Should my Daughter Try out for a Competitive Fastball Team?

Does she have…

• a love of softball and team spirit
• a desire to work hard and compete at an elite level
• a desire to be coachable and learn new skills
• willingness to train and practice year round
• 100% commitment to personal player development
• 100% commitment to her team and achieving team goals
• a commitment to practice at home, whether it be softball skills such as pitching, throwing/catching, batting or fitness

If she meets the description above, we encourage her to attend the Blitz ID Camp and try outs. If you are not sure but believe it could be a good fit for your child, then we hope you explore the opportunity. Players can come a long way in one season with a determined work ethic and athletic ability.

What are the family commitments required?

Time is the main commitment as Competitive teams train year-round. Regular season runs May-July,  which includes several practices a week, 2 games per week of league play, as well as  approximately 5-8 tournaments throughout these months. If a team does post Provincial play for a Western or National Championship, these will be held into August. Tournament schedules will vary by team and be determined by the head coach. Weekend Time and Travel is a big component and big commitment of elite level ball and comes with a price tag; hotels, campsites, fuel, food, etc. to name a few. Families will be responsible for the additional cost of training, tournaments, and travel; however, team fundraising efforts will dictate what actually comes out of your pocket. Blitz teams have historically had great success with fundraising and sponsorship.

Competitive team schedules are very ambitious, however, the experience is extremely rewarding on many levels. We tend to see tremendous growth in the girls; physically, socially, and mentally. Both personal goals and team goals are achieved through a dedicated, committed, hard-working  and supportive environment. Resulting in confident athletes with a desire to succeed, not only on the ball field but in life.

What is an ID Camp?

Before hosting a team tryout, ID Camps are held to identify athletes wanting to play competitive ball.

They are evaluated on their technical skills, through drills, situational gameplay, and recorded metrics.

The drills tested in the camp may include but are not limited to:

• Throwing velocity
• Bat exit speed
• Agility testing
• Timed base running
• Front toss hitting
• Infielding and outfielding
• Pitchers assessed on velocity, accuracy, pitch types
• Catchers throw down velocity and accuracy to 2^nd base

Identifying metrics such as these enables the association to determine what level these players skillsets will be able to successfully compete at.

This is the FIRST step in deciding what teams will be formed and at what level they will play. Formal tryouts will be scheduled afterwards.

Tryout Invitation and Final Team Selection

A volunteer committee is involved with the skill testing and the recording of metrics. The Head Coach makes the final selections. This individual makes selections for the team for the purpose of fielding the best possible team to achieve championship success. As such, it is possible that some individual athletes, who are assessed highly in certain factors, may not be selected to the team, for example due to specific skill-sets and/or positional requirements, experience, leadership, and overall depth of the team.

Why are ID Camps and Tryouts held in the fall?

In order for a competitive team to achieve its’ goals,  it must align their training commitment with other teams of that level. Continuous Improvement is critical for success and must be done on and off season. Teams will typically start training together in the fall or first thing in the new year. Depending on the team.

It is important to note that the commitment to player development is at the forefront and all players interested in playing competitive ball should be participating in skills camps and other development opportunities whenever possible throughout the year.

Forming teams early also gives families an opportunity to start fundraising earlier for those extra expenses incurred by playing at an elite level.

Competitive/Fairplay Philosophy Explained

Beaumont Blitz Fastball works to provide a supportive sport environment where girls can develop their skills and enjoy the fun of playing one of the best games around. We offer opportunities in both our community (recreational) and competitive streams. A core principle, and challenge, is trying to achieve a competitive yet fair play philosophy.

Competitive/ Fair Play has with it the concept of where and how much players play. Within the Community/Recreational  stream, fair play means equitable positional and playing time across the season. So, league play, tournaments, zones, and provincials would all be similarly addressed.

Within the Competitive  stream, competitive fair play is modified slightly to reflect the increased competitive focus. So, across league play, tournaments, zones, and beyond, players will see opportunities for positional play and playing time. Yet in the playoff rounds of tournaments differential play will occur. This means that some players will play more in league and round-robin games and others will play more in the playoff and championship rounds. Over the full season, however, equitable innings will be sought for all overall.

It is extremely important to understand the guiding principles and objectives of a competitive team before joining it and embarking on that journey. If family expectations and player personal goals are not aligned with the team goals, then disappointment and failure in achieving both sets of goals will surely occur.