Running an Effective Tryout

A major winter storm barreling down on the Chicago is a sure sign that baseball is upon us.  For those of you not from the north, this is, in fact, a common occurrence three days before the first day of tryouts.  Many coaches in cold weather climates run into the same dilemma that I have; you need to assess your players and select your team without actually getting to play outside. I can count on one finger the number of times I have held a tryout outside in my ten years of coaching. 

 
As I am preparing for our season, I am reminded that tryouts are a very bittersweet time of the year.  It marks the beginning of baseball season, which is very exciting.  But inevitably, it marks the end of someone’s baseball career, which is upsetting.  The worst part about it is that I get to choose whose career effectively ends next week.  This task has not gotten any easier over the past decade, so in order to rationalize the large responsibility I have been granted, I have come up with a few rules for our staff during tryouts: 1.) Keep the maximum number of feasible players, 2.) ensure that the tryout is fair, equitable, and takes as many facets of the game into account as possible, and 3.) be objective and honest in the cut process.

Below are some methods for making tryouts as fair and equitable as possible:

1.) Allow players to make as many decisions as possible in tryouts

     a.) Evaluate how they work/behave when nobody is directing them

     b.) See how they will perform when they are on their own

2.) Give specific expectations ahead of time

     a.) What intangible characteristics will you be looking at?

     b.) What skills will you be looking for at each position?

     c.) Share the evaluation tool with parents and players ahead of time

3.) Measure as many things as possible

     a.) Measure speed, don’t guess who is faster

     b.) Measure batting practice rounds

     c.) Measure velocity (if you can)

     d.) Measure strike and quality strike % for pitchers

4.) Decide what skills you want to emphasize ahead of time

     a.) Will you value offense or defense more?

     b.) How much will you emphasize speed?

     c.) What type of team do you want to have?

     d.) How many pitchers do you need for your season?

     e.) How much do you value players who play multiple positions?

Making cuts

The actual method of making cuts is not a one size fits all process.  Each coach needs to decide which method fits them and their community best.  The three basic methods are face-to-face, posting a list, and player letters.  Each has their advantages and disadvantages but as long as you are honest and unbiased, the process will go as painlessly as possible.  Below is a list of keys to making the cut process as painless for yourself and the players you are cutting:

1.) Be honest

2.) Be gentle (don’t go on and on about why you are cutting them)

3.) Give useful feedback

4.) Encourage 

5.) Keep ratings confidential (shared only with the parent and the player)

The cut process is not one that any coach looks forward to, but with a little planning the pain can be minimized for both your players and you.  

Using Tactical Games in Baseball Practice

It is very easy for basketball, soccer, and football coaches to create practices that closely resemble playing the game.  They are able to keep many players involved, because during virtually every play in their games, almost every player is active.  The same cannot be said for baseball.  Players have responsibilities on every play, such as knowing the situation should be ball be hit to them, or backing up a base, but with the exception of the catcher, pitcher, and first basemen, the possibility exists that a player may go through an entire game without touching the ball defensively. 

Unfortunately, many baseball practices resemble this game play.  As a result, baseball is perceived as boring, and athletes are choosing other sports.  Quite frankly, if I came to a practice, took eight swings and fielded ten groundballs in two hours, I would be bored too.  Creating a practice that resembles game play and keeps all players active is difficult and takes knowledge, skill, and planning.  Rule number one for creating such a practice is to avoid lines in your practice.  We use short lines (two or three players) to give our athletes rest between activities.  If the lines in practice are much longer than three players, boredom will begin to set in and only those who truly love the game will continue playing.   

Another option to keep all players involved is to employ the use of tactical games.  These games teach baseball through competitive, controlled situations where players play a structured game to learn a skill or tactic.  Below are two examples of tactical games, one for players of all ages, and one for players over 14 years old. 

For all ages

Set up two sets of cones, each set is the same distance from each other.  The distance between the sets can be adjusted depending on the age and skill of the player.  A good starting distance for a 14U player would be between 100 feet and 150 feet.  (see set up below)

        X                                                                                            X

  P    T                        <-- 100-150 Feet -->                                    T     P

        X                                                                                            X

This game can be played one on one, or in teams of two.  Each team hits a ball off the tee toward the other team (it is a good to give each team gloves to field the ball as it comes at them).  Their goal is to hit the ball between the two cones, or hit the tee.  If they hit the ball between the cones, they get one point.  If they hit the tee, they automatically win, and the game restarts.  This game teaching a line drive, up the middle swing.  You will be amazed how players who may be casting their hands and consistently yank the ball, adjust their swings in order to compete.  Either play a specified number of swings, or to a point total.

Over 14 - Small ball game

Divide the team into smaller teams of four to six (no less than six).  The numbers will dictate how you handle pitchers and catchers.  One option is to have teams of six where each has a pitcher and catcher.  Another option is to have a few pitchers and catchers who play on their own team offensively, but only pitch and catch on defense.  Allow the teams to create their own signs and strategy.  Each team will have players as base coaches (wearing helmets) and will coach themselves.  

Teams will set up defensively with only an infield.  The defensive team is not allowed to play any player closer to home plate than the baselines until the offensive team shows bunt.  Any ball hit out of the infield on the fly is an automatic out.  The offensive team can bunt, steal, hit and run (as long as they don’t hit the ball out of the infield on the fly), or squeeze bunt.  Their objective is to get runners on, move them over and get them in.  We usually give each offensive team six outs and clear the bases after the first three to keep the game moving quickly.  

The only time we reward our players for hitting the ball out of the infield on the fly is if there is a runner on third with less than two outs, if they hit a deep flyball, they are still out, but we allow the runner from third to score.  

Feel free to modify the rules to meet your needs.  We have started with a runner on first or second with nobody out, but it is fun to watch them try to get on base by bunting for a hit or hitting a hard groundball through the infield.  

This game gives athletes the chance to make decisions, stay constantly involved (we usually have three teams of six and have the team that is not hitting or fielding working on hitting drills), and work on all offensive and defensive aspects of the small game.  

Incorporating tactical games is just one method you can use to keep practices fun and exciting while teaching players to compete and play the game. Coaches who complete Cornerstone’s Silver Certification will learn mores ways to incorporate tactical games into their practices, learn how to develop appropriate tactical games, and will have access to many age appropriate games through Cornerstone’s silver library.  

My Take on Super Bowl XLVII

      Super Bowl 47 was one for ages for many reasons.  The “HarBowl” as it was dubbed, lived up to all of the expectations.  The game was competitive, and showed off two of the best, if not the best, coaches in the NFL... and oh yeah, they happen to be brothers.  As I was watching the game, it became clear that these two coaches get their players to fully buy into their system and are able to motivate them to perform at or near the peak of their abilities.  Both coaches made mid-season gutsy calls that propelled their team to the Super Bowl, decisions that I, admittedly, would not have made.  

As coaches, we are all far from perfect, but it is my opinion that one of the coaches in last night’s Super Bowl made a glaring mistake that nearly cost his team the game.  Shortly after Jacoby Jones returned the opening kick off of the second half for a touchdown to make the score 28-6, the power went out in half of the Super Dome and caused a lengthy delay in the game. 

     Obviously this is not an idea situation for either team.  The Ravens had just taken a huge lead and the momentum of the game seemed to be in their favor.  To me, this is the ultimate “live in the moment, control what you can control” situation in a game.  You cannot control the fact that there was a delay, you cannot control how long the delay will be.  The only thing you can control in that situation in your reaction to the delay.  What has happened up to that point in the game is irrelevant, the fact that you are in the most important game of your life and are waiting around for what must seem like forever is irrelevant.  As a coach, you have to make sure your players stay focused only on the task at hand, the next play, and not the delay. 

     As the delay was coming to an end, the cameras showed John Harbaugh becoming very animated with some of the “suits” from the NFL.  He later admitted that he overreacted to the situation and should have handled it differently.  While his reaction was likely not the sole cause of the 49ers comeback, it certainly may have opened the door a little bit for them to burst through.  His reaction gave his team and excuse to fail.  It gave them something to blame if they did happen to lose the game.  While it is unlikely that many of the Ravens players even heard what John Harbaugh was saying, the player’s focus was taken off the “one snap at a time” mentality that likely got both teams to that point.  They had something else to focus on, something to point a finger at if they failed.  They were no longer living in the moment. 

 

     Perhaps I am being overly critical of a coach who reached the pinnacle of his profession last night however, I do believe that in the most critical of times, coaches must be leaders and set examples.  In that specific instance, John Harbaugh made a critical error that decreased his team’s chances of winning.  Even the coaches who are at the top of their profession can keep on learning and improving.  This should be motivation to all of us down the food chain.  Even the best coaches in the world make mistakes, all we can do is learn from them and improve every practice, and every game.   

Coach Code of Ethics

A baseball coach...

...  will be a positive role model on and off the field.

… will monitor student’s grades and see that they are achieving in the classroom.

… will provide a safe learning environment for his players

in practice and during games.

… will use losing and winning as an opportunity to teach young men how to handle these situations properly.

… will keep in mind that youth sports are for athletes, not he adults coaching them

… will keep an open line of communication with other coaches, players, parents, and administrators.

… will have written practice plans that challenge players, teach new aspects of the game, refine skills, and execute them in a fast pace, fun manner.

…will represent the ideals of Cornerstone Coaching Academy in a positive light at all times on and off the field.

… will promote and demonstrate good sportsmanship by showing respect to opponents and officials at every game.

… will hold athletes accountable for their actions and will teach them how to take responsibilities for their own actions.

… will put the athlete first and strive to build champions on and off the field.