Since everyone is discussing tryouts

[Anonymous]

We've had several kids on the team who's like this. They look to their parents for acknowledgement.

Anonymous wrote:When kids are looking over at parents during practice and games for approval or signs of disappointment, that kid is not focused on what they should be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've had several kids on the team who's like this. They look to their parents for acknowledgement.

Anonymous wrote:When kids are looking over at parents during practice and games for approval or signs of disappointment, that kid is not focused on what they should be.

Kid then isn't playing for themselves or teammates or coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no idea why anyone would stay and watch. ODP and DCU open tryouts did not allow parents to watch and yet there were still parents out there with binoculars.

odp tryouts were cringy fr fr.

[Anonymous]

For non-elite, regular teams (say teams that play in NCSL)-is it expected that a kid show up for all the scheduled tryouts? We would like to tryout for multiple teams. What if he is already on a team with that club, is there a minimum number of expected tryouts?

[Anonymous]

In the Valor thread, people said their kid got offers for the worst teams after only attending one tryout.

[Anonymous]

When tryouts are over multiple days if your player does not get an offer after 1st date you need to go back to next tryout session.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For non-elite, regular teams (say teams that play in NCSL)-is it expected that a kid show up for all the scheduled tryouts? We would like to tryout for multiple teams. What if he is already on a team with that club, is there a minimum number of expected tryouts?

We were newbies at this last year and only went to one of two available tryouts (plus, our player was on the fence about even moving to club soccer). The parents with prior experience or kids who really wanted on the team went to both try outs — in the end wasn’t detrimental to only go to one tryout, both our player and a friend who went to both got an invite to practice with the team.

But I think if it’s a team your player is super interested in, go to as many try outs as possible — it’s the best way to be noticed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When tryouts are over multiple days if your player does not get an offer after 1st date you need to go back to next tryout session.

Just to add (I’m the PP on the one vs two tryout experience) — both our player and the friend who went to both tryouts got the invite to practice at the same time (granted, both dates were within the same week, not over multiple weeks). So this might not be universally true for all clubs.

[Anonymous]

Good coaches don't need two or three sessions to recognize good players. Be honest, you can watch the other team in a game and figure out who the better players are too if you focus on them and not your own team. So, some kids will get invitations after one tryout. Others may need a second night for a variety of reasons- they are between two teams and trying to decide which, they are in a group of say four kids and they're going to put two on one team and two on another and are trying to decide, or maybe the coaches just didn't get a great look at a player and want to see more. With 70 kids on a field that can happen. My feeling has always been concentrate on your team (unless you can't stand it and are leaving for sure) and one other one (that you have already watched and maybe joined for a practice). If there is another on your list, rank them so you get to more than one of the sessions for teams you like the best. An early email to the coach or attending a practice I think will help your child get a look since it puts the player on their radar, too.

[Anonymous]

of course I watch. The club isnt just evaluating my kid, my kid AND I are evaluating the club. I want to see how they interact with kids. It is VERY important to know this

[Anonymous]

My child is always doom and gloom about performance so I watch to counter the negative.

[Anonymous]

I've seen where they have given out offers to the "lock" players to a given team after one tryout - if a player is on the bubble (either for possibly moving up to a higher-level team) or not getting an offer that might come after the second tryout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:of course I watch. The club isnt just evaluating my kid, my kid AND I are evaluating the club. I want to see how they interact with kids. It is VERY important to know this

Agree that it's very important to know, disagree that you'll learn much by watching tryouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:of course I watch. The club isnt just evaluating my kid, my kid AND I are evaluating the club. I want to see how they interact with kids. It is VERY important to know this

Agree that it's very important to know, disagree that you'll learn much by watching tryouts.

+1 you’ll get more from talking to parents of existing players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:of course I watch. The club isnt just evaluating my kid, my kid AND I are evaluating the club. I want to see how they interact with kids. It is VERY important to know this

Watched my kid at a tryout.
It showed how they did tryouts.