Nope. Never mind. Good luck to you.
Originally Posted by Golfman25:
Originally Posted by old_school:
does anyone really believe that "tryouts" are run as if there is a blank slate of 50 or 70 kids competeing for 30 or 35 spots? I can't imagine anyone really believes that.
my guess would be that at least 75% or more of the team is aready predetermined based off pasts seasons, scoouting reports, summer ball, fall ball and or winter workouts.
my guess is that 50% of the kids trying out are cut regardless of anything that happens just because they aren't athletic enough. lets face it most coaches can watch at least 1/3 of the kids warm and know they can't play at the level needed.
that would leave roughly 15 to 20 kids fighting for roughly 6 to 10 spots that would be really open...some of the numbers may be off slightly but for the most part I think it is pretty close.
If that is the case, then why go thru the charade of a "tryout?" Wouldn't it be better to just look at the kids who will make up the last spots on the roster. Give them a real good look, rather than spending time on a kid who has already "made" it.
In other words, just be honest. My kid's varsity basketball coach was a least honest this year when he told kids/parents that there was no way he could properly evaluate all players during "tryouts" and therefore the summer program was really important.
Our high school does not have tryouts. He's already announced that the eleven returning players will make up the varsity and that he probably won't make any additions until the playoffs. He's also prechosen five kids on JV. There are no cuts and the remainder will be divided up based on performance in the first week of practice. All I can say is if that's what he planned to do, I'll give him props for not putting on an unecessary dog and pony show.
Originally Posted by roothog66:
Originally Posted by Golfman25:
Originally Posted by old_school:
does anyone really believe that "tryouts" are run as if there is a blank slate of 50 or 70 kids competeing for 30 or 35 spots? I can't imagine anyone really believes that.
my guess would be that at least 75% or more of the team is aready predetermined based off pasts seasons, scoouting reports, summer ball, fall ball and or winter workouts.
my guess is that 50% of the kids trying out are cut regardless of anything that happens just because they aren't athletic enough. lets face it most coaches can watch at least 1/3 of the kids warm and know they can't play at the level needed.
that would leave roughly 15 to 20 kids fighting for roughly 6 to 10 spots that would be really open...some of the numbers may be off slightly but for the most part I think it is pretty close.
If that is the case, then why go thru the charade of a "tryout?" Wouldn't it be better to just look at the kids who will make up the last spots on the roster. Give them a real good look, rather than spending time on a kid who has already "made" it.
In other words, just be honest. My kid's varsity basketball coach was a least honest this year when he told kids/parents that there was no way he could properly evaluate all players during "tryouts" and therefore the summer program was really important.
Our high school does not have tryouts. He's already announced that the eleven returning players will make up the varsity and that he probably won't make any additions until the playoffs. He's also prechosen five kids on JV. There are no cuts and the remainder will be divided up based on performance in the first week of practice. All I can say is if that's what he planned to do, I'll give him props for not putting on an unecessary dog and pony show.
Wow! Eleven on varsity seems to be waaaaaaay thin! Do they all pitch and then play a position when not pitching? Does he not utilize a DH? What happens if someone gets burned up in a pinch hit situation and another player gets injured?
Nothing like tryouts in 6 inches of snow yea, maybe we can make different sized baseballs and get guys to hit or bunt them, or maybe its a great time to have guys work on getting hit by pitches, LOL...good luck to all those that can start today in Va.
Root, do you coach where your son goes to school?
Originally Posted by right arm of zeus:
Nothing like tryouts in 6 inches of snow yea, maybe we can make different sized baseballs and get guys to hit or bunt them, or maybe its a great time to have guys work on getting hit by pitches, LOL...good luck to all those that can start today in Va.
Yeah, they'll either be doing the tryouts in the gym or in the parking lot........I know one year KG had tryouts in the parking lot as there was 6" of snow covering the field.
Good luck to all!
Our Varsity tryouts start out today at 4 in the Gym. The JV tryouts were supposed to follow, but turned into a session to turn in all paperwork - no tryout today. JV got trumped by the field hockey team (field covered with snow and ice). The Gym is a hot commodity right now in Northern VA.
Leave the cleats home, take these instead:
Soph year of high school it snowed so much practices were in the gym for a while. One of the soph pitchers was bouncing every pitch in front of his catcher. He claimed his depth perception was off in the gym. The coach told him to relax and let it rip. The ball went through a window equivalent to the second story. He bounced the next pitch. The following pitch went through another second floor window. We spent the rest of the practice in snow looking for two white baseballs. This pitcher went on to play D1.
I had a nice exchange with one of my sisters on Facebook last weekend. Saturday I posted a shot of our HS field during our final scrimmage. She replied with a shot of a show drift out her back window. Yesterday we went to see Cal play UC Irvine and posted a shot of that. She replied with a shot of several snow men out her front window.
Originally Posted by RJM:
Soph year of high school it snowed so much practices were in the gym for a while. One of the soph pitchers was bouncing every pitch in front of his catcher. He claimed his depth perception was off in the gym. The coach told him to relax and let it rip. The ball went through a window equivalent to the second story. He bounced the next pitch. The following pitch went through another second floor window. We spent the rest of the practice in snow looking for two white baseballs. This pitcher went on to play D1.
I have heard of this as well...I don't understand it but apparently we have a Jr pitcher who is very important to this years team, IMO he is actually the key, that can't pitch inside a cage...he throws off one of the mounds in the gym no problem, he throws on the field no problem he goes inside a cage to throw a live BP behind an L screen and turns into Steve Sax!!! Crazy.
Youngest son (senior) is at tryouts today. Our last tryout. KInd of hit me in the gut thinking about all the high school baseball memories over the last 12 years..
However, it did remind me of my all-time favorite high school baseball tryout story. I apologize in advance to those that have already heard me tell this story.....
About 10 years, my neighbor was chomping at the bit to see his 8th grade son tryout for JV baseball at our high school. The Head Coaches unwritten policy was "no parents" at tryouts and everybody knew it. So, in order to not embarass his son, my neighbor had strategically placed a deer stand and binoculors in the woods (the day before) near the high school field to watch his son's tryouts. He'd sneak into the woods, climb the tree and postiion himself on the deer stand everyday for 4 days just to watch. His son made the JV team. Absolutely freaking hilarious when you think about it. I'm taking that story to the grave with me.
Originally Posted by fenwaysouth:
Great story Fenway. I'm just waiting for an "illustration" to go with it from lionbaseball.
Originally Posted by Ripken Fan:
Originally Posted by fenwaysouth:
Great story Fenway. I'm just waiting for an "illustration" to go with it from lionbaseball.
Attachments
My 2016 son's high school tryouts are March 16-18 here in Indiana. This will be his third try at it. Last year he was the last player cut but it actually worked out for him because he suffered a spontaneous collapsed lung about a week later. Ended up with surgery and would have missed 3/4s of the season. He played summer ball and ended up getting some college coaches (DII/III) reaching out to him about playing after high school. Pumped him up.
He's been conditioning with his travel team since September and then the high school team since November. Working out 4 to 5 days a week plus a couple nights throwing and practice. Working his butt off this year. The day the high school coach held a meeting he was sick, went in the next day and the coach was excited to see him coming back. Hopefully its a good sign.
He is a LHP (only one trying out in fact) and OF. He's been a throwing right about 80 up to 82 this winter. Still got a couple kinks to work out but his pitching instructor is excited to see how much progress he has made over the past year. A year ago, his instructor didn't think he had a shot at college, now considers him a good prospect for DII/III school.
Wish him luck!
Originally Posted by old_school:
Originally Posted by RJM:
Soph year of high school it snowed so much practices were in the gym for a while. One of the soph pitchers was bouncing every pitch in front of his catcher. He claimed his depth perception was off in the gym. The coach told him to relax and let it rip. The ball went through a window equivalent to the second story. He bounced the next pitch. The following pitch went through another second floor window. We spent the rest of the practice in snow looking for two white baseballs. This pitcher went on to play D1.
I have heard of this as well...I don't understand it but apparently we have a Jr pitcher who is very important to this years team, IMO he is actually the key, that can't pitch inside a cage...he throws off one of the mounds in the gym no problem, he throws on the field no problem he goes inside a cage to throw a live BP behind an L screen and turns into Steve Sax!!! Crazy.
In my high school and college playing days I was never able to throw a decent BP unless I had a catcher. I can still remember what my high school coach said in a disgusted tone: How is it you can knock a zit off a gnats ass in a game (I had great control) but can't even lay a ball in the strike zone in BP?
In NOVA, expecting another 1-3" on top of the frozen 5-8" already on the ground. But there's hope: forecasting 39 degrees for Sunday! They may not get on the field until their first early March scrimmage.
Originally Posted by joemktg:
In NOVA, expecting another 1-3" on top of the frozen 5-8" already on the ground. But there's hope: forecasting 39 degrees for Sunday! They may not get on the field until their first early March scrimmage.
I hear ya. I'm 60-70 miles southeast of you and we still have 3-4" on the ground which has partially melted and refroze. Tryouts were scheduled to begin this past Monday - don't know if they did - son graduated 3 years ago and is playing college ball.
What we need are some real good sunny days. The snow seems to melt faster on a cool sunny day vs a warmer cloudy day.
Looks like NoVA snow will be closer to 1" (hopefully less than that). So tired of it being 10-20 degrees below normal all the time.
Y'all are wimps. Head up here to Northern Illinois. About 5 inches of packed ice on the ground. Forecast for 3-4 inches tonight. Highs about 15 lows -4 until Saturday, then another round of snow (a couple of inches). Finally warmer (High of 29) for early next week with a round of sleet/freezing rain and snow on Tuesday.
We ain't gettin outside till June this year...
Joe - I grew up in upstate NY and lived in CO for a few years (in the mountains). I can deal with the snow, but not so much the bitter cold. I found I much prefer the warmer states - if the wife would agree I'd be in FL, AZ or NM in a heartbeat.
About 8-10 years ago I actually turned down a job that was located in Chicago. Too cold and snowy for me. I've lived through enough of it.
Originally Posted by FoxDad:
Joe - I grew up in upstate NY and lived in CO for a few years (in the mountains). I can deal with the snow, but not so much the bitter cold. I found I much prefer the warmer states - if the wife would agree I'd be in FL, AZ or NM in a heartbeat.
About 8-10 years ago I actually turned down a job that was located in Chicago. Too cold and snowy for me. I've lived through enough of it.
Im actually right there with you. Grew up in Detroit lived in Dallas for 5 years about 20 years back. Keep asking myself why I moved back. Wife is itching to move south again. Its been brutal up here the last two years.
the numbers of 14, 19, 22 and 20 seem to be random. they are actually the degrees under historical average for the next 4 days...WTF the entire month has been this way.
Also from upstate NY here. Been reading the posts, our biggest hurdle is our own driveway - 1400 feet back in off the road, thru the woods. No one will plow us out, they don't want the job (bailed out a few times in emergencies like 2 weeks ago, needed heating fuel delivered but over a foot in the driveway). But practice anywhere outside of the school gym? Not til further notice.
Yesterday's low was -24. That was without wind chill. My son is busting back for spring tryouts for varsity to get a place in the line up, and was doing batting practice at a local facility the other night - it was 24 degrees inside the place. He put in half an hour.
How do you get a deer stand in the Gym?
Originally Posted by Momof2015:
Also from upstate NY here. Been reading the posts, our biggest hurdle is our own driveway - 1400 feet back in off the road, thru the woods. No one will plow us out, they don't want the job (bailed out a few times in emergencies like 2 weeks ago, needed heating fuel delivered but over a foot in the driveway). But practice anywhere outside of the school gym? Not til further notice.
Yesterday's low was -24. That was without wind chill. My son is busting back for spring tryouts for varsity to get a place in the line up, and was doing batting practice at a local facility the other night - it was 24 degrees inside the place. He put in half an hour.
Around here (VA) the private plow drivers would charge a fortune to plow a driveway like that. They want $400 just to plow small business lots (fast food restaurants for example).
No deer stand needed! Tap into school security camera system and show dad how to access gym...
One bonus of winter workouts at the local place was several softball players watching him at work during softball tournament, salivating every time he hit it square - you can hear the difference, though I think they were doing more looking.
Each time we get plowed out is about 75-100, that's why we have one vehicle with 4WD. Other stays on the road at end of driveway. I'm sure we're not the only ones on this board living in more extreme circumstances, though.
Moved from northern illinois to.... southern wisconsin. Other place we were considering? South carolina. Feeling pretty stupid. And joes, yes the last couple years up here have been absolutely brutal! And now we don't want to move our kids again but I just don't know how much more I can take!
Darn this Global Warming...Darn it to heck!!!!
It had to be said...
Only good thing about this prolonged cold spell that we have going in the Northeast is when it hits 50 I'll be in shorts and flip flops.
Originally Posted by MDBallDad:
Darn this Global Warming...Darn it to heck!!!!
It had to be said...
I just sprayed a whole bottle of hair spray outside. Doing my part!
Originally Posted by old_school:
Originally Posted by MDBallDad:
Darn this Global Warming...Darn it to heck!!!!
It had to be said...
I just sprayed a whole bottle of hair spray outside. Doing my part!
Need more cattle!!
Originally Posted by MDBallDad:
Darn this Global Warming Climate Change...Darn it to heck!!!!
It had to be said...
Fixed!
Tryouts continue...
