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How do you run your tryouts? When? How long do they run?

UNC-Ch women's program holds their tryouts in the fall from approximately the beginning of September to the beginning of October. Typically we use a number of tryout sessions where we play a great deal of ultimate and drills that showcase an individual's athleticism. In addition, we feel that it is pretty important to get the team and all of the tryouts to a tryout tournament before making the final cut.

What are your goals coming into the tryout process?

Our goals include, but are not limited to:
1. Creating an environment that pushes everyone (including 4th year returners) to take their game to the next level.
2. Recognize the roster holes that were created by last year's graduation or other special circumstances and attempt to fill the void.
3. Make the tryout process competitive but enjoyable with the hopes that those that do not make the A team will want to play on the B team.

Who makes the decisions on the roster? How do you go about making those decisions?

Primarily, the captains make the decision on the final roster with the help of the A and B team coaches. This decision is constructed over multiple tryouts and at the final tryout tournament. Typically, we have a meeting between all of us where we discuss the pros and cons of adding each player and then make the final decision.

What is a good college team size?

We like our roster to be small enough to promote chemistry, but large enough to win tournaments (conditioning) and not be affected too largely by injury. Typically, we like our team roster size to be from 21-23 players.

Given an eager, but raw, rookie; how do you envision them progressing throughout the season? How will you decide who gets how much playing time in pre-Series tournaments?

Rookies are given a lot of attention because we recognize we are only as strong as our weakness link. Therefore, typically, we envision a rookie developing at an exponential rate because there is so much for them to learn and they absorb a great deal of it rather quickly. Playing time during the pre-Series tournaments is much, much more evenly spread out between all of our players. Getting game time playing experience, whether or not it risks the outcome of the game, is more important generally than winning a particular game. Then, all players can use that experience during the series when wins and losses really count.

What are your season goals for a rookie? What kind of roles do you try to put them in?

Our goal: Be put in a position where they can showcase their skills that they brought to the table in the beginning of the season (if they are a natural deep -> put them in that position so they can excel and perfect that position).

How do you check in with rookies throughout the season? What are major pitfalls that they commonly run into?

We check in by routinely chatting with all players and definitely checking in with the rookies themselves and the captains. The major pitfalls during a rookie's first year is how financially stressful playing college ultimate can be and then the stress of learning a whole new sport (or taking it to the next level) can also be a pitfall as rookies get overwhelmed.

What factors tend to make rookie years successful or unsuccessful?

If the team is successful, and the girls are friends off the field, the rookie's first year will be unforgettable.