Trying out w/no intention of playing

First off I am assuming you are talking about a summer travel team. My answer may be different if you are talking about a D2, NAIA or Juco college. 

I have no problem with it. My guess is most coaches realize that it happens. I am not a coach though. 

We took my son to several tryouts that we probably would have turned down if he was offered. But mostly because he probably would have been at the bottom of the roster. We figured that going in but it gave the son experience with the tryout process and the level of competition out there.

I see nothing wrong with it.  When my kid was doing the travel tryout thing we went to some tryouts we had no real intention of accepting a position at.  We did a couple early on for the experience and then we did a couple as "safety" teams in case something happened with his current team or if he did not make the team he really wanted to play for.

 

As someone who used to conduct tryouts for our travel team I can tell you that there are many kids who show up at tryouts and then decline a place on the team once offered to them.  Sometimes its the cost, sometimes they found a better team, other times they showed up with no intention of accepting a position.  We saw a lot of those the year before the kids went to HS.  Lots of rec league kids trying out to "shake off" the nerves before the HS tryouts that winter.

 

 

I think there is a "networking" component to it, also.  It's good for the players and coaches to know who and what is out there.

Unfortunately with the charade of "tryouts" it may become necessary.  You need to protect yourself and make sure you have a landing spot.  Part of the tryout is you trying out them as well.   

 

Now I have noticed lately, many organizations are beginning to charge tryout fees.  Anywhere from $10-$40.  Fundraiser?  Unreal. 

Don't even get me started on tryout fees, they are rampant in Georgia.  One of the very well known local parks charge $110 if you pre-register, and $135 if you don't....and this is for 8u and up!  If this was an all day clinic where kids learned something that would be one thing but it isn't.  At this "tryout" they gather up all the kids and time them running, look at a few pitches, look at a few hits, and allow them to attempt to field the ball while there are 20 kids covering the infield/outfield area, and all of this is done in about 2 hours...and yet people still pay for this tryout/fundraiser because they want their kid to play there, or wear that name on their Jersey.  There was a kid last year who joined his team a week after the "tryouts" and he was told he had to pay for the tryouts....total fundraiser!

 

Now for the OP's question.  I think it's fine to tryout for a team you have no intention of playing for, especially if your kid is not currently on a team and therefor has limited ability to practice, and also if they are moving to a larger field or heavier bat.  All the reps will help when it comes to trying out for the teams you actually want to play for.  Coaches know if they hold a free tryout they will get multiple kids who are really just there for some live BP and the practice.

From the website of a local "elite" travel organization:

 

"Player Fee: $40 pre registered tryout    /   $50 walk up 'day of' registration

Individual Player Evaluations are available by appointment ($80 fee) call xxx-yyy-zzzz to schedule."

Well, if more and more kids are trying out with no intention of accepting, I could see where the need for a tryout fee would become appropriate.

 

If one is trying out to explore options, that is OK, IMO.  But I don't think it would be right to try out for a team if you have absolutely no intention of joining if offered.  There are plenty of other avenues to see where you stack up.  For one, you could stand behind the fence and watch.  Baseball is a very small world.  Wasting peoples' time and pissing them off is not advisable.  If I held a tryout and had a handful of kids taking reps with zero intention of accepting a spot, I'd probably take mental note of those kids and remember.  Not favorably.

 

Apparently, I'm in the minority here.  I don't understand the thought process.  Coaches are putting on a tryout to evaluate in an efficient manner what players they want to join their team or program.  Why, on earth, would it be OK for five, ten, fifty kids to show up just to get reps and totally muddy the waters in the evaluation process.

 

Regarding the fees, I agree a big fee would be wrong.  But a nominal fee to assure the player is serious about intent makes sense to me.

When my son tried out for the the summer team he played all 4 summers in high school for, there was a tryout fee.  Cant remember the amount, maybe $65.  but he did get two days in a camp like setting.  When he accepted the offer to play for them, the first bill was less the tryout fee, so if you made the team, trying out was really free.  The next three years, he made the team already so when he went to the tryout, we werent charged a fee.

 

And, yes, no problem trying out for a team in your situation.  You never know.  You both might fall in love with the team.

Sure.  I think it is fair because I think a lot of travel programs try kids out with no intention of offering them a roster spot.  HOWEVER, I think both sides need to keep an open mind to the opportunity in front of them.   Kicking tires for the sake of kicking tires is a waste of time....why not spend the time on something that has the possibility of working out for everybody involved even if it is a "realistic" stretch. JMO.

       
       
Good post.  And yes it us a small world especially the higher up the ladder you go.  But it is also true you always need a back up plan.  Good thing we did last year.  He tried out for one team as we were intent on returning to same team.  Team imploded last minute.  Thank god we had new team offer to fall back on.  We also went to a tryout the year before of a bit lesser team as that fall back team.  But I know the coach and he is a good guy.  So I told him upfront we just wanted to show up in case some other things we thought we had in place fell through.  He was ok with that and understood.  Gave standing offer if things didn't work out.  I think its all how you approach it.   But I do agree you get a bad rep if you lead people on then drop them.  By the way there are some days I wish we went to that 'lesser' team.  Coaches are super nice guys and those kids always seem to be having a blast.  When we play them we beat them up pretty good but sometimes I am not sure we have as much fun!  Just kind of makes you wonder.

My son has tried out for a few teams during "dead times" of practicing and playing baseball games where he had little or virtually no intention of joining the team. Sometimes as a safety team, sometimes purely for the reps, and sometimes (earlier) for the general experience. I usually have mixed feelings about them, particularly when an invite is extended and has to be rejected. I have no problem with a modest tryout fee being associated with the event, expecially if held indoors and the facility must be rented.

I think the some of these organizations want and expect huge numbers to try out. And they certainly don't expect to offer spots to all comers or even most comers.  They want to sell themselves as "elite."  To do that, they need to turn down lots of kids.  Once they get a reputation as elite, then you bet kids around here will pay a fee just for the honor of trying out.   I don't think they are charging fees "defensively" to offset costs.  They are selling their brand as an elite organization. 

 

This too.  Been on both sides of this one.  Took kids to some tryouts where it was obvious that they had no open spots.  Luckily the idea of charging for tryouts was not widespread at this time.  

 

Been a coach at some tryouts where we only had 1 open spot.  Hundreds of kids showed up.  I actually felt sorry for most of them, but we did need to fill a spot and our organizations rules required us to hold tryouts every year.  No one was grandfathered onto the team, but those that were on the year before barely participated in the tryout.  A few swings and a few grounders was pretty much all they did.

 

As far as tryout fees go, their is a cost to holding tryouts.  Around here you need to pay the park district for field usage, carry insurance, provide some equipment (pitching machines, helmets, etc) as well as provide numbers for the kids to wear.  Many of the programs charging a tryout fee around here are charging between $15 and $25 per kid to tryout.  This cover those fees as well as a number t-shirt for the kids to wear (as opposed to the pin on number bibs).

I understand the costs.  In organizations past, that has been part of the fee to the organization.  They would budget $x for tryouts and nick each team for a bit to cover the costs.  The tryout fee seems to be a new animal the past few years. 

Personally, I don't like the idea of going to a tryout with NO intention of playing for the team. If you go, but have a different team you would rather play for, but if it doesn't work out, then you would play for this team, that is different than having NO intention to play for this team. That is more of a "I'll play for this team if I don't make the other one". That's ok. If you don't plan on accepting an offer no matter what, that's a different story. If I were a coach, saw your kid at tryouts, spent the time with the other coaches evaluating all options and decided to offer you a spot and you just said no, we really just came for the reps, I would not even consider you in the future. Don't waste people's time. If you really feel, under the right circumstances, you would play for the team, but it's not your 1st choice, by all means, try out. If you have no intention to play on the team under any circumstances, stay home and play catch or go to the cages to get your work in. JHMO.

       
       
Nice post a lot of good clarification here.

Around here I have seen teams collect a deposit at tryouts.  If offered a spot and declined they keep the deposit.  If not offered they refund it.  If offered and accepted they apply to your bill.  I think this is fair. 

The only tryout we ever went to with no intention of taking a spot was with the high school team for summer tryouts when the boys were in 8th grade.  They were already on their select teams but wanted to have the experience of trying out and of course let the coaches take a look at them.  We cleared this with the high school coach who was more than happy to let them show up.