It is that time of year again. Club ball tryout season. Every field is packed. Every Instagram story is flashing the latest age group flyer. Every team is suddenly “building something special.” Parents are weighing options. Players are making wish lists. Coaches are evaluating talent. But the question that never gets asked enough is simple: what are we really looking for? Is this about development? Is it about friendships and comfort? Is it about rings, rankings, or social media clout? Or is it just about finding the cheapest team that throws together enough kids to play on weekends? Let’s dive into it all. Because this season is about to define the next six to twelve months of your child’s development, or lack thereof.
Parents: Do You Want Real Development or a Discount?
Let’s start here. Because in club ball, no one has more influence on a player’s trajectory than the parent. When tryouts roll around, many parents look at three things: how close the field is, how much the team costs, and whether their kid’s best friend is on the roster. And then they wonder why their son is not developing. That might sound harsh, but it is the truth. There are quality programs out there that cost more because they invest more. More instruction. More accountability. Better training facilities. Thoughtful scheduling. Stronger competition. Experienced coaches. But many parents opt for the cheaper route. The program with fewer fees and more “freedom.” The one where Johnny gets to play shortstop every inning and nobody has to lift weights or show up to practice with intent. Cheap ball might save you money now, but it will cost your player later. That short-term savings leads to long-term stagnation. Meanwhile, the parents who make the sacrifice for the right fit, the ones who trust the hard coach, accept the bench time, embrace the grind, those are the families who usually see the development. So ask yourself honestly. Do you want a babysitter coach who throws out the balls and lets the kids figure it out? Or do you want someone who coaches hard, expects more, and knows how to make your son better?
Players: Are You Trying Out for Comfort or for Growth?
A lot of young players head into tryouts with one goal in mind: play with friends. And we get it. You are thirteen. You want to have fun. You do not want to be the new kid on a roster of strangers. You want the laughs in the dugout, the inside jokes on the car rides, and a guaranteed starting spot. But here is the problem. Comfort rarely leads to growth. If you stay on the same team with the same friends year after year, there is a good chance you are not being pushed. You are not being challenged. You are just recycling the same habits, the same roles, and the same level of competition. The players who improve the most often put themselves in uncomfortable situations. They try out for teams where they are not guaranteed a starting job. They compete against older players. They surround themselves with better talent. They are okay being the small fish in a big pond because they know that is how you grow. Tryouts are a test, not just of talent, but of mindset. Are you looking to be comfortable? Or are you looking to be coached, challenged, and changed?
Chasing Rings vs Building Skills
We need to talk about the ring culture. Every year, programs across the country post the same pictures. Another plastic ring. Another trophy. Another team posing like they just won a World Series. And then they use that moment to sell their program. But what gets left out of those social media posts is what really matters. Who got better this season? Who improved their swing? Who became a more disciplined defender? Who developed command on the mound? Who learned how to handle adversity? Who matured? None of that fits into a flashy post. But it is the stuff that matters. Winning is a byproduct of development done right. But when winning becomes the goal, development almost always suffers. Players stop taking risks. Coaches start riding their best arms. Games become more about optics than process. And the kids who are not producing right away get left behind. Do not fall for the ring chase. The teams that win in July often peaked in April. The teams that focus on the process may not win every weekend, but they win in the long run. Ask any college coach what they look for, and they will all say the same thing. Tools. Traits. Projectability. Work ethic. Discipline. Coachability. Not trophies. So the real question is this, are you chasing rings or building tools?
Coaches: Are You Developing or Plugging In?
Tryout season is not just a test for families. It is a test for coaches too. Some coaches spend this time hunting for athletes who can make them look good. Players who already throw hard. Already hit tanks. Already run sub-seven sixties. They are not looking to develop. They are looking to plug and play. There is a difference between assembling talent and building a team. Real development coaches are willing to take on the kid who needs work. The kid with raw tools but rough mechanics. The kid who has not hit puberty yet but plays hard and listens well. They coach every kid on the roster, not just the top three. They keep practices competitive and organized. They teach the game, not just the outcome. The plug-and-play coach runs glorified travel ball. He keeps his top six on the field and tells the rest to “be ready.” He throws his best arm every Sunday. He cares more about rankings and clout than reps and details. Families need to watch closely. Because at tryouts, every coach is smiling and saying the right things. But the real culture shows up when the season gets hard. When your son strikes out three times in a row. When he drops a fly ball. When he is not one of the studs. Is that coach going to invest in your son? Or ignore him?
The Club Points Scam
Another growing issue during tryout season is the obsession with “club points.” Organizations now have internal point systems to rank their teams and coaches based on wins. Not development. Not growth. Not how many players move up levels. Wins. This creates a toxic cycle. Coaches begin to manage with fear. They bench kids who are struggling instead of coaching them through it. They shorten benches. They force pitchers to throw on short rest. They manipulate rosters to load up top teams while gutting the others. Players become pawns in a club-wide marketing campaign. Families are sold on “elite” labels and “national team” tags without any meaningful difference in instruction or development. It is all about appearances. The sad part is most parents never know the difference. They see the rankings and assume it must be the best fit. But the real question should be: how many of those players actually got better this season? Club points are not a development metric. They are a sales pitch.
The Tryout Illusion
Tryouts often give families a false sense of reality. You might see your son hit a few rockets in BP and assume he impressed. You might hear a coach say “he looked good” and take that as a guarantee. But most coaches already know who is on their board before the tryout even starts. Tryouts are often used to confirm what they already think. And sometimes, they are used to fill numbers, not roles. So what should you look for at a tryout? Look at how they run it. Is it organized? Do they watch every kid? Are they taking notes or just chatting? Are the coaches coaching or just observing? Are they evaluating effort, baseball IQ, and body language? Or are they just measuring exit velo? Also, look around. Are the returning players engaged and supportive? Or arrogant and cliqued up? Are the parents watching quietly or yelling nonsense? Do the coaches walk off the field before the kids are picked up? You can learn a lot in two hours if you are paying attention to the right things.
Honest Conversations Matter
Before tryout season kicks off, families need to have honest conversations. Between parents. Between players and parents. Between players and coaches. What are the goals this season? If the goal is fun, that is fine. But say it. If the goal is development, then accept the path that comes with that. If the goal is exposure, make sure the player is actually ready to be exposed. Too many families say they want development, but the moment playing time is not guaranteed, they jump ship. Too many players say they want to be great, but skip practice for birthday parties and Fortnite tournaments. Too many parents say they want their son to be pushed, but complain the moment a coach holds him accountable. Clarity matters. Communication matters. Alignment matters. The best seasons happen when everyone is on the same page.
Choose Wisely
Club ball tryout season is a critical time. It is when futures are quietly shaped. It is when players either set themselves up to grow or stay stuck in neutral. It is when parents either align with the process or chase illusions. It is when coaches either invest in kids or exploit them. The goal is not to be on the best team. The goal is to be in the best environment for your development. And that does not always look like wins and rings. It looks like accountability. Instruction. Challenge. Reps. Patience. Process. And trust. Choose the right team, not the easy one. Let me know if you want carousel slides, pull quotes, social captions, or branded visuals to go with this blog.
Behind The Diamond 