Hoops

Junior Try-outs LOCK OUT

The VJBL club I'm involved with used to let parents into the court area to watch tryouts but for the last 2-3 years the parents have only been able to watch from behind the glass. This is much better for the coaches as they can openly discuss where certain players fit without parents inching closer every second trying to eavesdrop. One year I even caught a parent trying to read a coaches notes during a session which is obviously not on. Keeping the parents away also helps the kids focus on what we as coaches need them to do. It also helps reduce perceived bias. It's amazing how simply saying "hello" to a parent can be blown totally out of proportion by another parent.

Our club runs 3 x 2 hour sessions and at the end of the last session, the kids are told which team they have been selected in and when the first official training session is. We don't have any discussions with the parents until the first training session. Segregating the parents helps keep things cool as there's always a small minority that become extremely upset with the outcome. If parents want to discuss the outcome of the tryouts, most coaches are happy to do that at the first official training.

There's no perfect system but this has worked pretty well for us so far. You're always going to end up with unhappy players/parents afterwards, it's just the nature of the process.

^Great post.

agree PlaymakerMo, team selection practices should be able to withstand the rigours of cross examination. If a club has a group of parents in the stands recording critical stuff that the coaches should be recording anyhow like shot %, then that speaks volumes of the lack of faith that group has in fairness at that club.

If the ultimate reason for a closed session is a management technique to control "troublesome" parents who ask questions, then it may be time for some to wear a tin foil hat and take a Zyprexa. Remember, it's not Parentaphobia unless they are carrying pitchforks and flaming torches.

A closed tryout leaves the process open to speculation from parents and I'm not sure it's entirely appropriate for U10-U16 juniors anyway. Jack's idea is a good one with no evident drawbacks, since it isn't formally a 'closed' session.

I don't see an issue with announcing coaches early. If a high level coach could actually be pressured into giving the child of a nagging parent an unwarranted position they shouldn't be coaching at that level - pushy parents go hand in glove with elite sports. At the lower levels the decision making should be monitored by the JDO and div1 coach to avoid/rectify these situations.

Try outs - what a waste of time! Especially for continuing players. The coaches (who should already be named) have already picked their squads. They only need to trial new players and then they have all summer to teak their team.
The only reasons a club wouldn't name their coach is either they don't have one yet or they are embarrassed at who it is.
No lockout either. If you are scared of the parents for a single session, what are you going to be like for the next 12 months?

In Law there is a saying "Apart from Justice being done, it must seen to be done" By conducting "tryouts" under lock down situations it can potentially send a message of bias and unfairness at the club, or a message that the club has something to hide.

Ashke, the Jedi mind trick of re-direction always works!

It probably would be a good time for score table training as (take it from a former Team Manager amongst other hats) we all know parents find excuses to get out of scoring and the biggest one is "no-one has ever shown me how to score"

Ashke, In my experience "try-outs" are generally a waste of time, but often a token warm fuzzy feeling for all those involved. The head coach of a group essentially knows who they are going to put into Div 1, Div 2 etc before the tryouts so why pretend. So really the only true "tryouts" where talent is unknown are probably the U10's or U12's.

Closed vs Open tryouts. Mmmm. The theme that comes through is that someone seems threatened by having parents watch "tryouts" for fear of criticism? May I suggest that perhaps a more subtle approach is needed. While the kids are "trying out", the parents could be diverted to a breakout room and provided with the necessary information for District. Parents Handbook, how District works, Q&A, or even scoretable training (No friggin' excuses from lazy parents then!) Then, if all things are timed to perfection, the parents miraculously appear just as the "tryout" is completed. That way you have your closed tryout without parents watching, and the parents are kept up to date with the latest information. You can't say that couldn't be made to work.

Alternatively, at the start of the tryout you could get parents to stand in the middle of a pentagram, chant their name three times, clap to make them disappear, then repeat the process when you want them to re-appear.

Our club has always been open tryouts, but the new administration is supposedly going to close them this year. It hasnt been a problem in the past, so not sure why they are changing it. Then again, they are announcing the coaches on August 1st, which is fraught with danger IMO. In the past we have not announced coaches till after tryouts as announcing prior is a nightmare cause parents try to influence their decisions on kids.