Tryouts and The Voice

Baseball tryouts are a difficult time of year for all involved.  Coaches are elated that the

season is starting but also dread having to tell young ball players that they cannot be on the team.  Egos are bruised and feelings are hurt.  

I think it is hardest for the parents.  This is especially true when one or more tryout sessions (or all of them in some cases) need to be indoors due to poor weather.  Questions like the following seem to abound.

• “How can coaches see their abilities in just one or two tryout days?”
• “They never even went outside.  How could they possibly know?”

Those questions and others like them are difficult to answer but it often just comes down to whether the parents trust who is making the decisions.

Think of it this way …

My family’s favorite show seems to be The Voice.  When I watch the show, all the singers sound incredible.  That’s because I am not a music person.  It amazes me when the judges explain to the singers, in great detail, information about what was good and what they need to work on after singing for only a minute or so.  Clearly the judges are on a different level and not focusing on the same things I am.

The same thing goes with baseball tryouts.  A lot of coaches can tell within five throws and five swings whether a kid can play or not.  That may not sit well with parents or the players but just like The Voice, if a coach knows what to look for, about a minute is all they need.