If you need a tryout format for your league, All-Stars, or for an individual team, here are some good guidelines that are flexible and give coaches a good idea of players' abilities.

Make sure you run them. Whatever distances your bases are, make sure they run a dash from home to first and a dash from home to second. Time and log everything! HINT: Run them side by side if you are running in outfield. The competition makes for better times.

Hitting will make or break a team. Have a coach or a consistent pitching machine throw about 10 pitches to every player. Giving only 3 or 4 pitches may eliminate some good hitters. Don't always look for guy who can knock one over fence if he strikes out a lot. Look for guys who hit ball hard, hopefully gap doubles. While some players are hitting, make sure you have other groups doing something else, such as running or fielding. Don't put all guys on field and have them play a game.....yet. When picking your team, always pick guy that may hit for average and hopefully, some power. Remember, base hits will win you more ball games than occasional long ball.

Fielding.... When hitting to them, make sure you hit pop ups, grounders, line drives, slow rollers, and make them go right and left. I would take a guy who is a below average hitter and an above average fielder rather than a good hitter and a poor fielder (you just run out of places to hide them on defense, especially if you have more than one of this type of player). Offense wins games but pitching and defense prevents losses. Another potential problem to avoid is guy that is very limited to one position. This absolutely will hurt you more than you can imagine. You will find yourself realigning an entire team’s defense when that one catcher-only or 1st baseman-only player is on your roster. Let me list what positions need what attributes:

Catcher- Needs to be a very loud, aware take charge guy; May be even smartest and most baseball-knowledgeable player on your team. You can't have a slow catcher, he must be agile and quick. If not, sooner or later it will come back to haunt you.

1st baseman- Also can't be very slow or it will hurt you. He must be able to cover some ground as more infield errors occur from bad throws than missed balls!

Camping trips can be a great way to relax and get away from it all. But with a little planning you could make them even better. Since different areas offer different challenges start off by making a camping list and/or hiking gear list you might need. This will also help get you started...

Are there any wildlife that may be an issue on your trip? Bears, raccoons, snakes, spiders, and mosquitos are just a handful of wildlife to consider on your camp trips.

What weather is possible? Pack right gear for trip. Does weather vary much? Do you need rain gear? Does temperature fluctuate between extremes like it does in desert or are biting insects a problem? If it's a trip you haven't taken before ask someone who has or call your guide or host.

What do you want to do? Are you taking a camping trip to relax or are you looking for full physical involvement? Do you want to camp only, or would you like to throw in some hiking, fishing, kayaking, rafting, or mountain biking into mix?

Do you like rustic camping or do you think flush toilets and warm running water are a good thing. ;-) If you like travelling in RV comfort, are looking for tips, or if you need help selecting a campground, take a look at Your RV Lifestyle before your next camping trip.