Right now we are in the heart of the summer season for travel ball teams. But soon enough it will be time to start looking to the future with open or private tryouts.

(I know some teams have already started this process, and some actually started just as the season was getting going, but that’s a story for another day.)

College teams are also facing that challenge. They are hot on the summer ball recruiting trail, and now with the transfer portal they are also busy scouring the list of players who are thinking a change of venue might be just what they need to achieve whatever it is they’re trying to achieve.

If you’re in that position right now, it’s important to consider the path you want to take to building next year’s team. In my mind there are two options that will yield success: A) know the approach to the game you want to take and then work on finding players who fit that system, or B) bring on the best players you can find, then build your approach based on who you have on the roster.

Both are valid and can yield success if you do it right.

Let’s start with option A, the one where you have a system or approach you like to take. Say, for example, you want a team that can put up lots of runs.

You’re not too concerned about how many runs the other team scores because your plan is simply to out-hit and out-score them.

In that case you’re looking for players who can bang the ball, hitting it to or over the fence on regular basis. In that case you’re looking for big, strong players who know how to hit.

You’re not too worried about speed, although you’ll take it if it comes in the right package. You’re also not too concerned about defensive prowess; you need perhaps an average level of competence but that’s about it.

You can also get by with pitchers who have a bit higher ERA because you’re planning on out-scoring your opponents anyway. Although if you can find a couple of pitchers-only with higher levels of pitching skills you can also have someone else hit for them, giving you the best of both worlds.

On the other hand, if you believe (as many of the teams from Asia do) that it’s easier to win if you keep your opponents from scoring then find a way to scratch a run or two across the plate, you’re going to be looking for a very different set of players. They will probably be lighter and quicker, with great gloves and great arms.

You’re also more likely to want speed on the basepaths, so that will be another asset you’ll be hunting for. If you can find enough of those you’ll be able to run the game the way you prefer. If not, it’s going to be awfully tough to win with players mis-matched to the system.

With option B, you’re primarily looking for raw athleticism, and/or softball IQ, and/or whatever basic attributes you value. You want players who are the best at whatever it is they do, so you’re probably going to have a mix of skillsets.

The challenge here is once you find those players, you need to figure out how best to use that hodgepodge of skills. You have to figure out where to place them on the field to take advantage of their plusses and cover their minuses, and how to build a batting order that will use their skills most effectively.

It can definitely be challenging, especially if you forget and, say, put a slow girl with a powerful bat in front of fast girl or two. That slow one, if she hits a single, is going to clog the bases for the next 2-3 hitters, perhaps costing you a few runs in the process.

Regardless, either way can work as long as you understand what it is you’re trying to do.

Where coaches run into problems is when they land on a system and don’t select players who fit it, or go for the best athletes and then don’t use them properly.

If you’re dead set that you want to play the short game, take the extra base on a base heat, steal, etc., you’re best off not loading up on big, strong, slow players. If you want to sit in the dugout or the third base coaching box and wait for doubles, triples, and home runs (the Earl Weaver school) you probably don’t want to make the ability to hit a ball 225 feet your primary offensive yardstick.

On the other hand, if you don’t know how to take an eclectic mix of skills and mold them into a cohesive team, you probably shouldn’t be taking the best available athlete approach. You’ll want to find players that are easier to fit into a preconceived notion of how you want the game played.

Otherwise, you’re going to be disappointed in the results.

So as you start thinking about next year’s team and how you want it to play. If you’re committed to a system or approach, try to find the athletes who fit within that narrow box.

If you don’t have a consistent set of skills available to you, start learning how to take that stew of a team and mold it into something that works.

You’ll be a lot happier with the results in the end.

Building blocks photo by ClickerHappy on Pexels.com