Rec Tennis Tryouts - Getting Cut!

Have you ever tried out for an adult rec tennis team? Did you know it was a tryout? Have you ever been cut from a team after a tryout?

In this episode we discuss trying out for teams and how ridiculous it is. If you aren't sure whether it is a tryout or not Erin has a question you could ask (other than is this a tryout) =)

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Chapters

• 0:06 Adult Recreational Tennis Team Tryouts
• 9:58 Adult Tennis Team Tryout Experiences

Transcript

Carolyn: 0:06

Hi, this is Carolyn and I'm here with Erin and we are going to talk about trying out for an adult recreational team. Erin, have you ever had to try out for an adult recreational team?

Erin: 0:18

No, I haven't, but I do have a story about it. But the reason we're doing this is because it's so ridiculous to do adult recreational tennis team tryouts.

Carolyn: 0:30

Well, I have. And I also got cut from that tryout. So maybe maybe it should be getting cut from an adult recreational team. I'm not sure. So this was my first experience with adult recreational tennis. I took a lesson from a tennis pro and he set me up with a lady that he said I should go and hit with. After I'd taken a few lessons, he said, go and hit with this person. She'll be great. Well, I go to hit, and it is with a team of two, five ladies. And I was terrible. I was hitting the ball over the fence. So I should have been cut. I mean, the captain wasn't wrong, but I didn't even know I was trying out. Like I just thought I was going to hit. I was trying to make new friends. You know, you're an adult, you don't have any friends. I'm trying a new sport. And then after I practice with these ladies, I get a text from the person who's the captain and just saying, hey, I'm sorry, there's not a there's not a spot for you on the team. The team is full.

Erin: 1:40

Magically, we filled the spots today, right before this text. We filled all the spots.

Carolyn: 1:46

Yeah. Before, before the practice, there was a possibility, but afterwards, there is no. And I told it to somebody, and they were like, you probably could have looked it up because where we live in North Carolina, where we are on our spring team, there's a limit of 15 people. And they told me to look, I should go back and look up and see if there was only 13 on that team or, you know, not 15.

Erin: 2:06

Right. Yeah. That's so funny. So I didn't have that experience that I know of. I mean, we all could have gone through tryouts, right? I mean, that's how crazy adult rec tennis can be. We probably all had a tryout and maybe didn't know. And it was funny that the pro set you up with, let's say, this captain, but then it was like a whole team of people. So you were probably not only being judged by her, whether you could, it's not like you were just going out for a friendly hit, but like all eyes were on you and you had no idea. You were just for sure.

Carolyn: 2:34

Nobody wanted to play with me. Right. Because I I played on different courts that night. I remember that. And I guess nobody said yes.

Erin: 2:43

That's even better. Oh my gosh. I could just picture it. And here's the funny thing about Carolyn. So I know you got good really quickly. So they were probably kicking themselves. Like the best thing is probably you could say, big mistake. Big because you went from a 2-5 to a 4-0 in not that many. How many years did it take you for to go 2-5 to 4-0?

Carolyn: 3:06

It was six. I think it was six.

Erin: 3:08

That's pretty good. Um, they just had no idea how good you were gonna get so good. But did it motivate you, maybe? Was it like a or you didn't you just didn't know it? Because that would motivate me. I would be like, I'm taking every lesson. I'm gonna like I would be so competitive if I got cut that it would make me better.

Carolyn: 3:24

No, I but I think the captain was correct. I was pretty terrible. Um, so it wasn't really a motivation, and then someone else just asked me to be on a singles team and I realized I really enjoyed it and really enjoyed the people and everything like that. But I definitely started off getting cut without even realizing it. So for anyone listening, if you get cut from your first team, do not give up.

Erin: 3:47

Right. Dream big, people, dream big. So I didn't have that experience that I know of, but I was on a team that we were going to states, and I remember them wanting, and there was to they were wanting to all meet and do a team practice, but it really wasn't just a team practice. The captains were looking at who they should put on court one and court two and court three. I think it was a combo state, so maybe there was like three doubles because there was no singles at the time, so I'm sure it was a combo situation. And um, I remember my doubles partner and I, who were typically doubles one, were playing against the women who were typically doubles two, and they were making bad line calls. My own teammate, I was shocked. Like, I did not want to play another season with them. They're lovely people now, but we were so competitive at 2-5 that I was like, my own teammates are cheating, making bad line calls and to so that they could get on, you know, doubles one, which now is probably not the case at all because sometimes that doubles one spot is too much pressure anyway at states. But I remember leaving that practice thinking, I cannot believe that we just did this. Like it was a team practice, but it was really like for who was it was like challenge matches, like who was gonna play it what on what court at states. And I was like, I can't believe we're being competitive with our own teammates. Like, this is crazy, but that's two five tennis for you. The competition makes people nuts.

Carolyn: 5:22

It does, it does. And I remember, I don't know if my husband's even gonna allow me to put this on here, but I'm gonna tell it anyway. So he tried out for a team that was a level up, so I think it was a four-five team that he uh he was asked. So it was it was really interesting how it happened. It was where you know how it is, where people like a friend of a friend asks you to what can you play on this team? And um, that's how it happened. And so my husband thought he was being asked to be on the team, but the he wasn't, he wasn't being asked to be on the team. I think he was being asked to try out for the team. But so the captain contacts him and says, Do you want to meet and hit? And my husband and I were laughing because we were like, This is totally a tryout. And he gets there, and the guy that's the captain is probably in his 20s, and he takes out a ball hopper full full of balls, and then they go to opposite sides, you know, they introduce themselves, they go to the opposite sides of the court and he starts feeding my husband balls to hit. And then I guess he passed that part of the tryout because after he started to stop feeding the balls, they decided to play a match. Um, but but my husband did say he was like, Is he gonna feed me balls for the next hour and a half?

Erin: 6:47

Like, is this like he's a pro and this is a clinic?

Carolyn: 6:51

Yes, that's so crazy. So luckily Mike did make that team, but that was definitely a tryout because afterwards he said, you know, you're on the team. So did he get an offer?

Erin: 7:04

Did he did he get an offer right there and then did he get a rose? He was presented a rose right there and then right, right.

Carolyn: 7:10

I think he got the offer too to play singles only. You know how those offers are. So I get those offers a lot.

Erin: 7:17

We would love you to be on this team, but we will be playing singles, but but we need a warm body on a singles court, and you're our girl. Right, exactly, exactly. That's so funny. I didn't think guys, I could see girls doing that, but I think we'd be a little more like secretive about it. But I thought guys were just straight up like, hey, dude, this is a tryout. This is what we're gonna do. But the fact that it was, I mean, that sounds so awkward. If I showed up, could you imagine as a woman showing up and having another like a captain being like, all right, so we're gonna start the first 30 minutes, I'm gonna feed balls and you're gonna work on like if you paid a pro to do that and you're like, this is a lesson, but not like, okay, I'm gonna check out your forehand and your backhand, and that's so crazy.

Carolyn: 8:04

Yes, yes. What would you do, Erin, if if someone did that? Or they showed up. You someone asked you to be on a team and you were going to hit with the captain and they started feeding you balls from a hopper.

Erin: 8:18

I have no idea what I would do. I would probably go through with it like Mike did and think this is super awkward. Um, I don't know. I'm surprised he didn't say, What are we doing here? Because they're usually much more straightforward. We're like, okay, this is weird, but I'll go along with it. Yeah, I don't know. What would you do?

Carolyn: 8:38

I would hit the balls. I'd be I I would love it if someone would feed me balls.

Erin: 8:43

And not and not pay them. Is this a free lesson? Yes, exactly. That's crazy. Have you heard of any other anyone else having tryouts? I'm sure teams do it all the time. I have heard, I did hear from someone recently that really did say like you should do challenge matches. Like take your best, you know, take your best deuce and add players and play them against your uh, you know, second team or whatever. And I'm like, do you know that this is a woman's rec team? Like, this is not gonna go over well.

unknown: 9:16

Right.

Carolyn: 9:17

Right.

Erin: 9:18

It's like, okay, we're gonna, I mean, they do that for juniors all the time or for JTT. They always like they always, and I think high school and college, they always rank you on a court based on, but we don't do that in adult rec tennis. Maybe we should. Maybe we should we should. Maybe we should start implementing new things, Carolyn.

Carolyn: 9:35

That's right. And but be very clear from the beginning. This is a tryout, or this is to put you in what order we think for a match. And I think again, if people's expectations are met, this is what's going to happen. I think what was so shocking for Mike is just he didn't realize it was a tryout till he was in the tryout. Right.

Erin: 9:54

Well, same with you. Well, except you were yours was a little less obvious that it was a tryout. So did the team that you didn't make, was that like a they're trying to build, was that that was a two-five team? They were trying to build like a super 2-5 team to go to states and beyond, or what was do you have any idea? Were they just looking for people and you just didn't make the cut? You weren't the people they were looking for.

Carolyn: 10:16

Yeah, I think they were just looking for people and I was not very good. And so I did not make the cut. I don't know.

Erin: 10:23

And Mike's was truly like we're building like a super team, we're taking this as far as we can.

Carolyn: 10:29

I don't even think it was. I think it was again the same story as it we're that's worse.

Erin: 10:35

That answer is it is that answer's worse. I mean, because when you get to the four or five level, if you're having tryouts, you think I'm having people try out to be on like a super team. Because mostly guys don't like I've found out my husband hasn't played, I think he played one season ever of league and doesn't play at all anymore. But he captained a team, and literally guys are like, eh, I can't play tonight. Let's just forfeit that court. And women are like, that's ridiculous. We paid to be in this league and we should make it up at all costs. And guys are just like, eh, whatever. So I'm surprised they would have tryouts for a team that they weren't trying to like build, you know, like a super team to go on to like playoffs and states and maybe beyond.

Carolyn: 11:21

Yeah.

Erin: 11:22

It seems like a lot of effort.

Carolyn: 11:24

I think it was, you know, the captain deciding whether or not this person is good enough even to be on the team. I don't think it it maybe it was to make a good team, but Mike's I don't know if he'll want me to say this. Mike is not a four-five. Right. Yeah. He's not a high-level four-five. So I think it was just whether or not the captain was willing to have this person on his team.

Erin: 11:47

Did he have any other foros on that team? Did the captain have any other foros?

Carolyn: 11:52

I don't know if he did. So maybe it was like a level below can you be, can you make it on this team? Right. So maybe that's the reason.

Erin: 12:00

Yeah, I was gonna say if he had other ones, I hope that they had a tryout as well.

Carolyn: 12:04

Yes. Well, so but Mike has tried out for a super team before and he didn't make it. And yeah, he probably should be on this podcast right now. He's probably gonna be like, what are you talking about? But he he thought again that it was where he was being invited to be on a super team, but it was a tri-level team. And he then shows up for a tryout for it. But he said very honestly, like he wasn't, you know, with tri-level, they only take four at that level. And the other people that were with him trying out were self-rates and appeals. And Mike was very honest, like they were better than him. And so they should make it. But again, it was one of these things like let's make everything clear. This is a tryout, like everybody should be just very honest. When I go to try out for my 25, you are trying out tonight. So you're will get like I didn't know I was trying out. Yeah, I was like, Oh, I made some new friends, and then all of a sudden I get a message saying you did not be.

Erin: 13:11

I don't have friends. Not only are you not on our team, we are not gonna be your friend.

Carolyn: 13:18

I think I think the text actually said, you know, that I could come to practice when people couldn't make it. That's right, you're just let me know.

Erin: 13:25

You were a sell-in. You were a sub. Yeah, you were a sub. Well, nowadays, you know, when like if Mike thought, or if you thought, or if I thought, you know, that we were gonna be like invited onto a team, like someone has contacted us and said, Hey, you know, come out and hit tonight, you know, I have this team. I would, I guess you should watch the language. Like, I'm offering like I have a spot for you on the team, but let's hit to make sure. Or like I would just be like, Can you send me the team number?

unknown: 13:54

Yeah.

Carolyn: 13:56

I'm stepping foot on the court until you give me that team number.

Erin: 14:00

And if they say if they say no, then you know it's a tryout. Maybe that's there. There you go. Here we solve the problem. If somebody asks you to play tennis because they have a team that they're putting together, but they say, Come out and meet me to hit first, and you say, Can I have the team number so I can get registered? And they say, No, not yet. No, you are going for a tryout.

Carolyn: 14:21

Yes, that's right.

Erin: 14:23

There we go.

Carolyn: 14:24

Please let us know if you've ever had to try out for an adult recreational team and if you knew it was a tryout. You can message us on our website, which is secondservepodcast.com. Thanks so much for listening and hope to see you on the courts soon.