State Games Tryouts - Region 4 - What a Fiasco

So, tryouts - due to the State Games offices moving - were posted on the 10th or so. Imagine the player in Region 4's surprise when we see that the first tryout occurred on the 4th. Several people, including my daughter, considered backing out and investing in something more organized - and while a couple of my daughter's friends did, my daughter decided to go with the flow.

So, today is the second posted tryouts date - 3 counties and 1 1/2 hours away. Like the other young ladies that showed today, we arrived at 8:30 to allow the girls the chance to warm up before tryouts began. By 9:00, the stated time of tryouts, still no one - Coach or anyone else - that would be running tryouts had arrived. By 9:15 I was elected to ask the groundskeeper if tryouts had been moved. By 9:20 the coach's truck was found in the parking lot by someone the groundskeeper spoke to, but no sign of a coach. And finally, at 9:45 we are informed of a few things:

1) The coach was at that field on the 4th, the day of the first tryout, and miffed when no one showed up to tryout. Even further miffed to find out tryouts had not been posted yet, which is why no one showed up.

2) The coach was in WILMINGTON watching a game, and said he had contacted the State Games organizers midweek to cancel the tryouts and that it was supposed to have been posted no later than Thursday.

We had a pitcher from the Knockouts there - that was missing part of her scrimmage today to tryout for the District 4 team.

We had a catcher there who was missing her sister's game at Coastal Carolina to tryout for the District 4 team.

We had my daughter there, that knew if she went to tryouts she would not be going to the NC State vs FSU games today.

We had a couple of young ladies there that wisely decided 1/2 hour past tryout times, to leave and go to their high school practice.

A couple of parents suggested that State Games for softball should be cancelled after this fiasco. While I don't agree with that, I do agree with the fiasco portion of their statement.

I also know that this is not the case for tryouts across the board. My daughter had personally recruited friends in District 5 and District 7 to play in State Games, and District 5 had 3 coaches and around 50 participants show.

So my question, for all you folks with knowledge - what would you do? Three hours of your life, 1/2 tank of gas, cost to feed your child on the way there...missed NC State vs FSU games....

For nothing.

I don't know about ya'll - but in this economy, I look at State Games as an investment in my daughter and her future. I can't be throwing my money away for gas, food and registration fees for Coach's not even bothering to show up and not to be notified of cancellations.

 

I'm sure there is a reason for the confusion.

 

Based on what you've posted, it appears that the problem is isolated to your region. If that's the case and other regions are apparently going well, it doesn't seem to be a State Games problem, but a Region problem.

For a parent to suggest that State Games should be canceled because of lack of communication by an individual is silly. The problem is local not statewide.

The State Games is one of the best recruiting venues in this state. The one's that participate should feel proud and honored to represent their area. If the coach can't control his emotions and be professional.....then he should resign and get another coach.

 

I would agree with the other posters that your situation seems to be isolated, and not the experience seen in the other districts around the state. My DD was involved with the State Games last year for Region 6, and we found everything to be extremely organized and the coaches to be totally professional and committed to the girls. Region 6 held their first tryout yesterday, and everything went off without a hitch. Most of the girls arrived by 9:30am for a 10:00 tryout start time. The coaches put all the girls through various drills, and even had each hitter face live pitching in a simulated type of game. Tryout concluded at just a little after 1pm.

Wish you were having a better experience in your Region. It apprears as if someone dropped the ball on communication, which is very unfortunate for those that set aside the time and expense to come to the tryout. Hopefully it will all get straightened out so the girls can enjoy a very fun experience of playing in the State Games.

 

our experience with state games last year was extremely positive.

does anyone know if region 7 has has posted times for their tryouts this season?

 

Just My Opinion

I try not to get involved in many posts and just stay to sharing my photos, but...

I felt honored to be asked to photograph last years State Games at UNC- Greensboro. In my opinion this is one of the best, if not the best, organizations promoting prep softball in the state.

In between games I would run to the Press Box to soak up some AC and it would be full of volunteers doing everything to make it a successful tournament along with piles of paper work, including selecting the all-state players.

Go to their web site http://www.ncfastpitch.org and check out the State Game photos, especially the final day. With the weather not co-operating, coaches, players, volunteers and stadium ground keepers did everything to make the field playable. They pulled the tarp on and off, raked the field and did whatever was needed to get the games in.

Don't let this one bad experience stop you from participating in these games. This was a great experience for me to see the best girls from the entire state play and I think a great experience for everyone involved.

If I didn't believe in the NCSCA, I wouldn't have agreed to photographing this years games.

 

For Bothsportsdad

the tryouts are posted at the website. region 7 are: 4/19 at East Surry 2:00 - 5:00 and 4/26 at Alexander Central 2:00 - 5:00. Rainout scheduled for 5/3 at Alexander Central 2:00 - 5:00.

 

thanks for the post and the PM's... I had been monitoring the coaches site not the state games site.... DOH!