Preparing for Tryouts

[nandeska306]

Hi there! New here and wanted some insight regarding club tryouts.

I have a 10yo who only played a year at club last year (AYSO and city rec league before that). His current team is the B team, with the coach also coaching the A team. He's not the top but above average at pretty much everything: speed, passing, skills, etc. He is also the most versatile member of the team, usually playing mid/winger, but can play shutdown defense too.

Over this winter, the team lost a few key members, and in case the worst happened, we went around and did tryouts for the first time at a few big name clubs. He played well once he got past the nerves, but we never got any callbacks.

I noticed that both tryouts had scrimmage rotations where randomly assigned teams played each other. I'm assuming this is pretty standard. My kid tends to plug himself in where the team needs, and basically ended up playing defense for these scrimmages.

One of them, his 4v4 team went 7 wins with no losses. I thought he would at least get a second look because of that, but we just got crickets. Did he shortchange himself by sticking to defense?

I can attest that he's not a bad player, as we did a tryout/practice with one of the top teams in his age group in the area and got an invite to play for their A team. But we stuck with his old team because he still had a few friends, I preferred the coaching style, and he's getting around 90% playing time .

We will probably end up exploring other clubs again in the future and wanted to see if you guys had any advice for tryouts.

Thanks!

 

[SurfSupDude]

Hi there! New here and wanted some insight regarding club tryouts.

I have a 10yo who only played a year at club last year (AYSO and city rec league before that). His current team is the B team, with the coach also coaching the A team. He's not the top but above average at pretty much everything: speed, passing, skills, etc. He is also the most versatile member of the team, usually playing mid/winger, but can play shutdown defense too.

Over this winter, the team lost a few key members, and in case the worst happened, we went around and did tryouts for the first time at a few big name clubs. He played well once he got past the nerves, but we never got any callbacks.

I noticed that both tryouts had scrimmage rotations where randomly assigned teams played each other. I'm assuming this is pretty standard. My kid tends to plug himself in where the team needs, and basically ended up playing defense for these scrimmages.

One of them, his 4v4 team went 7 wins with no losses. I thought he would at least get a second look because of that, but we just got crickets. Did he shortchange himself by sticking to defense?

I can attest that he's not a bad player, as we did a tryout/practice with one of the top teams in his age group in the area and got an invite to play for their A team. But we stuck with his old team because he still had a few friends, I preferred the coaching style, and he's getting around 90% playing time .

We will probably end up exploring other clubs again in the future and wanted to see if you guys had any advice for tryouts.

Thanks!

By the time tryouts come, most coaches already know who their team is. They are looking for complete game-changers and/or might be looking to add 1 or two kids to fill out their roster.

The best way is to have your kid train with the team before tryouts. Your kid will get a lot closer look because they won’t be competing for attention with 50-100+ other kids.

 

[Youth_Soccer_Nerd]

Hi there! New here and wanted some insight regarding club tryouts.

I have a 10yo who only played a year at club last year (AYSO and city rec league before that). His current team is the B team, with the coach also coaching the A team. He's not the top but above average at pretty much everything: speed, passing, skills, etc. He is also the most versatile member of the team, usually playing mid/winger, but can play shutdown defense too.

Over this winter, the team lost a few key members, and in case the worst happened, we went around and did tryouts for the first time at a few big name clubs. He played well once he got past the nerves, but we never got any callbacks.

I noticed that both tryouts had scrimmage rotations where randomly assigned teams played each other. I'm assuming this is pretty standard. My kid tends to plug himself in where the team needs, and basically ended up playing defense for these scrimmages.

One of them, his 4v4 team went 7 wins with no losses. I thought he would at least get a second look because of that, but we just got crickets. Did he shortchange himself by sticking to defense?

I can attest that he's not a bad player, as we did a tryout/practice with one of the top teams in his age group in the area and got an invite to play for their A team. But we stuck with his old team because he still had a few friends, I preferred the coaching style, and he's getting around 90% playing time .

We will probably end up exploring other clubs again in the future and wanted to see if you guys had any advice for tryouts.

Thanks!

I think it is good that he stayed at his club if he prefers the coaching style and is getting that much game time. That being said a bigger club seems to come very soon. IMHO I would wait until you know that he likes the playing style and still gets lots of playing time.

 

[crush]

Hi there! New here and wanted some insight regarding club tryouts.

I have a 10yo who only played a year at club last year (AYSO and city rec league before that). His current team is the B team, with the coach also coaching the A team. He's not the top but above average at pretty much everything: speed, passing, skills, etc. He is also the most versatile member of the team, usually playing mid/winger, but can play shutdown defense too.

Over this winter, the team lost a few key members, and in case the worst happened, we went around and did tryouts for the first time at a few big name clubs. He played well once he got past the nerves, but we never got any callbacks.

I noticed that both tryouts had scrimmage rotations where randomly assigned teams played each other. I'm assuming this is pretty standard. My kid tends to plug himself in where the team needs, and basically ended up playing defense for these scrimmages.

One of them, his 4v4 team went 7 wins with no losses. I thought he would at least get a second look because of that, but we just got crickets. Did he shortchange himself by sticking to defense?

I can attest that he's not a bad player, as we did a tryout/practice with one of the top teams in his age group in the area and got an invite to play for their A team. But we stuck with his old team because he still had a few friends, I preferred the coaching style, and he's getting around 90% playing time .

We will probably end up exploring other clubs again in the future and wanted to see if you guys had any advice for tryouts.

Thanks!

Your kid reminds me of my boy when he was 10. Fastest on his AYSO team. They called him, "Speedy." He caught the attention of one of the scouts/coaches in Temecula Valley. He coached the A team and the B team as well. Very nice guy from England. I saw my son's speed and he was always willing to play GK or defense and do what coach asked. A coach's dream. Super great kid and would later make Dean's List. I took him to tryouts, and I saw with my eyes that my kid was B team at best at the club level or stud at Rec ball. My son was not at the level of the A team players and never would be. Coach offered a B team spot with the chance of calls ups to the A team. It was not cheap, and the time commitment was crazy and after a discussion with my boy, we decided to stay with Rec. It was fun and I coached one year. He did co-ed rec soccer in middle school and then played two years in high school. Good luck to you and your son

 

[Jar!23]

By the time tryouts come, most coaches already know who their team is. They are looking for complete game-changers and/or might be looking to add 1 or two kids to fill out their roster.

The best way is to have your kid train with the team before tryouts. Your kid will get a lot closer look because they won’t be competing for attention with 50-100+ other kids.

How is this done without the clubs violating the recruiting rules outside of the open tryout window?

 

[nandeska306]

By the time tryouts come, most coaches already know who their team is. They are looking for complete game-changers and/or might be looking to add 1 or two kids to fill out their roster.

The best way is to have your kid train with the team before tryouts. Your kid will get a lot closer look because they won’t be competing for attention with 50-100+ other kids.

I heard this was the case. I thought going 7-0 in the scrimmages (I think they were the only undefeated) would at least help stand out among the 40-50ish other kids. But I guess not!

Seems like what you're saying is tryouts are just for getting a closer look at the club before trying to join a practice.

 

[nandeska306]

Your kid reminds me of my boy when he was 10. Fastest on his AYSO team. They called him, "Speedy." He caught the attention of one of the scouts/coaches in Temecula Valley. He coached the A team and the B team as well. Very nice guy from England. I saw my son's speed and he was always willing to play GK or defense and do what coach asked. A coach's dream. Super great kid and would later make Dean's List. I took him to tryouts, and I saw with my eyes that my kid was B team at best at the club level or stud at Rec ball. My son was not at the level of the A team players and never would be. Coach offered a B team spot with the chance of calls ups to the A team. It was not cheap, and the time commitment was crazy and after a discussion with my boy, we decided to stay with Rec. It was fun and I coached one year. He did co-ed rec soccer in middle school and then played two years in high school. Good luck to you and your son

Thanks for your input! Sounds like your son had a great time playing soccer and learned a lot from it. I'm hoping to use soccer to help him push past his mental limitations and learn to put in the hard work. Plus, he eats like a beast so we need to keep him running, otherwise he gets pudgy!

 

[sigmabody]

By the time tryouts come, most coaches already know who their team is. They are looking for complete game-changers and/or might be looking to add 1 or two kids to fill out their roster.

The best way is to have your kid train with the team before tryouts. Your kid will get a lot closer look because they won’t be competing for attention with 50-100+ other kids.

I can't speak to any rules which clubs or leagues may impose, but I agree with this general advice: my son's club, at least, tends to be fairly accommodating for kids who want to train with the team mid-season for an evaluation. This is generally space-permitting (ie: if the team is "full", the coach/club may suggest holding off, or trying out with another team), but the coaches will generally give feedback on where they think the player is (ie: strengths, weaknesses, what tier of team they could be on, etc.), and if there's an opening on the team, perhaps extend an offer to join the club.

Note: I don't believe the coaches ever proactively "recruit" from other teams, though, and certainly not during the season (eg: asking kids to come train with the club). The only instances of this I've heard of (second-hand) are club people encouraging specific players to come to the club's official annual try-outs.

 

[Grace T.]

I heard this was the case. I thought going 7-0 in the scrimmages (I think they were the only undefeated) would at least help stand out among the 40-50ish other kids. But I guess not!

Seems like what you're saying is tryouts are just for getting a closer look at the club before trying to join a practice.

It may not have anything to do with how he performs at age 10. It may have to do with how tall he is and how mature. At 10, coaches are still looking for the big boys that can cannon the ball on attack and outrun defenders, and the big defenders that can track back...the other supporting positions are more easily filled....hard to tell without knowing what flight it's for and how many flights are being offered by the club...if you applied to clubs only with flight 1 or higher teams, and your kid isn't particularly big/mature/fast, that would explain it; if they have a C or D team and you weren't offered a slot but your player did well, it might just be a question of letting the C or D team coach know you are interested and aren't just looking at the A and B teams.

 

[Slobodan]

How is this done without the clubs violating the recruiting rules outside of the open tryout window?

Seems like it's only an issue if you recruit from other, big clubs. But the point is still the same and it happens every year. On the first day of "tryouts", you're trying to get one of maybe 3 available spots.

 

[SurfSupDude]

Seems like what you're saying is tryouts are just for getting a closer look at the club before trying to join a practice.

No, I’m saying to have your kid go train with the team that you think might be a good fit. Watch the training session (ideally, go to at least two training sessions). Observe the coach, the kids, the drills, etc. Then talk to your kid. Did they like it? Do they want to go back? Were they outmatched? Were they running circles around the current players? How did the coach talk to the players? Was training well run or chaotic? Was it fun?

If all that checks positive (and/or whatever other criteria is important to you and your player), talk to the coach to get their feedback and see if there is a spot for your kid. Assuming so, make a decision.

 

[crush]

Thanks for your input! Sounds like your son had a great time playing soccer and learned a lot from it. I'm hoping to use soccer to help him push past his mental limitations and learn to put in the hard work. Plus, he eats like a beast so we need to keep him running, otherwise he gets pudgy!

No problem. We are all here to help each other out. My boy had a blast playing soccer and I had fun watching and cheering him on. My little baby girl also played soccer, but she was always on the A Team and it was mostly free.

 

[SurfSupDude]

How is this done without the clubs violating the recruiting rules outside of the open tryout window?

You can talk to anyone you want at any time you want. There are hoops to jump through to change clubs/leagues, and some are harder than others, but none are impossible to navigate if you communicate openly and don’t act like to prick.

“My kid loves playing on their current team, but is looking to do X (ie play higher level, play with friends, play closer to home, etc). Can my kid train with you for a few sessions to see if it’s a good fit?”

If you need permission from your current club, the other coach will (or, at least, they should) say so (ie ECNL kid cannot train with another ECNL club without permission from the current club…but that doesn’t apply to the OP’s scenario).

 

[nandeska306]

No, I’m saying to have your kid go train with the team that you think might be a good fit. Watch the training session (ideally, go to at least two training sessions). Observe the coach, the kids, the drills, etc. Then talk to your kid. Did they like it? Do they want to go back? Were they outmatched? Were they running circles around the current players? How did the coach talk to the players? Was training well run or chaotic? Was it fun?

If all that checks positive (and/or whatever other criteria is important to you and your player), talk to the coach to get their feedback and see if there is a spot for your kid. Assuming so, make a decision.

Sounds like good advice! We went to the tryouts with no idea of how they operate or train, so that's what I meant by using the tryout to see if they're a club we want to pursue/see if my kid could try practicing with. My knowledge of the area clubs and soccer in general is fairly limited so I didn't know where to start besides the tryouts.

 

[focomoso]

He played well once he got past the nerves, but we never got any callbacks.

To me, this is the strangest part of your post. The big clubs usually have many teams to fill and if a kid isn't good enough for the A team, you'll get a call from the B or C team coach. Especially at that age. They'll usually create a D team if they have enough players.

So if there's a club you like, consider being proactive and contacting them again. The doors are rarely closed at the big clubs.

That said, the most important thing at that age is having fun so they keep with it.

 

[Slobodan]

To me, this is the strangest part of your post. The big clubs usually have many teams to fill and if a kid isn't good enough for the A team, you'll get a call from the B or C team coach. Especially at that age. They'll usually create a D team if they have enough players.

So if there's a club you like, consider being proactive and contacting them again. The doors are rarely closed at the big clubs.

That said, the most important thing at that age is having fun so they keep with it.

"The doors are rarely closed at the big clubs."

Amen... neither are their bank accounts.

 

[SurfSupDude]

Sounds like good advice! We went to the tryouts with no idea of how they operate or train, so that's what I meant by using the tryout to see if they're a club we want to pursue/see if my kid could try practicing with. My knowledge of the area clubs and soccer in general is fairly limited so I didn't know where to start besides the tryouts.

To be sure, you are not alone! I’m sure that 99% of us started similarly to you. We are all still learning.

Finding and engaging with the people on this board is a great way to help navigate this thing called youth soccer.

 

[crush]

"The doors are rarely closed at the big clubs."

Amen... neither are their bank accounts.

A Team= Amazing player
B Team= Better work harder
C Team= Can't cut it
D Team= Dream of something else

 

[Karlton Athletic]

A Team= Amazing player
B Team= Better work harder
C Team= Can't cut it
D Team= Dream of something else

Feel free to disregard, OP. Your kid’s 10. Just get him good coaching on a team he enjoys. You’ll figure it out with time.

P.S. “A Team = Amazing player” is just what the parents think, persuaded by the clubs and their various expensive “pathways.”

 

[nandeska306]

A Team= Amazing player
B Team= Better work harder
C Team= Can't cut it
D Team= Dream of something else

Haha love it!