Skills to Look for in Youth Soccer Tryouts

Holding soccer tryouts is a tough proposition for any soccer coach.  Although the final decision-making can be quite pleasant, coaches also have to deal with the hardships of cutting players and selecting the best soccer players for their team.  What skills and attributes should a coach look for in a soccer player on his or her team?  Here is a helpful guide with tips and tryout exercises to discover the best players wanting to join your soccer team.


You will want the players to experience lots of on-the-ball time to get a good gauge of their talent.  If you have the luxury a couple assistant coaches, you would be wise to break players up into small two vs. two mini-games with small goals.  This helps you see how each player works on the ball and also showcases both their offensive and defensive talents.  The difficulty with this drill is that you will need to keep a constant eye upon all the players so having assistants is crucial.  Also, be sure to constantly re-arrange the teams.  Players may work well with one person and less well with others.  You need to see how they work with everyone.


When judging the players in this drill, focus on a few things.  First, how good are the players with the ball?  Do they maintain close control over the ball?  Can they make good passes and shots on the goal?  How well are they at making runs and getting open for their teammate?


Another skill you should look for is conditioning.  Obviously with tryouts occurring before the season, many players will be struggling to keep their breath.  But if some players are completely gassed after fifteen minutes, they probably aren’t fit enough for a serious soccer team.  Players with exceptional conditioning can be vital players at the end of matches, and you will want them on your team.   Anyone who is fit obviously prepared for the tryout, and they probably care more about making the team.


Dedication and attitude is also a huge factor in selecting your team.  When playing in the mini-games, does a player blame his or her teammate when mistakes occur, or do they accept responsibility and get on with it?  One thing I recall from a tryout I took part in was that coaches asked players after each mini-game how many goals they scored.  This is a great test of honesty.  If assistants actually track the numbers they score, you can find out if any of the players are liars.  Such simple personality tests will help you find out who are the best players for the team.


Lastly, do field a full-sized scrimmage for the end of a tryout.  This allows you to see how the players play in a live game.  Since this is what the game is all about, you will get a good visual of how players interact off the ball, and you can also see which players are the best at making an impact. 


These will be your star players and it is good to see how they play in a full team.
Remember that selecting players is an important process and that you are looking for a whole team, not just the fifteen players with the strongest shots.  You will want to make the best choices so that your team has the best soccer players come the actual games.