Soccer Travel Tryout Acceptance

[Anonymous]

Just curious about how the tryout offer and acceptance procedures work for soccer.

When a player is accepted by a club, do they also let you know what team that player will be on (i.e team A, B, C...etc) immediately? or do they accept the player and ask to him/her to join another tryout to identify which team he/she will be placed on? If it's the latter how have you decided which club your child will play with if you have more than offer at the same time without knowing which team they will be placed on, especially since you have around 48 hours to decide? Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious about how the tryout offer and acceptance procedures work for soccer.

When a player is accepted by a club, do they also let you know what team that player will be on (i.e team A, B, C...etc) immediately? or do they accept the player and ask to him/her to join another tryout to identify which team he/she will be placed on? If it's the latter how have you decided which club your child will play with if you have more than offer at the same time without knowing which team they will be placed on, especially since you have around 48 hours to decide? Thanks

Clubs do it all sorts of ways. From years of experience with this, there is no answer to your question. Clubs make it harder and harder for parents every year. Most are not interested in letting you continue to tryout at another club or giving you the time to then weigh which option is best. You have to play the political game and navigate the process using your own communication skills. Try to be both honest and strategic. Many niave parents step into it. There are various tricks of the trade to extend your time (showing up to the last tryout only, commiting verbally but not in writing or by check, etc), but the clubs are always finding ways to clamp down on that. It is very difficult to tryout at multiple clubs. The best advice is just to make your decision on which club you would pick even before tryouts start. That's honestly the best approach.

[Anonymous]

our experience is we were accepted to the age group and club but were given no details o which team. there are only two teams in the age group and in the first year- there was a lot of movement between the teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious about how the tryout offer and acceptance procedures work for soccer.

When a player is accepted by a club, do they also let you know what team that player will be on (i.e team A, B, C...etc) immediately? or do they accept the player and ask to him/her to join another tryout to identify which team he/she will be placed on? If it's the latter how have you decided which club your child will play with if you have more than offer at the same time without knowing which team they will be placed on, especially since you have around 48 hours to decide? Thanks

In most cases you are told what the team your kid will be placed. It does depend on the club. But generally the larger the club, I.E. 3+ teams per age group, you will be told what team.

Also, the 48 hour rule is generally only loosely enforced in larger clubs at the high level teams. This is more a function of practicality than anything else. Essentially there are always bubble kids who they can't make offers to until the roster is fleshed out. If a player is a bubble A/B team player they might get an offer to the A team if a kid or two turns the A team offer down. Most coaches will give you some time to think about it if you are able to contact them directly. In nearly all cases they will contact you on or after the second day if you haven't already accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious about how the tryout offer and acceptance procedures work for soccer.

When a player is accepted by a club, do they also let you know what team that player will be on (i.e team A, B, C...etc) immediately? or do they accept the player and ask to him/her to join another tryout to identify which team he/she will be placed on? If it's the latter how have you decided which club your child will play with if you have more than offer at the same time without knowing which team they will be placed on, especially since you have around 48 hours to decide? Thanks

Clubs do it all sorts of ways. From years of experience with this, there is no answer to your question. Clubs make it harder and harder for parents every year. Most are not interested in letting you continue to tryout at another club or giving you the time to then weigh which option is best. You have to play the political game and navigate the process using your own communication skills. Try to be both honest and strategic. Many niave parents step into it. There are various tricks of the trade to extend your time (showing up to the last tryout only, commiting verbally but not in writing or by check, etc), but the clubs are always finding ways to clamp down on that. It is very difficult to tryout at multiple clubs. The best advice is just to make your decision on which club you would pick even before tryouts start. That's honestly the best approach.

^^This

1. Don't waste your time with clubs you are not really interested in.
2. Go to practices AHEAD of tryouts. Find the team/club first. Try as best you can to pre-determine your answer based on your criteria.

Plan for contingencies like bubble A/B team offers etc... Basically know what your answer will be ahead of time should you get an offer.

[Anonymous]

Are you asking about spring tryouts for next fall or a mid-year tryout (eg, now) for winter and spring? They are handled differently at most clubs.

[Anonymous]

You also need to talk to other parents and determine if you can trust the club/what the offer even says. Many times you should not!! There is a lot of bait and switch on coaches, roster sizes (hey now we have 21 on our roster so you may be on the team but won't go to games), or placement (I know you were offered a spot on team A and made the decision based on this, but really some parents complained about their kid so now yours will be on team B, too bad you already paid and turned down other offers, should have played more politics). Coaches and clubs are car salesman at heart.... whatever makes you sign on the dotted line, will lie right to your face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You also need to talk to other parents and determine if you can trust the club/what the offer even says. Many times you should not!! There is a lot of bait and switch on coaches, roster sizes (hey now we have 21 on our roster so you may be on the team but won't go to games), or placement (I know you were offered a spot on team A and made the decision based on this, but really some parents complained about their kid so now yours will be on team B, too bad you already paid and turned down other offers, should have played more politics). Coaches and clubs are car salesman at heart.... whatever makes you sign on the dotted line, will lie right to your face.

You can never trust anyone. Even the ones that seem trustworthy eventually will reveal their stripes.

We have been “guaranteed” spots way ahead of time on top team by coaches only to have TDS who have never seen the kids play a single game/practice the entire calendar year come in and do bait switches on final rosters due to politics, nepotism, etc. What do you say to a kid that is conscientious and the team leader whose Coach said he’s only 1 moving up that he got fucked over for a third stringer or 4th stringer with lots of older siblings and parents that schmooze? Adios!

Always have something in your back pocket is my advice.

Some will definitely bank on your loyalty or past deadlines at other Clubs. Some are such babies that they take offense to looking around when if they were really confident in what they had to offer, they’d encourage it.

I really despise the entire industry for what they have taken away from kids by making it a business with no heart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you asking about spring tryouts for next fall or a mid-year tryout (eg, now) for winter and spring? They are handled differently at most clubs.

OP here, Spring tryouts for next fall.

I agree its best not to waste time trying out for clubs that we won't be interested in. One will have to decide if being on the A team of a mediocre club is better than being on a C team of a top club. The idea of visiting practices of a few clubs is probably one thing I will do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You also need to talk to other parents and determine if you can trust the club/what the offer even says. Many times you should not!! There is a lot of bait and switch on coaches, roster sizes (hey now we have 21 on our roster so you may be on the team but won't go to games), or placement (I know you were offered a spot on team A and made the decision based on this, but really some parents complained about their kid so now yours will be on team B, too bad you already paid and turned down other offers, should have played more politics). Coaches and clubs are car salesman at heart.... whatever makes you sign on the dotted line, will lie right to your face.

You can never trust anyone. Even the ones that seem trustworthy eventually will reveal their stripes.

We have been “guaranteed” spots way ahead of time on top team by coaches only to have TDS who have never seen the kids play a single game/practice the entire calendar year come in and do bait switches on final rosters due to politics, nepotism, etc. What do you say to a kid that is conscientious and the team leader whose Coach said he’s only 1 moving up that he got fucked over for a third stringer or 4th stringer with lots of older siblings and parents that schmooze? Adios!

Always have something in your back pocket is my advice.

Some will definitely bank on your loyalty or past deadlines at other Clubs. Some are such babies that they take offense to looking around when if they were really confident in what they had to offer, they’d encourage it.

I really despise the entire industry for what they have taken away from kids by making it a business with no heart.

Then perhaps you should stay off the forums. Jesus Christ. Ask a simple question and the sour grapes bitter rants just come out of the woodwork.

I'm not sure if you feel you are providing some kind of public service but you can lighten up a bit because you offer nothing objective in your "wisdom" or advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you asking about spring tryouts for next fall or a mid-year tryout (eg, now) for winter and spring? They are handled differently at most clubs.

OP here, Spring tryouts for next fall.

I agree its best not to waste time trying out for clubs that we won't be interested in. One will have to decide if being on the A team of a mediocre club is better than being on a C team of a top club. The idea of visiting practices of a few clubs is probably one thing I will do.

It always depends on the coach. I wouldn't put much stock in a Small club B team versus a large club C team. If all things are otherwise equal let your kid kinda drive the decision. Trust that many concerns will sort themselves out. By this I mean carpools, friends and other things.

We have a pretty bitter poster in here so don't ignore him/her but not everything is so dark and nefarious. It's just soccer, it's supposed to be fun, but fun for the kid, NOT YOU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You also need to talk to other parents and determine if you can trust the club/what the offer even says. Many times you should not!! There is a lot of bait and switch on coaches, roster sizes (hey now we have 21 on our roster so you may be on the team but won't go to games), or placement (I know you were offered a spot on team A and made the decision based on this, but really some parents complained about their kid so now yours will be on team B, too bad you already paid and turned down other offers, should have played more politics). Coaches and clubs are car salesman at heart.... whatever makes you sign on the dotted line, will lie right to your face.

You can never trust anyone. Even the ones that seem trustworthy eventually will reveal their stripes.

We have been “guaranteed” spots way ahead of time on top team by coaches only to have TDS who have never seen the kids play a single game/practice the entire calendar year come in and do bait switches on final rosters due to politics, nepotism, etc. What do you say to a kid that is conscientious and the team leader whose Coach said he’s only 1 moving up that he got fucked over for a third stringer or 4th stringer with lots of older siblings and parents that schmooze? Adios!

Always have something in your back pocket is my advice.

Some will definitely bank on your loyalty or past deadlines at other Clubs. Some are such babies that they take offense to looking around when if they were really confident in what they had to offer, they’d encourage it.

I really despise the entire industry for what they have taken away from kids by making it a business with no heart.

Then perhaps you should stay off the forums. Jesus Christ. Ask a simple question and the sour grapes bitter rants just come out of the woodwork.

I'm not sure if you feel you are providing some kind of public service but you can lighten up a bit because you offer nothing objective in your "wisdom" or advice.

Agreed. That was a bomb that's been waiting to go off. Pure rage. Pretty sure it would take a lot for a club to demote a top/first stringer player for lower skilled players purely on politics. If a player is on the first team and truly worthy the coach would obviously want to keep him/her to maintain a strong team

[Anonymous]

We didn't know what team we were accepted on, but because we were a late acceptance, we assumed we'd be on the lowest team and we were right.

The girls I know who made the B team were told they were on the B team when given the offer. I assume it's the same for the A team. I don't know about the C/D team. (This is Arlington, where there are 6 teams at our age group.)

[Anonymous]

I know Stoddert tells you which team (they're colors, but they're in hierarchical order and they tell you what's what).

[Anonymous]

3 kids, 7 nephews, and me in 4 siblings in the sport in the DMV so I’ve seen it all in 30 years. Bitter poster is on spot. It gets worse over time.

Just wait...you’ll see yourself in years to come. Travel soccer is doucheville. Best of luck.