WAG Team Try Outs

[Natasha]

Just finished assisting with our team tryouts. We had 90 girls try out for team this year and have space for around 30 new team members. For coaches, just curious, what would be your "must haves" for skills/strength/flexibility to accept on team? From the tryouts our coaching team recommends no, compulsory team, pre-team or Xcel team based on the age and testing results.

 

[txgymfan]

Just curious. So many of the girls come up in a gym from preschool and rec. How much do you rely on one day try outs (if at all), compared to promoting team members from within the program based on cumulative observation? Do you make all of your internal kids tryout or do you use tryouts for those coming from other programs?

 

[2G1B]

I have no clue how our gym handles try outs in general; but I was wondering the same thing as txgymfan. Most of the team kids at our gym move up from lower levels or rec. If coming from a different gym you have to have an evaluation and if there is room on the team that you would go on then you can make the team; but I don't know that we have an actual try out day...

 

[Natasha]

All the kids at tryouts (with the exception of just a few) are from our rec program. If our preschool and developmental level teachers have kids that they think would be good for team, they recommend they try out. However, it is open try outs, so anyone on any level age 5 and up may try out. The team coaches use both the recommendations from the teachers as well as the try out day data. They especially like to find out from the teachers how well they follow directions, coachability, work ethic, etc. We have a very large rec program (1,000+) with lots of teachers, so by having open try outs it ensures everyone at least has a chance regardless of which teacher they have as some may be more likely to recommend kids than others. For the younger kids (ages 5-6) they looked more at strength and flexibility whereas the 7 and up group were tested on strength as well as skills.

 

[Quadqueen]

This is interesting. We have no formal try outs at our gym. They move up from rec, or if they come from another gym, they do a practice where the coaches feel they might fit, and they are evaluated. I don't think we've ever been in a position to have to turn someone down for lack of space on team.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Body type (if they are 5 foot at age 8 they are going to struggle), explosive leg power, high strength to body weight ratio, natural dynamic flexibility, excellent attendance and punctuality in their rec classes, effort, attitude, determination, parents who pay their fee's on time, good posture, naturally stretches legs and points toes.

 

[iwannacoach]

I'm a pretty deliberate person who needs to see effort toward progress every day, so I put a lot of value on each kids history in the program. I like the tryout as outlined because it can bring a child who was slighted or somehow passed over, into the coach's focus in a larger program.

If I were to conduct a tryout, and you cared to know what I'd look for, I'd have to say heart and soul.... along with a co-operative physical ability set, and a good behavior history. What a child has done or can do at the moment means very little in my humble opinion. Once they "go team" they experience a completely different world that changes, hopefully, every year, so what I look for is a promise that they want to do "this thing" badly...... and there are a few constructive ways to figure that out.