Spring Tryouts - ECNL/DA

[Anonymous]

Our oldest is currently a U12 and on the top team of one of the area clubs frequently discussed on this site. Given that we have never been through this process before, I wanted to ask whether players typically try out at more than one club in the first year of ECNL/DA. Our daughter is very happy at her current club, likes her teammates, would prefer to stay, etc., and I'd like to think that she has a very strong chance of making her club's top team again next year. With that said, you never know what could happen. Should she be putting all of her eggs in one basket, and only try out with her current club? Or is it smart to at least try out at a couple of other ECNL/DA clubs in the spring, just to have options? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

If she would be ok with the 2nd team as a back-up, then no need to try out elsewhere. If she is set on being on a top team, then it might make sense to try out at other clubs as well.

[Anonymous]

Also you have to realize that just because current team is good that does not mean that the team two years from now will be the same. Do players from your club have a history of leaving for other clubs? History has a way of repeating itself. Even if they mostly stay together next year, they may leave in subsequent years. Last year DA teams made offers before ECNL teams did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is currently a U12 and on the top team of one of the area clubs frequently discussed on this site. Given that we have never been through this process before, I wanted to ask whether players typically try out at more than one club in the first year of ECNL/DA. Our daughter is very happy at her current club, likes her teammates, would prefer to stay, etc., and I'd like to think that she has a very strong chance of making her club's top team again next year. With that said, you never know what could happen. Should she be putting all of her eggs in one basket, and only try out with her current club? Or is it smart to at least try out at a couple of other ECNL/DA clubs in the spring, just to have options? Thanks in advance.

I think it is wise to try out for at least two clubs if you are contemplating a change. It is good experience to be in an unfamiliar environment with new faces. Like it or not, there is a skill to trying out well. It is impossible not to learn something by doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is currently a U12 and on the top team of one of the area clubs frequently discussed on this site. Given that we have never been through this process before, I wanted to ask whether players typically try out at more than one club in the first year of ECNL/DA. Our daughter is very happy at her current club, likes her teammates, would prefer to stay, etc., and I'd like to think that she has a very strong chance of making her club's top team again next year. With that said, you never know what could happen. Should she be putting all of her eggs in one basket, and only try out with her current club? Or is it smart to at least try out at a couple of other ECNL/DA clubs in the spring, just to have options? Thanks in advance.

I think it is wise to try out for at least two clubs if you are contemplating a change. It is good experience to be in an unfamiliar environment with new faces. Like it or not, there is a skill to trying out well. It is impossible not to learn something by doing this.

If you are even considering having her try out at other clubs, have her attend a practice prior to tryouts. I'm from a different part of the country, but my daughter switched clubs last year (went from top team at one club to the top team at another club). She went to 2 training sessions and was given a pre-offer prior to tryouts (she did not actually attend tryouts). Part of this is that the clubs in our state hold tryouts on the same days for each age group, so you really can't try out for multiple teams very easily. People from the DC area will have to weigh in on how it works in your area, but where we are from, players coming in from outside of the club typically have spots locked before the tryout date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest is currently a U12 and on the top team of one of the area clubs frequently discussed on this site. Given that we have never been through this process before, I wanted to ask whether players typically try out at more than one club in the first year of ECNL/DA. Our daughter is very happy at her current club, likes her teammates, would prefer to stay, etc., and I'd like to think that she has a very strong chance of making her club's top team again next year. With that said, you never know what could happen. Should she be putting all of her eggs in one basket, and only try out with her current club? Or is it smart to at least try out at a couple of other ECNL/DA clubs in the spring, just to have options? Thanks in advance.

I think it is wise to try out for at least two clubs if you are contemplating a change. It is good experience to be in an unfamiliar environment with new faces. Like it or not, there is a skill to trying out well. It is impossible not to learn something by doing this.

If you are even considering having her try out at other clubs, have her attend a practice prior to tryouts. I'm from a different part of the country, but my daughter switched clubs last year (went from top team at one club to the top team at another club). She went to 2 training sessions and was given a pre-offer prior to tryouts (she did not actually attend tryouts). Part of this is that the clubs in our state hold tryouts on the same days for each age group, so you really can't try out for multiple teams very easily. People from the DC area will have to weigh in on how it works in your area, but where we are from, players coming in from outside of the club typically have spots locked before the tryout date.

I think this is universally true in most regions in regards to tryouts. It is always best, for many reason, to attend a actual team practice to also judge for yourself as well.

[Anonymous]

Will teams let anyone join a couple of practices or do you have to somehow demonstrate that you'd be competitive at tryouts to get an invite to practice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will teams let anyone join a couple of practices or do you have to somehow demonstrate that you'd be competitive at tryouts to get an invite to practice?

Our club has been open to new players coming in for a look. Generally you would contact the coach, TD, or whatever, tell them your situation and ask for a workout.

[Anonymous]

It is better if they know your kid and where he/she plays. Also, make sure your coach knows because coaches talk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is better if they know your kid and where he/she plays. Also, make sure your coach knows because coaches talk.

I don't think it is a good idea to let your current coach know unless that is required (as in DA)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is better if they know your kid and where he/she plays. Also, make sure your coach knows because coaches talk.

Is this right? If you tell you daughter's coach that you want to practice and tryout at other clubs (even if solely as a fall-back option in case your daughter does not make the top team in the spring, in the OP's case), then I'd be surprised if that would be received positively by the coach or the club. This would seem to be true in both the positive situation in which your daughter likes her coach and vice versa (in which case, the coach could perceive her desire to tryout at another club as a slight or as a criticism of the coach), as well as the negative situation in which your daughter does not like her coach or club (in which case, you could see the coach or club becoming petty over the request to tryout elsewhere). Maybe your point is that it does not matter, since all coaches talk and it will be widely known that she is attending practice/trying out at another club.

It just seems that telling her current coach could create more negative results, than positive ones. But I admittedly doesn't know, as we have never been through this situation.

[Anonymous]

You don't want to tell your coach in the scenario where you are just working out with another team to get a preview prior to tryouts. To do so could sabotage the spring season.
The caveat to this is if DD is playing ECNL or DA. Clubs in these leagues have informal agreements to not poach from other teams in their leagues during the season. In the past, DA teams have even asked players to let them know if they are trying out at another DA club. They are however, happy to entertain players from the other league (DA to ECNL, or ECNL to DA) at any time.

[Anonymous]

Just be aware that coaches talk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just be aware that coaches talk.

Funny that coaches will talk to each more about players than the coaches will talk to the actual player. Hint to the coaches, talk to your players about their status and you won't find yourself hearing about them showing up at other tryouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is better if they know your kid and where he/she plays. Also, make sure your coach knows because coaches talk.

Is this right? If you tell you daughter's coach that you want to practice and tryout at other clubs (even if solely as a fall-back option in case your daughter does not make the top team in the spring, in the OP's case), then I'd be surprised if that would be received positively by the coach or the club. This would seem to be true in both the positive situation in which your daughter likes her coach and vice versa (in which case, the coach could perceive her desire to tryout at another club as a slight or as a criticism of the coach), as well as the negative situation in which your daughter does not like her coach or club (in which case, you could see the coach or club becoming petty over the request to tryout elsewhere). Maybe your point is that it does not matter, since all coaches talk and it will be widely known that she is attending practice/trying out at another club.

It just seems that telling her current coach could create more negative results, than positive ones. But I admittedly doesn't know, as we have never been through this situation.

This is tricky. It really depends on the situation and, ultimately, where your child stands and what the relationship is between the 2 clubs (and coaches).

In my daughter's situation last spring, we did not tell her coach that she was attending practices at another club. The 2 clubs involved are the largest and most competitive in our state (big rivals). That said, she was given a pre-offer for her current team during this time, which we did not accept (told the coach at that point that we would decide closer to tryouts), so he knew that we were keeping options open for her. I'm confident that her new club's coach did not reach out to her current coach--that probably would have been a turn-off for us. Once she decided that she wanted to move, I let her current coach know (prior to tryouts, so that he knew that he would need to replace her).