we'll be holding tryouts next month for our U-11 team does anyone have a drill that really like that showcases a players skills? I know that i will for shure will be ending both days tryouts w/ a small scrimmage rotating the players to different postions. also going to do some kind of obsticale course consisting of dribbling and shooting on goal as the end result. should i do some kind of time relay or are they to young for that? thanks for the visit.
Obviously,you want to pick the best players, those that can think the game, have a bit of skill and some physical attributes. However, you are not going to get 16 well rounded players. Because of this you might want to pick some kids with a special attribute that can add to your team and that you can build on- great speed, a 1 v1 artist,competetive spriit etc. At the end of the tryout you want to know a few things: Who was the fastest kid there (you do not need to time them- line em up and have them run) Best 1 v1 artist (play 1 v1 to cones (everyone playing at the same time)and have coaches walk around) best 1 v1 defender (same as above) Leader (let the players organize a component of the tryout- send 5 kids to each end of a field- let them sort themselvse out) Competitor (make a game/excercise that counts and observe) Longest kick/throw (line em up again!) For the speed/kick /throw you are looking for extremes. Don't worry about trying to sort out little differences. The basic idea is you want a variety of talents on your team and you will be able to teach them the game. I am not saying to pick 16 one-trick ponies but if you have a solid 12-13 players and 3-4 who have a special attribute you will help them and help your team. You will definatley be happy to be able to put a speedster on the field or someone who can knock it long at some point on the season.
At that age locally, kids were scouted for travel teams while playing rec league games. The kids were unaware of the scouting. The coaches got to observe the kids actually performing in a game so no drills were involved. At that age I would expect the kids to be very raw with no competitive experience. If it were me, I would probably want to observe them the same way so I would 1) have a warm up period where you could observe technical skill levels without pressure: passing, recieving, and dribbling. I would keep the warm up period as simple and short as possible. Then 2) move to a full field scrimmage. I would mix up the combinations so I could observe how players performed in different groups.
Going to answer from a different perspectative. From the advice I gave a player who was going to try out for a club team. The answer for you is in here some where good hunting. "Get a lot of touches of the ball before the tryout starts. Your first hundred touches are not as good as the second hundred. So get those first touches out of the way before the tryout starts. Don't be afraid to attack if the space even if the space you left is not filled in by another player trying out. You have to show something to be noticed. If you don't go because your back support is not there. Very few coaches will understand why you did not go. He will think you never go into the attack. Don't make a pass and be content to admire your pass. Move in the flow of play after your pass and hope for a return pass or another pass in combination play. Lose the ball or a team mate loses the ball or your no longer in the flow of play, get your arse behind the ball. Ball is up and your tired show a will of iron and get up. I look for that kind of will in a player. Also have the will to get behind the ball when your team loses the ball. Think about your support positioning. Going out for inside mid? Try to put yourself as the second attacker for the dribbler who ever the dribbler is from your inside position. So you will get a lot of touches and make those touches show something that will be remembered in a good way. Think a head so you don't need to think after you get the ball. So when you get the ball you just do. Going for tackles? Go at the right time which is when the dribbler does not have close control of the ball. Don't dive in on the tackle. You will miss and look bad doing it. If you can beat players take them on. That creates space for team mates. Don't take on the second attacker unless it means you can get a shot off and score. After beating the first defender look to pass while moving away from pressure. Perfect time to look for throw pass, a shot or to reverse the field with a pass. --------------------------------- I look for player quickness, vision and a good touch. Players making a good impression in small sided play have a good chance of making the team in general. ----------- Here is some stuff from a one time friend that can help. Communicate in the Games Players who give instructions and help other players with verbal and visual cues stand out as leaders. It does not have to be long winded or a continuous narrative, but good communication makes players stand out in a positive way to the observers. Silent players appear to be out of the game mentally. -------------------- (Calling for a back pass as the other player just touches the ball is bad communication. Thats from me.) ------------------------- Introduce Yourself and Ask Questions Whenever there is a moment, the player should greet each of the coaches. It is sad to hear kids say that they went to the tryout but did not know who had evaluated them. Players should ask questions to ensure that they understand what's going to happen at both the tryout and during any follow-on tryouts or administrative mumbo jumbo. Ask for the Job Good heavens, please tell the coaches you had a good time and want to play for the team. As a coach, I really have a much harder time cutting kids who show up, work hard, introduce themselves and who ask for the job than I do cutting kids who show up, play, and leave without indicating any interest. ______________________________ You said you were trying out for a number of teams. That might be fun for you, but it could hurt you in the future. When someone comes out for my team or my club I think they are doing that because they want to play for us. If I like your game and offer you a spot on the team I expect you to play on the team because you wanted to go out for the team. If I offer you a spot then you say I have to think about it or no I am playing for another team. I think you were just trying to waste my time and effort. I will ask you why aren't you accepting the offer to play. Acceptable excuses are just found out I moving out of state or your dying. Those are the only 2 acceptable excuses. Anything thing else I write your name and address down for future reference if you should ever tryout for my club again. So I will remember to turn you away at another tryout. -------------------- Things a coach remembers a good tackler, speed, and a guy who can finish a half chance or a chance, and someone who can cross the ball and make a good cross with either foot
ej dad, thanks i'll keep the stop watch at home, and will do the 1v1 and longest kick drill. big guy, i'll keep my ears open for some key words.
So do you guaruntee a spot on the team/in the club to everyone who tries out? If not, are players you do not pick expected to quit playing the game? Couldn't an honest, straight forward player choose another team for good reasons, many having nothing to do with you?
I make decisions about players right away. I don't leave them hanging for 2 weeks waiting for a decision if they made the team or not like they do with some other fly by night clubs. They know that going in. Plus if I have a B team they can join that. If we don't I have enough friends with other clubs I can get them on one of their teams they show up for our tryout to look at new players. Can you do that?
I think you misunderstand. The level of commitment to the team (and coachability) are just as important as technical skill. The context was BigGuy giving advice to a player going to a tryout. He was just being honest about how a player's comments could be viewed by a coach. Wanting a level of commitment is a common concern to anyone in the role of teacher, mentor, coach, etc. The reason for the lack of commitment is irrelevant.
I'm with Ejdad on this. Any coach who expects that kids will try out for his club and his club alone is extremely unrealistic. I don't want to read to much into it, but those tendencies can amplify into the type of overpossessive coach who plays mind games with kids trying to keep them on "his" team.
You have no clue my friend, but that doesn't matter. Maybe I made a mistake by posting the whole post that I made to that player. Maybe I should have just answered the guestion that he asked. Instead of answering it in a more complicated way. Well that's my fault. On my situation normal good players want to play with our club. It is always their first choice when they try out or frankly I would not want them. Like I said once before I only do this for the club and for the player. I would be the last one to hurt any player even a new player trying out for the team. We don't have many tryouts we hear about a player from a parent for example we go see them play. Make judgements from that most within the first 10 minutes of watching them in game play. That get'sthem a second look they are invited to practice with the team they might be playing on. That team coach likes them there in. Player and parent don't pay to play. The club pays for everything.
So it all filters through you? They come to your tryout. If you like them, you keep them. if not you send them to another team? If they decide to play for another team they are black balled for life? Sounds like it is all about you. And to answer your question, Yes, I can. Rca2- "I think you misunderstand. The level of commitment to the team (and coachability) are just as important as technical skill. The context was BigGuy giving advice to a player going to a tryout. He was just being honest about how a player's comments could be viewed by a coach. Wanting a level of commitment is a common concern to anyone in the role of teacher, mentor, coach, etc. The reason for the lack of commitment is irrelevant." I agree completely about commitment but commitment is a two way street. To ask a kid who is trying out- with no guaruntee of making the team- to commit to playing for the team is not asking or assessing commitment- it is bullying. Once the team is picked- absolutely. In the context of advice that says "remember coaches will react to what you say"- fine. A coach always wants players who want to play for their team. If that is all Bigguy is saying I overreacted. However, considering the detail and tone of the rest of his email it sounded like more than just "show your commitment" advice.
"So it all filters through you?" No all the coaches with the club have this kind of imput. "They come to your tryout. If you like them, you keep them. if not you send them to another team?" Yes, so they don't have to look for another team. But if they are turned away from us then if they can hook up with another team that's okay. Next year if they want to they can try out again. "If they decide to play for another team they are black balled for life?" Nonsense After they made our team and then decide they changed their mind. They can leave, but don't come back to our club. There are other clubs they can play for just don't come back to us. "Sounds like it is all about you." No, but that is the way we do it unless another coach with the club want them to try out again. That't is the way I did it. To each their own let them play for you I won't mind. I look for serious players.
You go into a job interview. Do you act dis-interested? Do you tell them that you'll get back to them if you don't hear back from some other companies? Yes, sometimes the player is the one trying out the team. But most times the team is trying out the player. The advice given was that you want to sell yourself, show your commitment to the team, etc. Good advice in general.
As I said- the advice part is fine. Sell yourself, show commitment etc. It is the "take our offer or you are not a serious player and don't ever come back" part I have an issue with. To apply Bigguys approach to your example- Don't go to the interview unless you are 100% going to accept whatever offer they make. If you go for the interview you have committed to take the job before it is offered. And if you turn it down-for what ever reason- you have "wasted their time" and are not " serious" don't ever apply for any job there again. And remember-we are talking about kids. Kids who's moms might not want to drive them or who might just make a bad decision for the wrong reasons.
Don't think this is the same as a job interview it is not. However, now that you mention job interviews. There is a big opprtunity oppening up as I post all over the country for people with experience in sales cold calling involved for the first 2 days then close after it for the rest of the weak. Base pay 50 thousand plus commission on sales. Not interested in people that are happy with just making 50 thousand. Interested in people who want to make a hundred and 50 thousand and more. Plus again offices are being opened now all over the US. So the chances of advancement are really good right now. Have a good history of sales you can be a manager and a general manager and run each states office if you have a proven sales record become a millionaire who knows. You can make a lot more then coaching youth soccer teams and you can still coach on the side. I am not with this company but know someone who is. Who knows next year I might be hiring doing business with Germany now, and might want to expand that business.
One approach I have seen seemed very effective. 1. Break the kids up into short, small sided games. 2. Play. 3. Record the goal differential of each player. 4. Rotate the kids in a methodical way. 5. Repeat. At the end of an hour or so, you'll have had the kids play with all or most of the kids at the tryout. Add up the goal differentials. The highest positive scores are likely your better players.
Just the way most of my interviews are in real life. I generally don't bother with them unless I am serious. And I normally if I turn them down, it is because they have wasted my time and I don't want to deal with them again. I think wires are being crossed here. I think BigGuy is talking about the case where there is an established team which needs an additional player. And when they tryout, they need to know before they show up whether they are going to commit if offered. Say it is a contender for the state title every year. During the yearly tryouts, I can see a family shopping different teams to see which fit their budget, which coaches fit their style, etc.
Is this Dutch style of play? Are the goals counted via the team or via the individual? I.e., team scores 5 and Johnny got 2 of them. The other team scored 1 and it was off of the guy Johnny was marking. Does Johnny get 4 or 1 as his goal differential?
I think this a great start but you do risk getting all quick technical little players. If you are playing on a larger field you might want the chance to see longer vision, speed etc.
That makes more sense then. The goal should still be to do what is best to develop the players but if the club is footing the bill then I can see why they would have that attitude.
