A general note to clubs about tryouts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And since most place start making offers for their stronger teams before tryouts start or right after the first tryout, any offer after the final tryout is a "late" offer.

I do not think this is necessarily true. For some clubs, I think the top team open slots are offered first business day after tryouts end, and then they keep making offers that week as the teams fill.

This is risky as kids are getting offers from other clubs as soon as those tryouts start. My kid, on the first of four teams, and friends on that team, all received emailed offers from our club before the tryouts began and were REALLY pressured to accept right away.

Agreed. My kid is a newcomer who tried out for a club with an expanding roster and I’m going crazy this weekend. Hope we hear something tomorrow because otherwise it’s not going to be worth us switching from current team. Ack.

Did he get his offer from his current team before that team started tryouts? Are they pressuring you to commit?

What's the standard timeframe to consider an offer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And since most place start making offers for their stronger teams before tryouts start or right after the first tryout, any offer after the final tryout is a "late" offer.

I do not think this is necessarily true. For some clubs, I think the top team open slots are offered first business day after tryouts end, and then they keep making offers that week as the teams fill.

This is risky as kids are getting offers from other clubs as soon as those tryouts start. My kid, on the first of four teams, and friends on that team, all received emailed offers from our club before the tryouts began and were REALLY pressured to accept right away.

Agreed. My kid is a newcomer who tried out for a club with an expanding roster and I’m going crazy this weekend. Hope we hear something tomorrow because otherwise it’s not going to be worth us switching from current team. Ack.

Did he get his offer from his current team before that team started tryouts? Are they pressuring you to commit?

What's the standard timeframe to consider an offer?

Timeframe is 48 hours.

Current team doesn’t hold tryouts until the end of the season, so the timing isn’t an issue - it’s just nerves. Position in current club is secure - there has been some peer pressure to stay, but several players are trying out for new clubs (to get to a higher level of play), so the coach knows he’ll be rebuilding this team for the fall no matter what. Current team is FABULOUS so it’s an awesome fallback. Just still nervous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And since most place start making offers for their stronger teams before tryouts start or right after the first tryout, any offer after the final tryout is a "late" offer.

I do not think this is necessarily true. For some clubs, I think the top team open slots are offered first business day after tryouts end, and then they keep making offers that week as the teams fill.

This is risky as kids are getting offers from other clubs as soon as those tryouts start. My kid, on the first of four teams, and friends on that team, all received emailed offers from our club before the tryouts began and were REALLY pressured to accept right away.

Agreed. My kid is a newcomer who tried out for a club with an expanding roster and I’m going crazy this weekend. Hope we hear something tomorrow because otherwise it’s not going to be worth us switching from current team. Ack.

Did he get his offer from his current team before that team started tryouts? Are they pressuring you to commit?

What's the standard timeframe to consider an offer?

Timeframe is 48 hours.

Current team doesn’t hold tryouts until the end of the season, so the timing isn’t an issue - it’s just nerves. Position in current club is secure - there has been some peer pressure to stay, but several players are trying out for new clubs (to get to a higher level of play), so the coach knows he’ll be rebuilding this team for the fall no matter what. Current team is FABULOUS so it’s an awesome fallback. Just still nervous.

Well, good luck. Its nice to be happy with your back up option either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all the tryouts for your child's age are completed, for a sport with multiple teams per age group and if you don't hear anything for the next few days, turn down the offer, right? Because that means your kid is like the last pick and will be sitting on the bench?

If you get a really late offer for Not The Bottom Team, then yes. If the late offer is for the worst team, then they may have just done that team last after filling all the spots on the first three teams. I wouldn't assume your kid is a benchwarmer on the last team. The last teams are usually pretty terrible.

Agree with this. Being on the worst team for a big business is a bad deal. Much better to be on the first or second team for a smaller org.

Yeah, I'm really not sure who thinks these 4th, 5th etc teams are good options. I don't see the convenience factor if you have kids on other teams at the same place-they practice in different locations, play in different leagues on different fields, there's no sibling discount...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I generally think travel is a ridiculous waste of money -- almost none of the kids will end up playing college, literally none will play pro ball. And I hate traveling far away on the weekends.

But... if I had it to do over again, if it was something my kids really really wanted to play, I'd have them try out for travel the very first year it opened up because it's infinitely harder to make after that. There's also far less difference physically between the kids when they're younger-- and I've noticed that coaches care a lot about how the kids "look" (are they tall? big? etc) and you can't control that when you're 10/11. And by then, the rec league isn't very competitive. Which is frustrating for all.

I miss the way it was when I was a kid. I think I played rec until I was 13 because that's when the travel league started. I played in middle and high school and on the college club team, so was a decent player. But I suspect travel leagues will continue getting younger, not older. Wait until they open it up to Kinders...

But you can do both! DD still plays rec with her buddies and then travel as well. Same with her basketball friends- they do AAU and our rec team. And it's a blast!

Really? Most rec leagues don't allow travel players. Which local rec soccer league allows travel players?

The DC ones do - DCSC and PPA. DCSC asks if your kid is a travel player when you register, so they are making sure it's not an all-travel team or whatever. But there are usually 1-3 travel players on our team and the ones we play against. It's rec so it's all fun!

[Anonymous]

Life is tough and full of disappointments. We don't always get what we want. Important lessons for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I generally think travel is a ridiculous waste of money -- almost none of the kids will end up playing college, literally none will play pro ball. And I hate traveling far away on the weekends.

But... if I had it to do over again, if it was something my kids really really wanted to play, I'd have them try out for travel the very first year it opened up because it's infinitely harder to make after that. There's also far less difference physically between the kids when they're younger-- and I've noticed that coaches care a lot about how the kids "look" (are they tall? big? etc) and you can't control that when you're 10/11. And by then, the rec league isn't very competitive. Which is frustrating for all.

I miss the way it was when I was a kid. I think I played rec until I was 13 because that's when the travel league started. I played in middle and high school and on the college club team, so was a decent player. But I suspect travel leagues will continue getting younger, not older. Wait until they open it up to Kinders...

But you can do both! DD still plays rec with her buddies and then travel as well. Same with her basketball friends- they do AAU and our rec team. And it's a blast!

Really? Most rec leagues don't allow travel players. Which local rec soccer league allows travel players?

The DC ones do - DCSC and PPA. DCSC asks if your kid is a travel player when you register, so they are making sure it's not an all-travel team or whatever. But there are usually 1-3 travel players on our team and the ones we play against. It's rec so it's all fun!

Interesting. I'm more familiar with SFL and VA suburban leagues which don't allow travel players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all the tryouts for your child's age are completed, for a sport with multiple teams per age group and if you don't hear anything for the next few days, turn down the offer, right? Because that means your kid is like the last pick and will be sitting on the bench?

If you get a really late offer for Not The Bottom Team, then yes. If the late offer is for the worst team, then they may have just done that team last after filling all the spots on the first three teams. I wouldn't assume your kid is a benchwarmer on the last team. The last teams are usually pretty terrible.

Agree with this. Being on the worst team for a big business is a bad deal. Much better to be on the first or second team for a smaller org.

The kids on the lowest teams just want to play with their friends and say they play "travel" soccer. The teams are basically rec-level teams playing other rec-level teams. The parents don't really care if their kid could be getting more attention/better training at another place. They are just paying the travel prices to keep their kid active and with their friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all the tryouts for your child's age are completed, for a sport with multiple teams per age group and if you don't hear anything for the next few days, turn down the offer, right? Because that means your kid is like the last pick and will be sitting on the bench?

If you get a really late offer for Not The Bottom Team, then yes. If the late offer is for the worst team, then they may have just done that team last after filling all the spots on the first three teams. I wouldn't assume your kid is a benchwarmer on the last team. The last teams are usually pretty terrible.

Agree with this. Being on the worst team for a big business is a bad deal. Much better to be on the first or second team for a smaller org.

The kids on the lowest teams just want to play with their friends and say they play "travel" soccer. The teams are basically rec-level teams playing other rec-level teams. The parents don't really care if their kid could be getting more attention/better training at another place. They are just paying the travel prices to keep their kid active and with their friends.

This.

In our club (PPA), there are five teams at our age group. Only the top team is truly a “travel” team with the associated skill and commitment. The four teams are more like a traditional club team and vary by skill level - the lowest team is more like a rec team. The players on the lower tier teams are there because they love the sport and the team but they don’t have the skills or desire to play at a higher level. Their parents pay for club prices because they either live in an area with lower quality or fewer rec options, have the money to burn, want professional coaches, or want to stay with a friend who is doing it for one of those reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all the tryouts for your child's age are completed, for a sport with multiple teams per age group and if you don't hear anything for the next few days, turn down the offer, right? Because that means your kid is like the last pick and will be sitting on the bench?

If you get a really late offer for Not The Bottom Team, then yes. If the late offer is for the worst team, then they may have just done that team last after filling all the spots on the first three teams. I wouldn't assume your kid is a benchwarmer on the last team. The last teams are usually pretty terrible.

Agree with this. Being on the worst team for a big business is a bad deal. Much better to be on the first or second team for a smaller org.

What about second team for a big business? Is that still worth it at younger age?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all the tryouts for your child's age are completed, for a sport with multiple teams per age group and if you don't hear anything for the next few days, turn down the offer, right? Because that means your kid is like the last pick and will be sitting on the bench?

If you get a really late offer for Not The Bottom Team, then yes. If the late offer is for the worst team, then they may have just done that team last after filling all the spots on the first three teams. I wouldn't assume your kid is a benchwarmer on the last team. The last teams are usually pretty terrible.

Agree with this. Being on the worst team for a big business is a bad deal. Much better to be on the first or second team for a smaller org.

What about second team for a big business? Is that still worth it at younger age?

I think it depends on what your second option is and whether there is an opportunity to move up mid season. For us, second team probably is worth it.

[Anonymous]

Well, my dc got an email this morning from a big organization for the 3rd out of 4 teams. Tryouts ended late last week. Guess the 4th team kids are still waiting for awhile. Probably declining and will just stay in house league, there's a "requirement" to accept within 48 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, my dc got an email this morning from a big organization for the 3rd out of 4 teams. Tryouts ended late last week. Guess the 4th team kids are still waiting for awhile. Probably declining and will just stay in house league, there's a "requirement" to accept within 48 hours.

This is PPA?

[Anonymous]

The more I’m learning the more I think anything lower than second team is not worth it unless team rosters expand enough at an older age to include some that had been on the third team. I can’t think of any sport where that is the case? I have heard that clubs really only care about the development of their first two teams since those are the players who will eventually end up on top team roster. Even some of the second team players get cut but at least there’s a good chance for a player who is one of the better players on second team.

Kids from third or fourth can move up but it’s really hard once coaches have an opinion. For people with lots of money and a player who loves the sport third or fourth can be good choice but they should know that the club doesn’t really care about their development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The more I’m learning the more I think anything lower than second team is not worth it unless team rosters expand enough at an older age to include some that had been on the third team. I can’t think of any sport where that is the case? I have heard that clubs really only care about the development of their first two teams since those are the players who will eventually end up on top team roster. Even some of the second team players get cut but at least there’s a good chance for a player who is one of the better players on second team.

Kids from third or fourth can move up but it’s really hard once coaches have an opinion. For people with lots of money and a player who loves the sport third or fourth can be good choice but they should know that the club doesn’t really care about their development.

When you get to U15 and above, they definitely only care about the first team. Period. If your kid doesn't care and has friends and likes the team/coach it's fine. But, when you have had a sibling or other kid on a first team then you really get to see the stark differences and bias. It's pretty incredible.

When my eyes were opened, we took our kids to smaller development clubs and the first (sometimes only) team. They played in the brackets with first teams of other Clubs for the most part at the younger ages. As they got older, they transitioned onto first teams by U16. After U16 it gets increasingly more difficult to break onto the first team because the rosters definitely are full and they tend to have a lot less space, and don't demote/cut kids but keep them on for the last 2 years.