Please explain tryouts
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Anonymous
I wonder if that is true for this year as clubs did not have real tryouts last year and some low level teams were formed as a money grab. |
Anonymous
In Arlington specifically it’s the level between rec and travel for 8-12 yr olds. They have a “travel” practice with an Arlington coach once a week, but teams are coached by parents. They focus on developing good players and often feed to travel. |
Anonymous
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The DP in ADP stands for Development Program. Arlington is not the only VA club to have an ADP so not sure what Arlington thinks the A stands for.
ADP is not to be confused with ODP (Olympic development program) or the DPD (director of player development). ASA is Alexandria Soccer Association not to be confused with ARL which is Arlington Soccer. ASK is Alexandria tournament ASIST is Arlington tournament |
Anonymous
This is an interesting point; I see how everyone is welcome as long they are paying. During/after tryouts do you know which team you would be assigned to? We would be trying out for the first time and I am lost on where to start.🤪 |
Anonymous
Thank you |
Anonymous
Most clubs will let you know. The youngest age group at some travel clubs might be an exception, but most will let you know before you sign up. |
Anonymous
You’ll get an email invitation that tells you which team you’re being invited to. |
Anonymous
I don’t know about every club, but the tryouts DDs have been through ended with offers that specified a team |
Anonymous
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Probably 80% + of a new team is pre-determined. Most usually the previous year's side, plus one or two kids from team 2 who have shown promise. If a brand new team, then kids who have been identified by coaches from the rec. level clubs that will make up the travel side.
From a tryout expect to get 15% of a team. 5% of a team will come from a "shoe-in"--a kid transferring from another team that is already known or connected to a coach such that it's a given. Final 5% is for the "Summer Messi"--that kid who moves to DC after tryouts and arrives fresh. If they can't find a Summer Messi they go to the next best kid on team 2 to fill out the side (or keep it open for the Winter Messi). |
Anonymous
| pp here: I know, it doesn't add up to 100%, but something like that. |
Anonymous
| Anybody have stories of their DS getting cut? at what age and what club? |
Anonymous
True though there was at least one game where the McLean coach brought 13 players to the game and had them all play because it wouldn’t be fair to tell one to go home (his words). Never mind that league rules only allow 12 on a roster so he kept rotating almost half the team in and out every 15 min. Great for development when kids get 30 minutes of game time because the coach can’t/won’t follow the rules. |
Anonymous
| Do coaches typically have regular starters and bench players? If so, do starters play most of the game (more minutes) compared to bench players? |
Anonymous
For little kids (particularly on lower teams) coaches try to keep playing time somewhere even. Better players may play more, but weaker players should still play a significant amount. As they age (U11/12) you’ll start to see a shift where defenders start to play most or all of the game if they are good, and weaker players me play some preset minimum time like half a game, but the better player will play significantly more than that. Ask the kids get older and on ‘elite’ teams you may start to see some pretty large disparities in playing time. My older kid has been playing travel 4 years (late start) and has always started and typically plays the whole game (defender) but our team is mediocre and everyone else plays at least half the game. I think this is fairly typical - i have a couple kids and have been at a couple clubs. My younger kid plays maybe 2/3 of the game and never starts, so there’s definitely consistency based on skill level relative to teammates. |
Anonymous
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SO---they put all of the kids they pre-selected on a few small scrimmage fields. Any kids that are looking to transfer from first teams from other clubs also get a chance on those fields right at the start of tryouts. If in the tryout form your kid is listed on a lower team at another club, they will not get a chance to be put in that sorting group. The will get put to the neverland fields.
Most everyone else gets put on a low field where they might have one coach for 'show'. He/she doesn't really watch the tryout and sometimes even has backed turned talking to someone else. I have a 16-year old and a 13-year old and this is what I have seen at every Club across the DMV. |