youth players playing 9v9 games, each half is 30 minutes long.

Reflect

After practice is over take some time to reflect on the session. What went well? What could have been better? Did the players take your feedback and coaching instruction in stride? Jot down some thoughts and bookmark the session. You will likely come back to parts of this practice at a different time.

Do you or someone you know need help managing their baseball team or club? Sign up for a free 21-day trial today. Or check out our club and league solution, TeamSnap for Clubs and Leagues if your team is part of a larger sports organization.

Recreational soccer

A soccer program that is primarily devoted to the enjoyment and development of soccer players without the emphasis on travel or high-level competition.

According to US Youth Soccer and its partial definition in its “Policy on Players and Playing Rules” it states: “recreational league” means an intraclub league in which— (A) The use of tryouts, invitations, recruiting, or any similar process to roster players to any team on the basis of talent or ability is prohibited; (B) The club administering the league accepts as participants in the league any eligible youths (subject to reasonable terms on registration); (C) A system or rostering players is used to establish a fair or balanced distribution of playing talent among all teams participating; and US Youth Soccer Director of Coach and Player Development Manual – Recreational Soccer Page 2 (D) League rules require that each player must play at least one-half of each game except for reasons of injury, illness, or discipline. “recreational team” means a team that participates in a recreational league.

Club or travel soccer

Travel soccer and club soccer refers to teams and leagues that play more than local competition/recreationally and have a selection process for players to be able to join.

Now that there’s distinction, it’s important to understand recreational and travel soccer both include many parties. When choosing a recreational soccer program here are some tips to make sure you and your child(s) have fun and develop.

Look for fun

When selecting a recreational program, look for a program that is fun. Talk to other parents involved, get to know the coaches and observe if the players are enjoying themselves. A huge part of recreational programs are to allow kids a healthy outlet to participate in and keep them playing sports throughout life.

Qualified coaches

Even though recreational doesn’t include the same level of competition required in club and travel clubs, leagues, and teams, it still should have qualified coaches on staff. Look for programs with coaches with experience, licenses, and additional accolades. While not all coaches need to have certain licenses to coach, the success and fun of the players is directly correlated to the effectivenesses of the coaches around them.

Transparent pathway

Recreational programs aren’t always tied to other programs and leagues, but whether it is or isn’t, you still want to know what the potential pathway for your child is if he/she continues to love and develop in the sport. Talk to the coaches and other families about what the development plan and pathway is. It’s always a good idea to know the next step, especially if your child starts to love and really grow as a soccer player.

Organization

Recreational soccer programs that are organized are a must-find. Look for programs that use management programs like TeamSnap for Club and Leagues to streamline communication, make registration easy, and scheduling seamless. As a new parent or player on a team the last thing you want is stressing over when and where practices are, who to pay, who’s the coach and how to contact other parents.

Ready to Get Started with TeamSnap Clubs and Leagues? Onboard TeamSnap today for easy payments, registration, and communication. Discuss your options with our Club & League specialists today. Talk to us now and sign up for a demo.

Coaches all start somewhere, so remember that it’s a marathon and not a sprint! Here are 5 tips for first-time coaches to ensure that your first season of coaching is full of learning, fun, and fulfilled expectations.

Immerse yourself in the sport

One of the best ways to learn is to fully immerse yourself in the subject or skill. Be open to soaking in all parts of soccer, from the specific skills and rules, to the player development and needs, the local teams and fandom. Don’t be afraid to get to know the other coaches, volunteers and parents within the soccer program you’re working at. You can take in so much by hearing from those who have been there before you. Immersing yourself into the culture of the team or club you are working at includes getting to know the parents.

Get to know everyone

Although it isn’t easy to deal with parents as a coach, put yourself in their shoes and be willing to communicate and meet everyone at first. One of the best ways to involve parents without having them take over your coaching role is to set clear expectations. If you’re a parent-coach, it’s even more important to set some guidelines. U.S Youth Soccer suggests:

• Involve the parents and enlist their support.
• Communicate your philosophy and team goals.
• Having the parents support and reinforce your discipline policies are crucial. Your expectations for player behavior should be clearly stated at the beginning of the season.
• Engage parents in the process of understanding best soccer practices

Develop a communication style that works for you

Every coach has a unique way of communicating with players. Learn what kind of communication style works for you and even more importantly gets through to the players. A lot of properly communicating has to do with the type of players you are coaching from characteristics like age, gender, and socioeconomic status. It’s okay to not have the communication style down on the first day. Players are receptive to coaches that try and are confident in their teachings and feedback. Test the waters, try different tones, animation levels and trust your gut. Most players aren’t afraid to offer feedback, so also look out for signs that they aren’t understanding or properly hearing you. Often times their game speaks for itself too. As a coach, you know you’ve successfully painted the picture when the players perform.

Develop a plan

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Coaches at the highest level still map out sessions. To get any coaching license, developing practice plans is a huge piece. As a first-time coach, keep a notebook. Draw your sessions out and reflect after practices. This will allow you to see what’s working and what isn’t. Also, when you are first starting out as a coach, having something to refer to during the practice is a nice reference point. Preparation at any level shows care and players respond well to structure and organization. One way to develop a practice plan is to think about the session in parts. Perhaps you follow a play-practice-play method or you jump right into skills like juggling, foundations and toe-touches. Find what works for you and the kids you’re coaching, but write things out and set goals for each session.

Become an exceptional listener

One of the biggest parts of becoming a strong communicator is listening. As a soccer coach, listening is crucial to the game. Listening can be broken down into determining player needs and team needs. As a coach it is your job to develop the players, but also strive for the greater good of the team. Be open to hearing what the players are saying to one another, not just you. Be receptive to feedback from parents and peers. It’s okay to not respond right away, but listen to everything. Another part of being a good listener helps you ensure safety of your players. Managing the performance environment is key, so listen to cues from the environment around you from sounds of weather in the distance, a hard tackle on the other side of the pitch, or whisperings between players.

TeamSnap for Clubs & Leagues can help first-time coaches by consolidating everything in one place. As a new coach it can feel overwhelming having a brand new roster, a long list of emails, new registrations platforms, among other things. With TeamSnap, as a coach you can have an all-in-one solution for your team. The Clubs & Leagues product allows organizations to streamline communication, track payments, have safety checklists, and more. As a coach, focus on the part that matters: coaching and playing. Sign up for a trial or demo!

Softball season, although leagues may start at different times, is typically ran in the spring. For many teams, the time for tryouts is right around now: April/May.

If you’re a softball club or league starting to get your tryouts organized, here are some tips to make sure the day runs smoothly. TeamSnap for Clubs & Leagues can help you plan this big day, through messaging, scheduling functions, registrations, and more.

Get the word out

It’s important that the day you select for tryouts is circled on prospective players’ and parents’ calendars. You will want to make sure that all of the coaches know when tryouts are, parents, and players so the day attracts lots of new and previous players. One way to attract new players is through social media and thoughtful marketing. You’ll want to have the day announced at least three months in advance and send out reminders on social media, your website, and emails. Encourage parents, players, and coaches to spread the word. Word of mouth travels faster than any email!

Get a head count

It’s challenging to run a successful tryout without an idea as to how many players you will have in attendance. Luckily, TeamSnap has an easy-to-use integration with TeamGenius to help run tryouts and team evaluations. To make the sign-up process easier, use the TeamSnap app. You can create a customized form online and then simply send the link to athletes. All the registration information will be collected in a single place. The TeamSnap app also allows you to collect payments online to save yourself the hassle of chasing down who’s paid and who hasn’t.

Be ready to evaluate

A major part of tryouts is the evaluation process. Most coaches and teams follow an evaluation template to observe the players. While every club and league may have a slightly unique process in terms of evaluation, it’s crucial to have enough scoring sheets to disperse to all of the coaches and instructors evaluating. When creating the evaluation for a softball tryout, it’s important to create something that looks at the whole player vs. just one skill or two. There are different tryout scoring systems you can use, from 1-5 to any time a player hits they get 30 points. Discuss with your organization what fits in with your club’s mission statement and developmental goals and make a concise and consistent evaluation template.

Create a game plan

Some softball tryouts are held over the course of two or more days. Organizations may want to see skills on one day and then more position specific the next. Since it is your tryout, it’s your call. When operating the flow of the tryout make sure that the entire day or days encompass all parts of the game. For softball, you’ll want to make sure that all of your drills evaluate a player’s ability to hit, catch, throw, run, among other skills. It’s not a bad idea to have the tryout stretched across two days to focus more on the skills of the game one day and then positional and more game-like scenarios the other. Examine what kind of bandwidth your program has; from staffing, field space, and time and go from there. If you decide to hold your tryout on two days, make sure the rundown is clearly communicated.

Do you or someone you know need help managing their baseball team or club? Sign up for a free 21-day trial today. Or check out our club and league solution, TeamSnap for Clubs and Leagues if your team is part of a larger sports organization.