Travel Ball Coaches:
When it comes to adding new players to your team mid-season, I want you to keep a few things in mind:
As a coach, its your job (and the appointed leaders/captains on your team) to welcome and make sure the new players feel like they’re just as much “in the circle” as any other player on the team and not “rented out” or temporary players. I would overly communicate to them that point and make them feel welcome
Put yourself in their shoes. New team. New coach. Takes time to build trust and relationship with coaches and players.
If your team has a great team culture with core covenants (like it should) those things should be communicated very clearly to the parents and kids BEFORE they become a member of your team.
Many times, I see coaches bring on players that don’t fit their teams values and the coaches and athletes don’t indoctrinate the new players with those values and everyone gets frustrated when those expectations aren’t met.