Below are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding our tournament teams. Many decisions, such as what tournaments to enter, and how many to play, in addition to how often each team practices, are left up to the discretion of each coach and the families involved with each team.
How Does Coach & Player Selection Work?
Coach Selection
- Any individual that wishes to coach will be able to apply through a link (to be provided soon). There will be a basic questionnaire to fill out and send in. Deadline to apply is June 2nd.
- There will be a survey sent out to current tournament player families to provide feedback on the past season. Those will be due by May 31st.
- The Board will conduct interviews on June 9th starting at 6 pm.
- The Board then will vote on coaches and announce the selected coaches at the tryouts each night.
- The Coaches will be at the showcase on their division night to watch players and select their roster.
Tournament Team Selection
- After the showcase is completed each evening, the selection process will begin.
- There will be no rankings of players and lists of specific players to choose from given to coaches as has been done in the past.
- Each coach will be able to select their roster from the full grouping of eligible players from that group.
- Coaches will have been announced prior to the showcase and once complete, the first coach will be able to immediately submit her/his roster to the Executive Board for approval.
- Once the roster is approved, coaches will have a 24-hours to reach out to players and players will have 24 hours to respond to the coach. It is our goal to move the selection process quickly to ensure that parties are not left unsure about what is happening.
- We will continue to move through coaches and the eligible players until each division is completed.
What age group does my child fall into?
Age classification is determined by your daughters age on January 1, 2025 (after the new year). Example: If your daughter turns 10 on or before January 1, she will try out at the 10U level.
Are these "All Star" Teams?
Teams are structured a little differently than they were back in the 80-90's (when many of the current parents were kids) and while some teams are more competitive, teams are formed with players of similar skill level, to play against other teams of similar skill level. If your child enjoys the game, they should consider joining a team, as they will gain great experience, regardless of whether they are one of the best players or athletes in their class.
How much will they "travel"?
The term "travel" can also be somewhat misleading, as most tournaments are played in the Des Moines metro area. While "how far" a team may travel to compete in a tournament is up to the coach and families on any given team, most teams won't travel beyond Indianola and likely won't spend a single night in a hotel room during a season.
When is the Tournament Team season?
Tournament teams are formed at the beginning of July and typically begin Fall season play in August and finish around October. In the Spring, teams will play April through June.
How many practices can my daughter expect on a Tournament Team?
Most teams will practice 1 or 2 times per week during softball season depending on age level.
Can we practice in the Winter?
Yes, our Tournament Teams have access to an indoor hitting and practice facility so our players can train all year long. WDMGS also partners with Valley High School to offer instruction to pitchers in the Winter, as well as to all players at select times throughout each year.
How many games are played, and when?
Tournament games are typically played on weekends, sometimes (but not always) beginning on Friday evenings, then Saturday and Sunday. Normally you'll play 2-3 games over the course of a 3-4 hour stretch on a given day. Each tournament usually has 4-6 games, depending on how far a team advances with wins. Most teams will enter 3-4 Fall Tournaments as well as 5-6 Spring Tournaments. You could expect to play 20-30 games in each season.