Tryouts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the limited number of coaches at tryouts to be shocking. We have been at tryouts in a relatively comparable area for soccer and have seen upwards of 7 coaches present to evaluate 30-40 players for top teams. Recently, at a really good club’s top boy tryouts, we saw 2-3 coaches looking at three different age groups. Not too impressive if you are trying to show that it is a credible and substantial process. This is a pretty low-cost, low-commitment opportunity to demonstrate a real dedication to your pipeline. Frankly, some of the clubs need to do a lot, lot better.

I agree; may I ask what club?

SYC

OP here. May be true there but I wasn’t referring to SYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The level doesn't matter. If you want your DC to move to another club and actually want a better chance then speaking to the age group director is the way to go. You can explain what team your DC is currently on and that you either believe they are better than where they currently are or want to get looked at for fitment. The AGD can then refer you to the team that may fit best.

Plus the AGD or #1 team coach is the one that usually takes the first look/evaluation at new players showing up for practices at clubs, so DC will likely end up practicing with the #1 team at least for one practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As has been stated repeatedly in this forum, if you truly want to get your DC looked at appropriately then reach out to the coach of the team you want to be considered for and attend a training session or two. This lets the coach asses your DC independently and also allows him/her to measure your DC's abilities versus the actual team's players.

I get all that and agree completely. But that does not address the point about having more than a couple of distracted eyes trying to evaluate multiple players at tryouts. It is simply a question of effort and getting more than a couple of eyes on players. Really good coaches can vary widely in their assessments of the same players, and having them talk and evaluate together can be useful. It also gives others a lot more confidence in the process. Sort of like the way the rest of the world generally has job candidates see more than a couple of people?

Also as been stated repeatedly here is tryouts are meant to fill in lower teams that some people call "cash grabs." True or not, tryouts aren't meant to find top team players unless there is a clear outlier. Coaches are asked to spot outliers or to ensure they fill in the necessary quota of players to fill the planned number of teams the club wants

I don't think lower teams are a "cash grab". Not all kids can play on the 1st team. Not all kids even want to play on the first team. Kids can have a great soccer experience, team work, exercise, competition, social connections, without being on the top team.

However, lower teams are definitely the way to get the coaches of that club to know your kid and possibly move them to the 1st team although that is not common but does happen. Players on MLS Next or top ECNL teams are known by the coaches of that club for a while. It really is a process even if the kid is good.

[Anonymous]

Also most of the big clubs will only take a kid of they need one but they have to be a lot better then who is being replaced. Not even or a little better.

NP here - curious what are the "big clubs" around here? I am new to soccer world but understand travel sports in general and agree this is exactly what happens in those other sports.

[Anonymous]

All tryouts are like this. It seems to be the norm. If your kid is a standout, he'll standout. If not, he'll work his way through practice and training to get up to top team, if that's where he's headed.

Tryouts are tough, but it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All tryouts are like this. It seems to be the norm. If your kid is a standout, he'll standout. If not, he'll work his way through practice and training to get up to top team, if that's where he's headed.

Tryouts are tough, but it is what it is.

They aren’t tough, they are just not adequate, and they do vary across clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As has been stated repeatedly in this forum, if you truly want to get your DC looked at appropriately then reach out to the coach of the team you want to be considered for and attend a training session or two. This lets the coach asses your DC independently and also allows him/her to measure your DC's abilities versus the actual team's players.

I get all that and agree completely. But that does not address the point about having more than a couple of distracted eyes trying to evaluate multiple players at tryouts. It is simply a question of effort and getting more than a couple of eyes on players. Really good coaches can vary widely in their assessments of the same players, and having them talk and evaluate together can be useful. It also gives others a lot more confidence in the process. Sort of like the way the rest of the world generally has job candidates see more than a couple of people?

Also as been stated repeatedly here is tryouts are meant to fill in lower teams that some people call "cash grabs." True or not, tryouts aren't meant to find top team players unless there is a clear outlier. Coaches are asked to spot outliers or to ensure they fill in the necessary quota of players to fill the planned number of teams the club wants

You are simply restating what exists; I am questioning whether a different approach with minimal incremental costs could have significantly greater benefit for the club. Yeah. I get what they are doing now. It could be better and is in other places.

I think that adding extra coaches would be for show. Unless a kid is an outlier, I don't think you want churn on teams for the sake of fine tuning. It's not good for team chemistry and it's going to make players worried about their positions look for plan B

[Anonymous]

NP here - curious what are the "big clubs" around here?

Actually wondering

[Anonymous]

I had the same impression from SYC tryouts. Like they didn’t know how to handle the kids, let alone properly filter them.

[Anonymous]

A PP said not all kids want to play on a top team. If you do want to be on a top team you shouldn't in a competitive club .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As has been stated repeatedly in this forum, if you truly want to get your DC looked at appropriately then reach out to the coach of the team you want to be considered for and attend a training session or two. This lets the coach asses your DC independently and also allows him/her to measure your DC's abilities versus the actual team's players.

What level do people think this is appropriate for? I don't see a kid on Arlington Gold calling up BRYC Teal coach and saying...hey can I bring my kid out to be evaluated? I think this is only for top teams or a kid on a 2nd team looking to move to a 1st team. Thoughts?

All levels. I'm a BRYC bridge coach (not Teal) and this is how all of the bridge teams operate: contact the coach and come out to 2-3 training sessions. Many of the teams also host formal tryouts over a period of weeks, but every single one will also let you bring your DC to a training session to have a look if they know they will be in the market for players in-season or for the following season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had the same impression from SYC tryouts. Like they didn’t know how to handle the kids, let alone properly filter them.

I expected more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also most of the big clubs will only take a kid of they need one but they have to be a lot better then who is being replaced. Not even or a little better.

NP here - curious what are the "big clubs" around here? I am new to soccer world but understand travel sports in general and agree this is exactly what happens in those other sports.

Arlington is huge. McLean and Alexandria are big. SYC and Vienna are pretty big.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Also most of the big clubs will only take a kid of they need one but they have to be a lot better then who is being replaced. Not even or a little better.

NP here - curious what are the "big clubs" around here? I am new to soccer world but understand travel sports in general and agree this is exactly what happens in those other sports.

Arlington is huge. McLean and Alexandria are big. SYC and Vienna are pretty big.

Loudoun is huge with usually 5 travel teams per age group plus a large rec league

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the limited number of coaches at tryouts to be shocking. We have been at tryouts in a relatively comparable area for soccer and have seen upwards of 7 coaches present to evaluate 30-40 players for top teams. Recently, at a really good club’s top boy tryouts, we saw 2-3 coaches looking at three different age groups. Not too impressive if you are trying to show that it is a credible and substantial process. This is a pretty low-cost, low-commitment opportunity to demonstrate a real dedication to your pipeline. Frankly, some of the clubs need to do a lot, lot better.

The tryouts are really just a triage to find kids to ask to practice with the top teams. The practices are the real tryouts.

So explain 7 coaches and 30-40 kids at a supplemental tryout? Are they just dumb? Or perhaps they are taking it a little more seriously?

Well if they have around 6 teams per age group---that would be each Coach..and perhaps a TD.