Information for FCHS and BFMS Softball Tryouts:
A HANDOUT DESCRIBING THE WAY TRYOUTS ARE RUN MAY BE FOUND BY LOOKING UNDER HANDOUTS FOR A WORD DOCUMENT NAMED: TRYOUT INFORMATION
February 22 - JV and Varisty (any 8th grader-12th grader may tryout) and BFMS Tryouts (any 7th or 8th grader may tryout)
Be prepared to practice inside or outside.
A. What are we looking for in a ballplayer? Four things: Heart, Head, Hands and Feet. Heart and Head are the backbone of your mental game. Good Hands and Feet help you play the game. If you can prove to us that you can answer all or some of the below questions with a “yes”, then you’ll make our team.
1. Heart: Does your jersey get dirty on both defense and offense?
Do you always step in front of a sharp grounder?
Do you like to slide for fun?
Do you always support your teammates, even if they are playing instead of you at your position?
Do you leave all your effort on the field every day?
Are you really tired after practice?
Do you condition in the off-season?
2. Head: Do you perform in the classroom?
Are you never a discipline problem for your teachers?
Do you always keep your cool?
Do you like to perform in pressure situations?
Do you display self-confidence even on a day when you’re not playing your best?
Do you take extra bases when no one is looking?
Can you fake a baserunner into a rundown?
Do you like to drop a bunt down when the 3rd baseman isn’t looking?
Do you condition in the offseason?
3. Hands: Are they quick through the hitting zone?
Do they scoop groundballs without flaw?
Do they wrist flick pitches with nasty spin?
Can they fire a softball to a base or cutoff person?
4. Feet: Do they move you as fast as lightning on the bases?
Do they form a solid base for your defensive stance?
Can they move you to catch any ball on defense?
Do they turn your hips in your swing to give you POWER?
B. Physical and Grade Forms: VHSL requires you to have a physical on file at the school in order to tryout. I require you to have turned in a grade form to me before tryouts. YOU MAY NOT TRYOUT WITHOUT BOTH OF THESE FORMS!
C. Tryout Week: Is generally the last week in February. We will cut players from both squads after practice of the tryout week. Coaches hope to set our final teams by that Friday.
D. JV or Varsity? Players who are underclassmen that may make Varsity will have some input on that decision. I am generally in favor of giving kids playing time on JV versus keeping them on Varsity to ride the bench. However, bench players who will contribute often on Varsity will stay up, even if they will not necessarily start. Outstanding JV players may also be called up at anytime during the season, especially at season’s end if Varsity makes it to the postseason.
