Prepare for a Successful Club Soccer Tryout
Tryouts are a tough part of life as an athlete and
especially tough for teenagers and early teens that are either ramping up or
down their interest in soccer. The guidance below isn’t just for those in youth
sport, the same tips will serve your family well as the stakes get higher in
high school and college.
The Best Club is the Best Club for Your Player
You know what motivates and inspires your kid. Look for a
club that matches your parenting philosophy and suits her/his temperament. Be
wary of a club that suggests you join them based on their Got Soccer or the
colleges that their alumni play for. Each Club’s website or brochures should
give an indication of the time commitment, travel requirements and financial
investment required by that Club, as well as the expectations they have of each
player. Some players might be ready for the greatest challenge, while others
might just want to have fun and play with their friends. Make sure that the
goals of the Club you’re trying out for align with the goals of your player.
Prepare and Be Confident
Preparing for tryouts involves much more than just
practicing skills. In addition to honing your step-over or fine-tuning your
shot, it’s important to prepare yourself mentally for both failure and success.
During the tryout, you may make a mistake (in fact, you almost certainly will,
at least once) or coaches may surprise you by asking you to play a position you
are unfamiliar with or that you don’t consider your best. Be prepared for these
situations and respond positively. Soccer games are full of unexpected
developments and difficult moments for each team and the players who respond
the best in these challenging moments in a tryout will be certain to catch a
coach’s eye.
Arrive Early and Be Ready to Work
Without fail, each of the coaches we spoke with mentioned
players being late, or arriving unprepared, as one of the biggest negatives
during a tryout. Arriving late to tryouts shows the coach that you don’t value
his or her time, or that of the other players, and suggests that you’re not
completely invested in the tryout process. With dozens of other players on time
and eager to make the team, it sets you apart in a bad way. Instead, arrive at
least a half-hour early, to give you plenty of time to put on all your gear,
warm up, and pass the ball around with a friend or fellow player. Not only will
you feel more relaxed and confident, but a coach who arrives at the field to
see players already warming up and passing the ball is sure to take note. And
if a coach’s first impression of you is that you are a well-prepared
self-starter, you’ll be starting the day at the top of his or her list.
Introduce Yourself to the Coaches
When the coach arrives, walk over and introduce yourself.
Don’t let your parents do it for you; a player who looks their coach in the
eye, gives a firm handshake and introduces themselves exudes confidence and
maturity, two qualities that every coach desires. Don’t interrupt the coach if
they are talking to someone else; wait your turn, then say hello. Thank the coach
for the opportunity to tryout and express your sincere desire to be a part of
the team this year. Said one coach: “it’s much harder to break the heart of a
player whose hand I’ve shook, and who has looked me in the eye and smiled and
said thank you, than it is a player I never talked to at all.”
Get Noticed at Tryouts
There are things that you, as a player can control; your
amount of rest, your amount of practice, your pre-tryout meal, your clothing
(one coach we spoke to recommended, if allowed, wearing a brightly colored
shirt or socks to help distinguish yourself from the other players). There are
other things you can’t control, the weather, the skill level of the other
players at tryouts, and the attention of coaches. If you accept going in that
you can only control certain factors and concentrate on achieving peak
performance in those areas, you’ll be better prepared mentally to succeed in
any situation.
Stay focused
A tryout can be a long process, and there will be times that
you feel you aren’t being noticed. But do you know what else is a long process,
with periods of activity separated by stretches of inactivity? A soccer game,
and a soccer season, and life! Coaches will be looking for the players who
remain focused and attentive always throughout the tryout. When the coach is
speaking, look him or her in the eye; it’s a natural human reaction to return
eye contact if you’re looking at the coach, it’s likely he or she will be
looking at you as well, and noticing that you care about what he or she has to
say. Likewise, don’t mess around with your ball, or talk to friends between
drills, or while the coach is talking. Keep your ball still and your eyes on
the coach, and you’ll show the coach you’re focused and serious about what he
or she has to say.
Show Your Ball Skills and Athleticism
You’ll notice that we have gone 7 items in and are just now
getting to anything that has to do with playing soccer. When hundreds of
players attend a tryout, it’s inevitable that only a few will stand out (good
and bad), while the clear majority will be of a similar skill level. That’s why
it’s important to try to set yourself apart from the pack in ways beyond just
your soccer ability. Show up early, make eye contact and introduce yourself,
and that’s all before the tryout starts. That said, the two on-field skills
that are easiest to judge in a tryout are athleticism, and ball skills. Work on
ball control, particularly trapping the ball and dribbling in tight spaces practice
dribbling at pace around cones, with the inside and outside of your foot, until
you can do it quickly without losing control of the ball. Most tryouts will
begin with small-sided games, where the limited space make ball skills of
superior importance. In addition, work on building your speed and ability to
change direction. In the full-field game, the fastest players always stand out.
Speak Up and be Seen
Silent players are easy to ignore; verbal ones are not. Just
as when you introduced yourself to the coach before tryouts, keep communicating
when you’re on the field. Make sure that your being positive and helpful. Call
out marks, anticipate passes and runs. You’ll show that you’re a leader and
team player, two qualities all coaches look for. Be careful to not criticize
other players’ actions or decisions. Model how to respond when something
doesn’t go your way. Trust the coach to understand what went wrong and why,
without you having to point it out.
Keep Moving
A high motor will get noticed. When moving between drills,
jog, don’t walk. Be the first one back from water breaks (in fact, if you
didn’t get a chance to introduce yourself before the tryout, a water break is a
great time to do so). Should you be tackled or beaten during the tryout, don’t
stop and pout or cry foul, chase the ball and win it back. Coaches don’t want
players who complain or give up, they want players who continue to compete hard
no matter what the circumstances are against them.
BONUS Tip for Parents: Let the coaches coach
It’s hard to watch your child be evaluated against others.
You want him/her to be the best and achieve her goals. Before the tryout, make
sure that your child knows you love and support them, an encouraging hug and
loving words can be just as inspirational (or even more so) as a fiery
motivational speech. During the tryout, don’t coach from the sidelines, and
avoid talking with the coaches. Let your child’s play on the field speak for itself.
Immediately afterwards, don’t add your own analysis to that of the coaches,
whether your child made the team or not, a hug from you will be the best thing
you can give them.
