What Happens Next After You Do Well At An Independent Baseball Tryout
http://www.IndependentMinorLeagueBaseball.com
Let’s assume that you’ve actually done well at an independent minor league tryout and you’ve actually got to the point where one of the team’s representative the manager, the general manager, the player of operations director, player procurement director or another team representative or even a league representative wants to talk with you. Here’s what you do next, first of all you’re going to have an after tryout discussion. Sometimes they may talk with you there in the stadium or in the parking lot, also make sure that you have your contact information there and you filled it out properly and legibly on the sign in form so they can contact you.
Some people have actually been selected by the managers. They call a few days. They can’t read the number, they keep dialing the number and they keep getting the wrong phone number so make sure what you write is legible so that maybe your follow up call. What you really want to do is this, after tryout discussion is they want to find out more about your character so you’ve see your athleticism and then you’ve made the first grade, you’ve passed the first level so the question is they want to find out more about you.
Are you respectful? Are you grateful for the opportunity to play? Do you have anything that will prevent you from playing for the team whether it would be legal concerns, family obligations, financial obligations something like that, they want to know what’s going on so they have a rough idea because again they’re not just signing you. You are coming in to play baseball but also represent the team and the city and also represent both of them when you’re on the road.
And they want to make sure that you’re trustworthy, that you’re giving no problems behind the scenes, some of the things that you hear about in baseball, they want to make sure they don’t sign somebody like that, because their reputation is on the line. So again make the representative jobs easy for them. Plan for success before you show up for the tryout, so you walk in knowing that you are going to be successful and one of the ways you can do this doesn’t cost you anything. Just print out a quick one page or two page bio with stats and your previous playing experience, any third party comments about your skills if there’s something on a website that the affiliated scout wrote about you saying yes, you’ve got great skill, you’ve got great ability to hit the opposite field or you can paint the corner well with your fast ball or whatever it is make sure you have it there and that you can simply hand it to GM or manager or anyone else and that they can go ahead and check this on their own.
Also if you happen to have references, make sure you have your name and phone number. Again, print this out to make it easier for them to read. If you have a list of any awards whether you’re an All American or All District, or All Conference make sure its there and any information about your character outside of baseball. If you happen to have set up a volunteer organization or you have some other sort of outside of the baseball world character that’s objective and independent that they can go ahead and verify. This is helpful it makes their job a lot easy and better yet sort of just printing one version of this, print out about a dozen of them especially if you’re going to a multi-league tryout where multiple teams may take an interest in you, you can handout your bio sheet to everybody that way they can compete for you and hopefully you can get the chance to get to the best quality level of play and/or make the most out of money and then be ready to act quickly.
You may be invited to spring training but you only get the call 40 to 72 hours before it starts so after you’ve attended a tryout and they’re interested and their having a discussion with you make sure you get your finances ready. Have your bank accounts all set to go especially with a national branch so that you can go ahead and reach ATMs or set up accounts locally wherever you end up playing. Have all your travels bags ready to go, have your clothes, your equipment ready to go just in case you get that call and they give you the green light.
Also take care of personal obligations before coming to spring training. That’s tough and they may not necessarily let you go back. If you go to spring training they may— if you have an obligation 2 weeks into the season, they may not let you go for that series. It’s something to negotiate but again if you can get everything done ahead of time, get done ahead of time. Also know that even if you get the first discussion you may not get sides, you may not get invited to spring training, but still stay in shape and still stay ready because if you made it to the last cut you just didn’t make it you may get that call midway through the season after the first round of cuts are made or after any injuries which are unfortunate but it does give you an opportunity.
So for your next steps go to www.IndependentMinorLeagueBaseball.com click the upper left corner and select whether or not you have any previous professional playing experience on the next page and join the prospect database. This is what’s going to be sent to the managers, GM, director of player operations etcetera throughout all the independent player leagues. Thank you.
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