Ultimate Tryouts

Ultimate Tryouts

For the first time, I will be alone as the only coach.  My other co-coach has too many new responsibilities after moving departments, so it will just be me.  For the past 7 years, I was blessed to have tremendous co-coaches; they have supported me and changed the way I look at this role.  The kids benefit from having that second coach there – it’s evident in their crestfallen faces as I tell them they will no longer be coaching.

I will certainly miss them. 

Tryouts started on the first week of December.  I knew there was going to be quite the interest in trying out for the team; so I made the announcement one day before the first try-out to hopefully limit the numbers.  There was no way I could remember and learn all the students’ names.

I had 4 tryouts and over 70 students, boys and girls come out.  Fortunately, I have two student managers, a willing captain, and four alumni come out.  They helped enormously through the process of modelling and running the tryouts; they had some input into the selection of the team as well.

That last statement alone could cause a stir among traditional coaches who usually shoulder the authority of cutting the team alone.  But I have been a part of too many clubs and have seen the power of involving student executives.  They know it’s their team and have more of a responsibility, and thus buy-in from the start.  It’s helpful to have that sort of buy-in for a ‘season’ of 1 day/week practices for the next 6 months. 

Again – should other students have the influence over choosing other students?  Can they be unbiased from their friends?  I remember when I first did this 2 years ago, my grade 11 execs were quite unbiased, and my ‘exec’ team cut their friends.  They received quite a bit of ‘flack’ from that and apparently they couldn’t handle the aftermath of cutting their friends; the following year when they were grade 12s, they didn’t want any part of the team making process. 

This year, I certainly needed this year’s execs to help out.  Bias is better than missing out on potential talent I guess. We’ll see where this goes – but I believe that since empowering students is the latest in educational trends, I should be ok. 

There is an exceptional group of grade 9 students that came out.  It is rare to see grade 9s already with the basic ability to throw and catch.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the only two things that I look for.  Students don’t seem to understand that when there’s one disc on the field, there are 13 other players on the field without the disc. 

The majority of time, you do NOT have the disc.   I am evaluating what you DO without the disc.  I am evaluating whether or not a player has a growth mindset.  I evaluate how they deal with mistakes. Like this guy here...

      

This is the second year in which I’ve taken a student that has tried out for the past 3 years and has been cut.  They have tried extremely hard to work on their craft and their skill and their physical abilities.  Three years is a long time to keep trying and these two players have stuck out in my mind, even though I will only have coached them for their grade 12 year.  Their perseverance and determination to make the team is absolutely commendable. 

Throwing and catching can be taught as this is an explicit skill that seems to attract most people to throw the disc.  As a result, the majority of my players will work on that skill on their own throughout the year. 

I’d rather work on teamwork and chemistry through offensive and defensive schema. 

Except right now, I am running two teams on my own.  I wasn’t willing to run a team on my own before and would always want someone there with me.  Why am I running two indoor teams when I am the only coach? 

I have an extremely willing student manager named Crystal and another student manager, Stephanie, who just wants to help out.  (names have been changed to protect identity of students) 

What’s interesting is that Crystal has also been cut from the team for the past few years.  She loves the game and has found a way to contribute.  She is now manager and putting to use her administrative and organization skill. 

Our school is filled with spectacular students. 

We will see what happens after the three practices we have in January before the exams.   

Practices are going to be quite interesting with 36 players.