Being a U8 (and U6) coach, I'm seeing the travel-tryout process for the first time (we start at U9). I'm a little surprised to learn that all they do is 5v5 scrimmages. Is this typical? I'm a little concerned about players I've seen who are smaller and have terrific skills but may fare better in organized travel games than they do in magnet-ball scrimmages. I wonder if they might show better in different scenarios.
I think that is pretty unusual. In men's tournament when they are picking players for individual teams some tryouts can be solely on scrimmages. But in your situation it is very unusual. Does the season start right after the tryout? You can get a quick picture on a player from watching a scrimmage. This would raise a red flag with me.
The club my kids are with now start out with 5v5 and work their way up to full-field scrimmages as the tryouts transpire.
I don't think this is unusual. At that age they are trying to determine which kids are engaged by the game. It's more important to determine who loves running and chasing the ball regardless of if they are the fastest or most skilled. Most kids at this age don't have the technical skills developed so it's more important that they enjoy being on the field. Those are the ones you try to teach the game to.
That's right even more small sided than that at times. But I never saw a tryout at the youth level based solely on a full sided scrimmage.
Did the coaches at least make coaching points to the players or did they just let them play and pick the players they wanted from that at just one tryout?
They're doing three sessions. I think the scrimmages are 5v5, which is what they've been playing in U8 House league. Next year, they go to 6v6 or 7v7 with a goalkeeper. They're not done, but I've heard quite a few questions about the whole thing. I'm not there, and I don't have a kid of my own trying out -- I have a few kids from my House team and a few others I know who are involved.
There was an Italian men's tournament in brooklyn called the Santa Rosalia tournament. We were too good to enter it. But I would go to a friends tryout and watch it. They divided all the players that showed up for it into two groups. They asked the players what position they played it would last 2 hours then they would play against each other. Made subs on the fly. I was almost 60 at that time. There was one guy with a beard and a big stomach who was trying out at an inside mid. I looked in better shape and younger then him. He was holding his side while he was playing because he was out of shape. The other coach and I were laughing at him while he was playing. But then we noticed even under heavy defensive pressure he always found a way not to lose the ball so his team can hold possession. Then we also noticed even though he looked like he was going to have a heart attack. He had the will to always be up when the ball was up. He was even dangerous at those times. Then I made a coaching point to him to try and get behind the ball when his team lost the ball. He actually tried to do that. It became obvious that is out of shape player as a player had an iron will. The other coach and I at the same time said I want him He did pretty well in that tournament. I had him after for 2 seasons after he was in shape he did pretty well. I got him for 50 dollars a game a steal.