New to posting. old to soccer. Seems it has gotten so much worse lately- esp girls side - is this just me? Regarding tryouts and looking for a new team/better fit: This gets tricky when most of the competitive clubs schedule all of their tryouts on the same dates (still scratching my head over 04 girls tryouts occurring in during the high school soccer season) - some clubs asking for money for tryouts - others not - all wanting to see you kid on both tryout dates. Do the clubs intentionally do this on purpose ? IMO It is stressful on the kids from a physical standpoint/ overuse. And after tryouts parents have to make decisions quickly without knowing who the coach is and more specifics about the team makeup. Any suggestions on how to manage this would be appreciated.
In many cases, absolutely…our current club (largest club in small pond) is notorious for scheduling tryouts in order to directly conflict with other smaller or out of town clubs… Just this winter, our club added a 3rd tryout date last minute that just so happened to conflict with a competing out of town club that was and did end up drawing some kids away…we were planning to attend the other tryout, as were others, just to check it out, if nothing else…after they scheduled the 3rd date, we didn’t risk going…about 4 kids did jump, and imho, they are missed... I fully believe the club caught wind of the impending jump by a few, and tried to limit that damage by making it harder for anyone else to test the waters… Suggestions? I don’t know….all you can do is muddle through the best you can…just remember, 1 bad season, or even a few, if it happens, isn’t going to ruin your kid…
As mentioned - skip the try out and go to a practice. Of course it all depends on many factors - age, level and more. Where are you at - boy/girl/age?
Not always an option. As I mentioned, tryouts for both kids' clubs here are after the season ends. Either the teams are done a couple weeks before tryouts or they just finished State Finals the weekend before. That week's probably not the best to drop into a practice.
Difference stokes for difference folks…aggressively pushing your kid (and yourself) in front coach(s), outside the normal framework, can work in some cases…it can also backfire and paint you, and along with it your kid, as a pain in the ass… It probably works better if your kid is an actual stand out player…if just another player, I think you run risk of being "one of those" parents…
Where did TP use any aggressive language??? How does what he said paint a parent or player as a pain in the ass?
OP’s question was two tryouts in a single day? Big deal or not? For many of us it’s a simple, not a big deal, don’t worry about it…if anything, I think you’re making this more complicated that it needs to be…
I did not read it as that. I did not miss my kids current club try outs because we were un-sure we were leaving the club as a whole - there was a chance we were moving to another location. I did not want to piss off my kids current coach(s) so I reached out to the DOC of her current club - guess what? No problem - gave me a list of days and I picked two and went. I'm reading TP as essentially saying the same thing. How is that me looking for special treatment? This happens ALL THE TIME - ALL THE TIME! Hell some kids try out for Super Y (which is allowed) just to get on board with the club early - or test the waters for the following Fall season. Seems too me that the rules make things enourmously complicated and difficult on parents and players. Who cares - it's youth soccer for ******** sake - not the world cup.
What I am reading is you and TP are basically suggesting skipping the tryout(s) all together, whether OR NOT you can actually make them, and just expect to go to a practice or two…like I say, in some cases that that might be ok or even legitimately necessary….but as general advise, you’re kinda thumbing you’re nose at the system and expecting special treatment…if everyone followed that advise, it would be chaos… I agree the tryout process is nothing to worry about, and yes, the rules and policies can be draconian at times, but I read nothing of that in the OP’s question…
Dude... I clearly wrote that we skipped it to avoid getting jammed by the current coach - not because I just wanted to buck the rules. I did not miss my kids current club try outs because we were un-sure we were leaving the club as a whole - there was a chance we were moving to another location. I did not want to piss off my kids current coach(s) so I reached out to the DOC of her current club - guess what? No problem - gave me a list of days and I picked two and went. There was no expectation there at all - I contacted the DOC - as stated. Learn to read man!
As mentioned - skip the try out and go to a practice. Advice TP repeated and you double down on… I read that as your general advice….what you did personally is just an anecdote…
I have had 4 kids go though soccer, different clubs, varying ability -- actually still playing at various levels. So I guess it is advice I am giving, but I regret that you think it is an aggressive approach to attend practices. As Volk pointed out, it happens all the time. It improves the decision-making for the player and club. And I have experienced it as an incumbent and one looking to move, at big and local clubs. The big clubs (and I believe most clubs) actually encourage kids to attend practices before the tryouts. They can see the kids with different teams and see where they fit. When tryouts come around, if the kids are U12 or older and 50 new kids show up, how can the coaches make good evaluations in 2 hours? And after tryouts most clubs are looking for quick decisions to fill their rosters and make job offers to coaches for the next season. IMO attending practices before tryouts eases the burden on players, clubs and coaches.
Personally, I think the coaches know before tryouts who they're taking. Especially when you get to U12+. They've seen the kids play at league matches, tournaments, whatever. The tryout is just a formality.
I am not denying it doesn’t happen nor that it isn’t an option….only that it should be an option for those who legitimately can’t make the tryout…I don’t get the impression you are doing this because you need to; only that you know you can… And let’s be honest, you don’t give a damn if this approach helps the club or coach; you’re doing it because you think it gives your kid an advantage over the other schmucks who simply show up to the tryout like their suppose to…. Once again, if everyone followed this advice/approach it would overwhelm the system…its one thing if 1 kid wants/needs to show up to a practice in lieu of a tryout…. quite another if 15 kids want to….
Hmmm...a lot of bitterness. How do you explain Sockers FC? They encourage kids to attend trainings. They don't hold tryouts except for DA, and that is by invitation only after you have joined the club. Chicago Magic used to be similar (I am not sure what FCU does now) -- join the club and they would place you on a team. And yes it benefits the kids who do this, never denied that. Clubs are looking out for themselves, why not look out for the kids? And as far as the system getting overwhelmed? Let's do the math... Training sessions January - April (assume early May tryouts) 3 or 4 opportunities / week A couple of weeks off for the club 40 - 60 training sessions over this period If they allow for 1 or 2 kids at a session then there is plenty of opportunity, even if the balance of this is in March and April . And if they have more than 1 team at an age then the opportunities multiply. All this being said I only did it for 1 of my kids. I didn't realize it was a thing that could be done. The club we were considering suggested it. So I didn't invent the idea, just passing on what I think is a good one.
It’s an in season recruitment tool…what do you think it is? Besides, this isn’t about what a particular club does or doesn’t encourage…this was general advice regarding tryouts in general…if a club encourages such a practice, then by all means avail yourself of the opportunity…but that’s not what was being discussed…. For some clubs, in some cases, this might work…but as a general idea, I think leaves a lot to be desired…no parent is going to be happy with a rotating parade outside players coming to practice on a routine basics…occasionally, no problem…but if routine, it would be a distraction and disruption imo… Once again, I think this is great advise/knowledge for someone who actually can’t make the scheduled tryout at clubs that have scheduled tryouts…
Dont forget money grab too. Lots of clubs charge for tryouts even for returning players. In fact my last club had a "camp" for a week prior to the start of practice. It was 100% the exact same things we did in practice but they called it a camp and charged $125 for it. Same concept.
So did the current coach know you were looking at other clubs? Do you suggest that type of transparency and honesty with your childs current coach? How likely is it that coaches will find out you looked at other clubs (even if you decide to stay) and hold it against your kid?
No he did not. We looked at CSA, TC, Galaxy and also a switch to a closer Sockers location where she would have played with the boys. I wanted her to make that decision because she had been there since 6 years old. Until she did - we kept things under wrap. When we were told she could train and play with the boys at the other location but that she had to play in all the Palatine girls games - she said nope. After we were told that - it was sort of nice - I didn't care and she was always frustrated after each training session. Coach has an issue? We'll just quit. 55 minutes one way - 4-5 days a week? Please - I have better things to do. But I think my experience was not the norm. My kid broke down in Spring of 2018 after her coach fed her a line of shit and her biggest issue was that she was not going to wear that Sockers logo anymore. She had a hard time with that, but she made the decision on her own and I was relieved and proud. As far as transparency is concerned... Current and former club is completely different. Current club is very open - parent friendly and embraces all their players (at least that is my experience). There are no issues with coaches or the DOC speaking with parents - always available via social media, email or at practices. I guess some coaches may hold it against players... Our former club last week told players - absolutely no outside play which IMO is a passive-aggressive way of saying if you get caught at tryouts for other clubs you may not make the DA team. Why would anyone want to be in that environment to begin with? Why would you want to pay for a service that you have to feel threatened to not allow your kid to play elsewhere - whether that be a try out or just playing on a rec team to play with school friends?