Anonymous
03/11/2025 12:07
Subject: Open Tryout/ID Session Formats
Anonymous wrote:Curious how different clubs do their tryouts - for both lower level teams and ECML/MLSNext ID sessions…. Is there generally a uniform approach? Or do all clubs handle it differently? Such as…
- Do they require existing players to attend tryouts/ID sessions or not?
- Do they organize the players at tryouts/ID sessions into intentional groupings or do they randomize?
- Do they rotate coaches to watch all groups equally?
- For those who have been through it all, what format of tryouts do you think provides coaches with the fairest opportunities to identify talent?
- Do they ever pick up players from outside the club through any of the open tryouts/ID sessions or is it all through prior contacts?
There are definitely examples of kids being selected from open tryouts, but for our club the surest way is to become a trialist. Reach out to the club prior to tryouts and send video clips of your kid. If they like what they see they will invite you to practice with one of their teams prior to the actual tryout date.
Anonymous
03/11/2025 11:19
Subject: Open Tryout/ID Session Formats
Anonymous wrote:Curious how different clubs do their tryouts - for both lower level teams and ECML/MLSNext ID sessions…. Is there generally a uniform approach? Or do all clubs handle it differently? Such as…
- Do they require existing players to attend tryouts/ID sessions or not? Depend on the club. Some will require all existing players to attend. Some clubs makes it optional.
- Do they organize the players at tryouts/ID sessions into intentional groupings or do they randomize? Players will be split into groups and they will move kids around based on what they see. Typically, there will be a top group.
- Do they rotate coaches to watch all groups equally? No
- For those who have been through it all, what format of tryouts do you think provides coaches with the fairest opportunities to identify talent?
- Do they ever pick up players from outside the club through any of the open tryouts/ID sessions or is it all through prior contacts? Best thing would be to reach out to the club your interested in and make 1 to 1 contact with the coach. Most likely they will invite you out to a practice. Most clubs will already have their team from prior year and will prob just move a few players around. During ID sessions, they are looking to fill specific positions unless of course there is a super star that shows up. There is always an exception.
Anonymous
03/11/2025 07:30
Subject: Open Tryout/ID Session Formats
To increase your child's odd of being selected, understand the current team that your child wants to get one. What positions have weak players and at risk of being replaced? If your child plays that position, the odds are good. If the team is stacked with solid players for a given position(s) at the older age group, the odds are slim to be picked up unless your child is way better than those players.
Anonymous
03/10/2025 22:13
Subject: Open Tryout/ID Session Formats
For lower teams, we have been to 4 tryouts w clubs. Club A changed the format each year.
-They required all current players to re-tryout. Some kids did get demoted.
-Mostly, they randomize. But the known players were selected right away to attend an unevaluated scrimmage session so the coaches could more closely watch the bubble players and now players better.
-They bring in as many coaches as they can to fill out scores on roster sheets.
-One club gave each kid plain tryout shirts to wear with numbers and had other, unknown, coaches evaluate the kids. That was decent.
-They do pick kids from open tryouts, that is the usual way. Sometimes the number of kids they pickup just depends on room available. All new, yet average and lower skilled players are given slots on the bottom teams usually, if they are projecting space on that team.
-They required all current players to re-tryout. Some kids did get demoted.
-Mostly, they randomize. But the known players were selected right away to attend an unevaluated scrimmage session so the coaches could more closely watch the bubble players and now players better.
-They bring in as many coaches as they can to fill out scores on roster sheets.
-One club gave each kid plain tryout shirts to wear with numbers and had other, unknown, coaches evaluate the kids. That was decent.
-They do pick kids from open tryouts, that is the usual way. Sometimes the number of kids they pickup just depends on room available. All new, yet average and lower skilled players are given slots on the bottom teams usually, if they are projecting space on that team.
Anonymous
03/10/2025 21:55
Subject: Open Tryout/ID Session Formats
Curious how different clubs do their tryouts - for both lower level teams and ECML/MLSNext ID sessions…. Is there generally a uniform approach? Or do all clubs handle it differently? Such as…
- Do they require existing players to attend tryouts/ID sessions or not?
- Do they organize the players at tryouts/ID sessions into intentional groupings or do they randomize?
- Do they rotate coaches to watch all groups equally?
- For those who have been through it all, what format of tryouts do you think provides coaches with the fairest opportunities to identify talent?
- Do they ever pick up players from outside the club through any of the open tryouts/ID sessions or is it all through prior contacts?
- Do they require existing players to attend tryouts/ID sessions or not?
- Do they organize the players at tryouts/ID sessions into intentional groupings or do they randomize?
- Do they rotate coaches to watch all groups equally?
- For those who have been through it all, what format of tryouts do you think provides coaches with the fairest opportunities to identify talent?
- Do they ever pick up players from outside the club through any of the open tryouts/ID sessions or is it all through prior contacts?