Post by Michael (Admin) on Mar 20, 2014 6:43:04 GMT -5
There was a good article on Soccerwire.com a while ago and I highly recommend people read it.
There was a trend a few years ago of tryouts being earlier and earlier until it reached absurd levels and tryouts began for the Fall before the Spring season even got underway. Anecdotally, last year (Spring 2013), it seemed that tryouts were later and more reasonable. With the spring break/Easter hiatus in Mid-April, this year might follow that trend, which is good for all involved.
If you’ve read the article above and had the up front and open conversations with your coach, missing your own team’s practice shouldn’t be an issue.
1) narrow down your choices to what type of club you want: location, fees, and coach
2) get in touch with that team’s manager. Managers are a great source of information and should be willing to keep you in the loop if a spot opens up or if tryouts are extended, etc.
3) Can’t make a tryout? Try to get to a practice instead. I think most of the better coaches prefer that you come to a few training sessions. "Tryout" formats can highlight skills but don't provide enough sense of soccer-smarts, movement, leadership, etc.
But remember, while it’s not fair to you to have a team string you along, it’s also not fair to the team to hedge your bets and hold a spot you don’t want and someone else could take. However, realize those people are out there so spots open up!
For most people, any team that feels right will be the right one. Don’t worry about the “what ifs” – it’s a game! As this kids get older, teams are fewer and, especially for girls, staying with friends may be more important than trying to get on the top team (and sitting on the bench). For those of you in the U12 to U14 age, that seems to be the worst of the tryout time when everyone still thinks their kid is Division 1 material if only they had the right coach/team/fitness trainer/turf fields/uniform color. This mellows by U15.
What is the best way to find out about tryouts or team openings?
There was a trend a few years ago of tryouts being earlier and earlier until it reached absurd levels and tryouts began for the Fall before the Spring season even got underway. Anecdotally, last year (Spring 2013), it seemed that tryouts were later and more reasonable. With the spring break/Easter hiatus in Mid-April, this year might follow that trend, which is good for all involved.
If you’ve read the article above and had the up front and open conversations with your coach, missing your own team’s practice shouldn’t be an issue.
1) narrow down your choices to what type of club you want: location, fees, and coach
2) get in touch with that team’s manager. Managers are a great source of information and should be willing to keep you in the loop if a spot opens up or if tryouts are extended, etc.
3) Can’t make a tryout? Try to get to a practice instead. I think most of the better coaches prefer that you come to a few training sessions. "Tryout" formats can highlight skills but don't provide enough sense of soccer-smarts, movement, leadership, etc.
But remember, while it’s not fair to you to have a team string you along, it’s also not fair to the team to hedge your bets and hold a spot you don’t want and someone else could take. However, realize those people are out there so spots open up!
For most people, any team that feels right will be the right one. Don’t worry about the “what ifs” – it’s a game! As this kids get older, teams are fewer and, especially for girls, staying with friends may be more important than trying to get on the top team (and sitting on the bench). For those of you in the U12 to U14 age, that seems to be the worst of the tryout time when everyone still thinks their kid is Division 1 material if only they had the right coach/team/fitness trainer/turf fields/uniform color. This mellows by U15.
What is the best way to find out about tryouts or team openings?
