Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/travelsoccer/tryouts-fees-registration/

Anyone go to the Arlington U9 tryouts? Took my DS yesterday and seemed like there were 100 kids scrimmaging on over 10 fields. This was our first tryout experience and DS enjoyed it.

Yes. My child enjoyed them--but it was soooo late for the little boys. Many were not showing their best because they are usually asleep by 8pm. It's a very long day for kids that wake up at 6:30am, coupled with rec games the same day.

Comments:
1) time of tryouts was bad. the boys got stuck with the late times all 3 sessions.
2) My impression only (not sure if it will turn out to be the case) the second day a few of the evaluators really were just choosing pure physical Size of the players over Skill. Big kids toe-balling from one side to the other and just knocking kids down seemed to be in favor. It wasn't that way the first night, but it was almost a completely different group of evaluators. Hopefully, things will sort out.

But- they ran very smoothly, were well-organized and the kids really seemed to be having fun.

I thought it was run pretty smoothly too. I would agree that there was a lot of physical play. DS saw a lot of hard tackles and slide tackles that he normally does not see. I was glad that he was able to move up to play with the bigger kids because we started from what looked like the bottom of the ladder where my short DS was grouped with others similar in size. Actually I am glad he came out alive with some of the tackles he took lol. It seemed like he got settled on one field where he was neither moved up or down after multiple sessions.

I thought it was idiotic that the youngest kids in the program have the latest tryouts minus the '98s. The last ones are almost 7-8:15 again.

I have a short, skilled tough guy and agree with first poster. The big kids got away with just toe-balling or knocking kids over. I wish ball skill/moves and completed passes (no matter the players size) were valued higher. But--maybe they will be. After all, tryouts aren't even over yet.

Welcome to relative age affect and coaches looking at size and speed over skill. They always believe they can teach skill.

Except some of the small kids were fast as shit!!

Anonymous wrote:I'm on girls side. 72 kids. 6 teams planned (11-12 per team). Everyone that showed up makes it? Or given the low turn out, will they actually keep to a smaller number? Sounds a lot like a participation trophy for the price of $3200.

How many people tried out? Are they really charging $3,000?

I'm on girls side. 72 kids. 6 teams planned (11-12 per team). Everyone that showed up makes it? Or given the low turn out, will they actually keep to a smaller number? Sounds a lot like a participation trophy for the price of $3200.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/travelsoccer/tryouts-fees-registration/

Anyone go to the Arlington U9 tryouts? Took my DS yesterday and seemed like there were 100 kids scrimmaging on over 10 fields. This was our first tryout experience and DS enjoyed it.

Yes. My child enjoyed them--but it was soooo late for the little boys. Many were not showing their best because they are usually asleep by 8pm. It's a very long day for kids that wake up at 6:30am, coupled with rec games the same day.

Comments:
1) time of tryouts was bad. the boys got stuck with the late times all 3 sessions.
2) My impression only (not sure if it will turn out to be the case) the second day a few of the evaluators really were just choosing pure physical Size of the players over Skill. Big kids toe-balling from one side to the other and just knocking kids down seemed to be in favor. It wasn't that way the first night, but it was almost a completely different group of evaluators. Hopefully, things will sort out.

But- they ran very smoothly, were well-organized and the kids really seemed to be having fun.

I thought it was run pretty smoothly too. I would agree that there was a lot of physical play. DS saw a lot of hard tackles and slide tackles that he normally does not see. I was glad that he was able to move up to play with the bigger kids because we started from what looked like the bottom of the ladder where my short DS was grouped with others similar in size. Actually I am glad he came out alive with some of the tackles he took lol. It seemed like he got settled on one field where he was neither moved up or down after multiple sessions.

I thought it was idiotic that the youngest kids in the program have the latest tryouts minus the '98s. The last ones are almost 7-8:15 again.

I have a short, skilled tough guy and agree with first poster. The big kids got away with just toe-balling or knocking kids over. I wish ball skill/moves and completed passes (no matter the players size) were valued higher. But--maybe they will be. After all, tryouts aren't even over yet.

Welcome to relative age affect and coaches looking at size and speed over skill. They always believe they can teach skill.

They have it back-assward. The kids that should be selected for the top teams should possess the most skill. The kid that seamlessly at full speed under pressure can change directions with the ball, do tik toks, scissors, double scissors, iniesta, and more and know when to fire off the pass is the type of kid that should be on the top team. Unfortunately, if he's small--he just won't be. They actually think they are protecting him by keeping away from bigger players. He will wallow away bored on a lower team with nobody that can read a field, move or receive his passes. These US soccer dopes pick the biggest kids at the youngest ages regardless if they have any skill at all. Why? They can win games for a few years. They think they can actually build innate talent in some of these kids. This is where they are seriously falling short.

What are they going to do--keep these smaller in size players on the lower teams for 7 years and wait until they grow at 15???? Meanwhile, these are the kids that need to be GETTING more challenge, not less challenge. They already know and can do the things they want to try and teach the big toe ballers that are muscling everyone out of the way. Skill will beat pure brawn in Futbol anyday, but it won't advance a player in most parts of the USA.

There are a few clubs in the area that don't follow the biggest bully wins at the youngest ages. They actually don't care about wins young--unlike the big clubs that claim they don't, but walk around priding themselves on their teams blowing everyone out 10-0 in the younger years.

If you have a fast, little talented ball handler---watch tryouts closely. You don't want your kid relegated to the bottom rung just because of his size. It's pretty apparent what type of player is rewarded at watching these open tryouts. I witnessed a woman evaluator last night yell at a kid that executed a beautiful move to 'cut out the nonsense' while she was cheering on a big kid (yes, cheering during tryouts ) as he just physically pushed kids down and muscled around.

I have now seen it all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/travelsoccer/tryouts-fees-registration/

Anyone go to the Arlington U9 tryouts? Took my DS yesterday and seemed like there were 100 kids scrimmaging on over 10 fields. This was our first tryout experience and DS enjoyed it.

Yes. My child enjoyed them--but it was soooo late for the little boys. Many were not showing their best because they are usually asleep by 8pm. It's a very long day for kids that wake up at 6:30am, coupled with rec games the same day.

Comments:
1) time of tryouts was bad. the boys got stuck with the late times all 3 sessions.
2) My impression only (not sure if it will turn out to be the case) the second day a few of the evaluators really were just choosing pure physical Size of the players over Skill. Big kids toe-balling from one side to the other and just knocking kids down seemed to be in favor. It wasn't that way the first night, but it was almost a completely different group of evaluators. Hopefully, things will sort out.

But- they ran very smoothly, were well-organized and the kids really seemed to be having fun.

I thought it was run pretty smoothly too. I would agree that there was a lot of physical play. DS saw a lot of hard tackles and slide tackles that he normally does not see. I was glad that he was able to move up to play with the bigger kids because we started from what looked like the bottom of the ladder where my short DS was grouped with others similar in size. Actually I am glad he came out alive with some of the tackles he took lol. It seemed like he got settled on one field where he was neither moved up or down after multiple sessions.

I thought it was idiotic that the youngest kids in the program have the latest tryouts minus the '98s. The last ones are almost 7-8:15 again.

I have a short, skilled tough guy and agree with first poster. The big kids got away with just toe-balling or knocking kids over. I wish ball skill/moves and completed passes (no matter the players size) were valued higher. But--maybe they will be. After all, tryouts aren't even over yet.

Welcome to relative age affect and coaches looking at size and speed over skill. They always believe they can teach skill.

They also think they can teach athletic kids to LOVE soccer. They can't. They can ruin it, of course. But if kids don't already love soccer, they really shouldn't be trying out for travel. Let the kids who love it take those spots. They have a chance to develop. The kids who just see it as another manifestation of their athleticism ... no.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/travelsoccer/tryouts-fees-registration/

Anyone go to the Arlington U9 tryouts? Took my DS yesterday and seemed like there were 100 kids scrimmaging on over 10 fields. This was our first tryout experience and DS enjoyed it.

Yes. My child enjoyed them--but it was soooo late for the little boys. Many were not showing their best because they are usually asleep by 8pm. It's a very long day for kids that wake up at 6:30am, coupled with rec games the same day.

Comments:
1) time of tryouts was bad. the boys got stuck with the late times all 3 sessions.
2) My impression only (not sure if it will turn out to be the case) the second day a few of the evaluators really were just choosing pure physical Size of the players over Skill. Big kids toe-balling from one side to the other and just knocking kids down seemed to be in favor. It wasn't that way the first night, but it was almost a completely different group of evaluators. Hopefully, things will sort out.

But- they ran very smoothly, were well-organized and the kids really seemed to be having fun.

I thought it was run pretty smoothly too. I would agree that there was a lot of physical play. DS saw a lot of hard tackles and slide tackles that he normally does not see. I was glad that he was able to move up to play with the bigger kids because we started from what looked like the bottom of the ladder where my short DS was grouped with others similar in size. Actually I am glad he came out alive with some of the tackles he took lol. It seemed like he got settled on one field where he was neither moved up or down after multiple sessions.

I thought it was idiotic that the youngest kids in the program have the latest tryouts minus the '98s. The last ones are almost 7-8:15 again.

I have a short, skilled tough guy and agree with first poster. The big kids got away with just toe-balling or knocking kids over. I wish ball skill/moves and completed passes (no matter the players size) were valued higher. But--maybe they will be. After all, tryouts aren't even over yet.

Welcome to relative age affect and coaches looking at size and speed over skill. They always believe they can teach skill.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/travelsoccer/tryouts-fees-registration/

Anyone go to the Arlington U9 tryouts? Took my DS yesterday and seemed like there were 100 kids scrimmaging on over 10 fields. This was our first tryout experience and DS enjoyed it.

Yes. My child enjoyed them--but it was soooo late for the little boys. Many were not showing their best because they are usually asleep by 8pm. It's a very long day for kids that wake up at 6:30am, coupled with rec games the same day.

Comments:
1) time of tryouts was bad. the boys got stuck with the late times all 3 sessions.
2) My impression only (not sure if it will turn out to be the case) the second day a few of the evaluators really were just choosing pure physical Size of the players over Skill. Big kids toe-balling from one side to the other and just knocking kids down seemed to be in favor. It wasn't that way the first night, but it was almost a completely different group of evaluators. Hopefully, things will sort out.

But- they ran very smoothly, were well-organized and the kids really seemed to be having fun.

I thought it was run pretty smoothly too. I would agree that there was a lot of physical play. DS saw a lot of hard tackles and slide tackles that he normally does not see. I was glad that he was able to move up to play with the bigger kids because we started from what looked like the bottom of the ladder where my short DS was grouped with others similar in size. Actually I am glad he came out alive with some of the tackles he took lol. It seemed like he got settled on one field where he was neither moved up or down after multiple sessions.

I thought it was idiotic that the youngest kids in the program have the latest tryouts minus the '98s. The last ones are almost 7-8:15 again.

I have a short, skilled tough guy and agree with first poster. The big kids got away with just toe-balling or knocking kids over. I wish ball skill/moves and completed passes (no matter the players size) were valued higher. But--maybe they will be. After all, tryouts aren't even over yet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/travelsoccer/tryouts-fees-registration/

Anyone go to the Arlington U9 tryouts? Took my DS yesterday and seemed like there were 100 kids scrimmaging on over 10 fields. This was our first tryout experience and DS enjoyed it.

Yes. My child enjoyed them--but it was soooo late for the little boys. Many were not showing their best because they are usually asleep by 8pm. It's a very long day for kids that wake up at 6:30am, coupled with rec games the same day.

Comments:
1) time of tryouts was bad. the boys got stuck with the late times all 3 sessions.
2) My impression only (not sure if it will turn out to be the case) the second day a few of the evaluators really were just choosing pure physical Size of the players over Skill. Big kids toe-balling from one side to the other and just knocking kids down seemed to be in favor. It wasn't that way the first night, but it was almost a completely different group of evaluators. Hopefully, things will sort out.

But- they ran very smoothly, were well-organized and the kids really seemed to be having fun.

I thought it was run pretty smoothly too. I would agree that there was a lot of physical play. DS saw a lot of hard tackles and slide tackles that he normally does not see. I was glad that he was able to move up to play with the bigger kids because we started from what looked like the bottom of the ladder where my short DS was grouped with others similar in size. Actually I am glad he came out alive with some of the tackles he took lol. It seemed like he got settled on one field where he was neither moved up or down after multiple sessions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PWSI

http://www.pwsi.org/Default.aspx?tabid=580580

I see something about required 10 hours of volunteer time. Do most clubs do this ? Do they really hold people to that ?

DC Stoddert (at least Girls 9-12) expects parents to volunteer in various capacities - maybe as a manager, maybe to help organize social events or coordinate tournament arrangements. It's not an explicit amount of time but the coaches push for parents to take on things if they haven't during the year.

Are you expected to attend all the available try out days for an age group?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/travelsoccer/tryouts-fees-registration/

Anyone go to the Arlington U9 tryouts? Took my DS yesterday and seemed like there were 100 kids scrimmaging on over 10 fields. This was our first tryout experience and DS enjoyed it.

Yes. My child enjoyed them--but it was soooo late for the little boys. Many were not showing their best because they are usually asleep by 8pm. It's a very long day for kids that wake up at 6:30am, coupled with rec games the same day.

Comments:
1) time of tryouts was bad. the boys got stuck with the late times all 3 sessions.
2) My impression only (not sure if it will turn out to be the case) the second day a few of the evaluators really were just choosing pure physical Size of the players over Skill. Big kids toe-balling from one side to the other and just knocking kids down seemed to be in favor. It wasn't that way the first night, but it was almost a completely different group of evaluators. Hopefully, things will sort out.

But- they ran very smoothly, were well-organized and the kids really seemed to be having fun.