How to Grade Youth Baseball Tryouts

When you coach a youth baseball team, you often have to go through the process of tryouts prior to the season. While this is a tense period for players, it's also difficult for the coaching staff, which has to make difficult decisions that can upset the young athletes. When grading the talent at youth baseball tryouts, it's important to look at not only each player's on-the-field fundamentals, but also his understanding of the game and his attitude.

Things You'll Need

  • Stopwatch
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Instructions

    • 1

      Have a coach, parent volunteer or pitcher pitch to the players while you observe their tendencies at the plate. Notice the players who hit for power and those who make consistent hard contact. Imagine the player hitting in this style during a game and try to gauge how many of her hits would be base hits. Note which players swing with their whole bodies and which just use their arms. Assign each player a letter grade, with "A" being excellent.

    • 2

      Divide the players into outfielders and infielders, either based on the positions they wish to play or their body types. Put a defense on the field and have a coach or parent volunteer hit balls to players at random. For the infielders, note how cleanly each player fields the ball and throws to first base. For the outfielders, notice which players routinely catch the ball with ease and throw it quickly back to the infield. Assign letter grades to each player.

    • 3

      Put the players into pairs and instruct them to play catch. Walk among the players and notice which are taking the exercise seriously. At youth levels of the game, many players get distracted and may stop playing catch or begin talking. Assign each player a letter grade based on his ability to follow instructions. A grade of "A" means the player is playing catch and talking minimally.

    • 4

      Line the entire group of tryouts behind home plate and instruct them to run to first when you give a cue. Use a stopwatch to note their time from home to first, then mark each player's time beside her name on a piece of paper. Repeat the exercise with the players running from home, around each base and back to home. Give the top-scoring players an "A" grade.

    • 5

      Assemble all the players who wish to pitch for your team and have them throw 15 to 20 pitches from the mound to a catcher behind the plate. Stand behind the catcher and gauge the pitcher's location and velocity. Because you coach a youth team, the pitchers likely haven't reached the stage of throwing curveballs and other pitches. Assign a letter grade to each pitcher for his combination of accuracy and velocity.

    • 6

      Look at your grades for each player following the tryouts. Determine which players had the most "A" and "B" grades, and which struggled to "D" grades. The top-scoring players should be those who make up your team.