Try outs are the most stressful thing

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I can never get used to it, it stresses the hell out of me.

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I can never get used to it, it stresses the hell out of me.

Agreed.

As parents we have tended to over think it. "Why isn't our DK playing in her normal position?"; "why is our DK playing with them?" (good or bad players); "Coaches weren't watch when she/he made that great play!"; "Coaches were watching when he/she made missed that play!" Etc.

It will all work out in the end.

[Unregistered]

Agreed.

As parents we have tended to over think it. "Why isn't our DK playing in her normal position?"; "why is our DK playing with them?" (good or bad players); "Coaches weren't watch when she/he made that great play!"; "Coaches were watching when he/she made missed that play!" Etc.

It will all work out in the end.

Agreed, after it's all said and done I can settle in and enjoy the season, but it all comes to a screeching halt when try outs start, you would think you would get used to it, but I don't. It gets worse the older they get. I think I stress more than my kid does, that's funny in itself. You'd think it would be the other way around. Oh man and the politics, it makes you feel dirty.

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Agreed, after it's all said and done I can settle in and enjoy the season, but it all comes to a screeching halt when try outs start, you would think you would get used to it, but I don't. It gets worse the older they get. I think I stress more than my kid does, that's funny in itself. You'd think it would be the other way around. Oh man and the politics, it makes you feel dirty.

No need to stress out. The team has already been picked. And it looks like last years team.
Over and over and over and over again.

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No need to stress out. The team has already been picked. And it looks like last years team.
Over and over and over and over again.

True, unless an exceptional player comes in no real movement.

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tryouts are a joke

No need to stress out. The team has already been picked. And it looks like last years team.
Over and over and over and over again.

After years of tryouts with kids of all ages I believe they are a joke. A few coaches watching tons of kids , most of the kids are already on the team. Most tryouts are two days and there is no way the coaches possibly could tell the childs skill in that brief session, so they pick the known kids. Most of the kids will know each other and pass only to each other. Many will be ball hogs so that they get noticed. Tryouts should really be training sessions for a week doing drills, let the girls settle down and observe their skills and interactions. Coaches are picking a team for a year don't they deserve more then one or two mass, confused, nerve racking session to indentify their skills. And we are paying $25 to $50 dollars for this!

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No need to stress out. The team has already been picked. And it looks like last years team.
Over and over and over and over again.

Often that is the case. Both my DK's teams are picking up several good players this year.

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you don't really know what you want, becuase you want it all

After years of tryouts with kids of all ages I believe they are a joke. A few coaches watching tons of kids , most of the kids are already on the team. Most tryouts are two days and there is no way the coaches possibly could tell the childs skill in that brief session, so they pick the known kids. Most of the kids will know each other and pass only to each other. Many will be ball hogs so that they get noticed. Tryouts should really be training sessions for a week doing drills, let the girls settle down and observe their skills and interactions. Coaches are picking a team for a year don't they deserve more then one or two mass, confused, nerve racking session to indentify their skills. And we are paying $25 to $50 dollars for this!

none of y'all parents will allow your children a one or two week tryout with one team, just to see if they are good enough for a spot. or if you do, you'd have them run off to another session, with another club, halfway through the 1st session, or right after that 1st session. things are the way they are because of y'all. (and you know it, and point it out, but don't fix it. that's the odd part.)

[Unregistered]

After years of tryouts with kids of all ages I believe they are a joke. A few coaches watching tons of kids , most of the kids are already on the team. Most tryouts are two days and there is no way the coaches possibly could tell the childs skill in that brief session, so they pick the known kids. Most of the kids will know each other and pass only to each other. Many will be ball hogs so that they get noticed. Tryouts should really be training sessions for a week doing drills, let the girls settle down and observe their skills and interactions. Coaches are picking a team for a year don't they deserve more then one or two mass, confused, nerve racking session to indentify their skills. And we are paying $25 to $50 dollars for this!

Many clubs open up their training sessions to newcomers the week before tryouts. These are great opportunities to get an idea where your kid fits in with the current group.

[Unregistered]

After years of tryouts with kids of all ages I believe they are a joke. A few coaches watching tons of kids , most of the kids are already on the team. Most tryouts are two days and there is no way the coaches possibly could tell the childs skill in that brief session, so they pick the known kids. Most of the kids will know each other and pass only to each other. Many will be ball hogs so that they get noticed. Tryouts should really be training sessions for a week doing drills, let the girls settle down and observe their skills and interactions. Coaches are picking a team for a year don't they deserve more then one or two mass, confused, nerve racking session to indentify their skills. And we are paying $25 to $50 dollars for this!

I think you and many other parents misunderstand the purpose of tryouts and thus, your expectations are unrealistic and the tryouts themselves become stressful and frustrating.

Tryouts exist to allow those handful of players who are head and shoulders better than everyone else there and most importantly, head and shoulders better than the median average of the existing team, a chance to join.

99% of the time tryouts accomplish this. What they do not accomplish is a minute breakdown of the differences between the 22nd and 23rd best players there. This however is what many parents seem to be expecting.

I will say in the parents defense that coaches, teams and clubs do an absolutely crap job of educating parents on competitive soccer in general when they begin this journey and about tryouts in particular.

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I think you and many other parents misunderstand the purpose of tryouts and thus, your expectations are unrealistic and the tryouts themselves become stressful and frustrating.

Tryouts exist to allow those handful of players who are head and shoulders better than everyone else there and most importantly, head and shoulders better than the median average of the existing team, a chance to join.

99% of the time tryouts accomplish this. What they do not accomplish is a minute breakdown of the differences between the 22nd and 23rd best players there. This however is what many parents seem to be expecting.

I will say in the parents defense that coaches, teams and clubs do an absolutely crap job of educating parents on competitive soccer in general when they begin this journey and about tryouts in particular.

Then why ask everyone back for more tryout sessions when you know your just looking at one or two out of the 30 players. Just grab those two and get on with it.

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Then why ask everyone back for more tryout sessions when you know your just looking at one or two out of the 30 players. Just grab those two and get on with it.

Because they're hoping you'll buy in and pay big money to play on the C team.

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Then why ask everyone back for more tryout sessions when you know your just looking at one or two out of the 30 players. Just grab those two and get on with it.

so they can have more than one day's proof to backup their assertion that Player A from club B is better than your child. not that you'll actually listen to them

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so they can have more than one day's proof to backup their assertion that Player A from club B is better than your child. not that you'll actually listen to them

That's why those coaches are always wrong.

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Part of the problem

I think you and many other parents misunderstand the purpose of tryouts and thus, your expectations are unrealistic and the tryouts themselves become stressful and frustrating.

Tryouts exist to allow those handful of players who are head and shoulders better than everyone else there and most importantly, head and shoulders better than the median average of the existing team, a chance to join.

99% of the time tryouts accomplish this. What they do not accomplish is a minute breakdown of the differences between the 22nd and 23rd best players there. This however is what many parents seem to be expecting.

I will say in the parents defense that coaches, teams and clubs do an absolutely crap job of educating parents on competitive soccer in general when they begin this journey and about tryouts in particular.

I agree 100% this is the purpose of the current system however I also see this as part of the problem which drives players out of the game at all ages.

Some day youth "development" soccer will mature and add a more objective approach to "tryouts" and the evaluation process. Someday you will see player testing similar to what you see for the College and Professional combines where a players speed, lateral quickness and even vertical abilities are tested. Someday you will see players put through drills that test the speed of their decision making abilities....someday.

Until then I agree with you that the current try out process for the typical club reveals who is developed to similar levels not who has what physical potential or whose skills are "more" developed than others.

This process discourages players in various stages of physical development from sticking with soccer while their body catches up with their skills. This process also does not encourage late bloomers to stick around and work on their game while they wait for the inevitable growth.