Tryouts are in! But what exactly will coaches be evaluating in tryouts this year? How will they determine which players are the best fit for their team? What will be the difference between an applicant that does or does not make the team?
Head coaches Cody Narveson (Minneapolis Monarchs), Greg Bento (Boston Forge), Nathan Digmann (Indianapolis Intensity) and Juan Martinez (Austin Outlaws) are here to answer six burning questions applicants might have about how they’re being evaluated this season and took a moment to give advice to new players.
Read on to see what they had to say.
What are you looking for from players during tryouts this year?
“With game film, what I am looking to see from players is the ability to make decisions without hesitation. I’m less concerned with whether or not they made the right decision—though of course that’s important—than I am concerned with whether or not prospects can process situations at game speed.” —Juan Martinez (AUS)
“I’m hoping to reaffirm my existing perceptions of how local quidditch athletes play. Film from non-local athletes will of course be much more important as I familiarize myself with their play styles, which I haven’t had the benefit of seeing as often in person.” —Cody Narveson (MPLS)
What makes an ideal new player for your team?
“An ideal new player is someone that shows athleticism and shows the ability to perform the fundamental skills of their position at a high level. A basic understanding of quidditch strategies is also important.” —Greg Bento (BOS)
“My hope is that any new players (and returning players, for that matter) will be willing to unlearn and relearn components of the game in ways that will ultimately further the team’s development. We should come into this season more willing than ever to collectively work off of a blank slate, and build ourselves up as a singular team unit instead of as a group of individuals.” —Cody Narveson (MPLS)
What would tip a player onto the roster over another player?
“A hunger and enthusiasm to learn.” —Nathan Digmann (IND)
“An understanding of the game [on top of showing mastery in basic skills]. In their game film, how often is the player in the right position? How often are they making the correct pass/beat/shot?” —Greg Bento (BOS)
What would disqualify a player from making the team in your eyes?
“Vitriol. We can all see it from the sidelines and it comes through even in game film. We need to be bought into this idea of being a team in all the various ways, and any player who can’t buy into that mentality doesn’t have a place on a team when our seasons are so short and every practice minute counts.” —Juan Martinez (AUS)
“Anyone who displays or communicates a certain type of recklessness—toward team philosophy, toward the development of themselves or the team, toward back-to-play protocols—would be unable to compete with my team.” —Cody Narveson (MPLS)
How are you planning to build up your practice squad players this year?
“Practice squad players aren’t treated much differently than the franchise roster, and so a similar level of focus is put into developing their talents and game knowledge. They have exposure to all the same drills, feedback, coaching, etc. that franchise players do—the one difference is franchise-level game experience. One of the biggest benefits of developing our practice squad is deepening the bench of talent in our division and raising the level of play for Intensity in the years to come.” —Nathan Digmann (IND)
“I find the best way to build up practice squad players is to integrate them as much as possible with the rest of the roster during practice. Playing with and against more experienced players will help them learn quickly.” —Greg Bento (BOS)
If players don’t make it this year, what can they do to go above and beyond for next year?
“Strive to communicate as much as possible, and keep it POSITIVE. Players trying to make MLQ teams should always be looking to improve their fitness levels in the spirit of competition, but what separates you in the short time we have is how well you work with your teammates, some of which you’ve never played with before.” —Juan Martinez (AUS)
“Watching film to better understand the game is a big step for a lot of players. Also, working on the fundamentals of throwing and catching. And of course, getting your body in shape to maximize your athletic explosiveness.” —Nathan Digmann (IND)
Additional Notes from Each Coach
On the whole, each coach touched on the following four elements they will be looking at in tryouts: athleticism, fundamental skills, coachability and a team-focused mindset. However, each had additional notes for their applicants.
“If you can feel confident enough to talk with your teammates and trust what you’re hearing from them then you can overcome a lot of the challenges most teams will throw at us over the upcoming season. Nothing builds trust like hearing the last-second warning yell from a teammate as it saves you from a 100 mph bludger or hearing that you have help coming as you are eyes down on your 5th tackle of the game,” Martinez said, stressing the importance of communication.
For Bento, fundamentals were the name of the game.
“We can teach team strategy but we do not want to be spending time teaching players the proper mechanics with such a short season,” he said.
Digmann encouraged applicants to remember that “it’s not necessarily the best 30 players that will make the roster—it’s the 30 players that, as a collective group, will give us the best chance at winning a championship.”
As a final note, Narveson wanted to remind applicants that “the past 13+ months have provided more than enough reasons for any of us to not focus on the things that we otherwise would have wanted to engage with. Going into next year, there will hopefully be fewer obstacles, so that anyone who may not have achieved what they wanted to with their respective MLQ team this summer can reallocate their time, energy, and focus over the following year [for next time around].”
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.