How to Hold a Youth Fast-Pitch Pitching Tryout

Youth fast-pitch softball is growing in popularity with the rise of television coverage in collegiate and Olympic fast-pitch competition. The number of youth fast pitch teams rose to more than 86,000 in 2007 from less than 74,000 in 1995, USA Today reported. New leagues and tournaments spring up all over the country each year. Tryouts are an essential tool for coaches attempting to choose players for their team or to determine which roles their players fit best. A solid pitcher adds the most value to her team because fast-pitch softball games are usually low-scoring affairs.

Instructions

    • 1

      Market your team's tryout well in advance to attract more participants. Advertise at all the popular places in town, such as the grocery store, diners and cafes, and schools and parks. Specify the age range, experience level and any other relevant background data of the players you're looking for. Write the time, date and place of the tryout, and leave contact information.

    • 2

      Line up the participants behind the pitcher's mound, and let each one pitch 10 to 15 balls to a catcher. Stand behind the catcher to judge the pitcher's performance. At this stage, look for accuracy, consistency, technique and speed. Rate the players on a predetermined scale accounting for each factor.

    • 3

      Take the best handful of pitchers and have them throw to live batters. This will give you a feel for how they will perform in a game. Some pitchers can be very accurate when not facing a batter, but clam up against real competition. In this simulation, judge mostly on poise and form. Accuracy and speed should come with training, but poise and form are difficult to teach over the course of one season.

    • 4

      Have a system in place to let the players know when and how they will find out the results. The results can be posted on a website, communicated by telephone or emailed. The important part is to let the players know in a timely fashion.