Long Island Youth Soccer Tryout Process: Final Steps- The Tryout

             

Congrats!  We have made it to the end of our first series and what a chockfull of information I have thrown at you.  One of the things I like about writing this blog is that I really feel I have experienced the feelings and concerns and questions of a parent and am also able to include suggestions that most coaches wish parents considered.  There is very often a lack of communication between parents and coaches and a lack of understanding.  Hopefully my blog will help to bridge some of the misunderstandings.  Alas, not every coach thinks the way I do, so I always remind you to always keep my suggestions in mind but have a conversation with your child’s Soccer Coach or prospective Coach to determine what their Youth Soccer Coaching beliefs and expectations are.  Now, the last steps to having the best Tryout experience possible.

                As a reminder, at this point you and your child and family have determined what you want in a soccer team and have discussed this with the current soccer coach.  After the open and respectful conversation, you and the Soccer Coach determined that it is in the best interest of the child to find a new team.  You have asked the coach for recommendations and hopefully the Soccer Coach was helpful and made some suggestions about possible new teams for your soccer player.  You have also reviewed age appropriate Soccer Team Tryout options available at www.backofthenet.com and www.lijsoccer.com.  Now we are in the final stretch and it is time to determine which tryout your child will attend.

5.            Contact the Coaches of the top 3 teams you feel best meet your wants and ask for information from the coach about the team and role that your player may be used to fill, ask questions about practices, fees, training, substitution and play time policies, change of position, league team plays in, and location of most games and tournaments team attends, to name a few things you should consider.

After reviewing all of the Youth Soccer Teams that are having tryouts in your child’s appropriate age group, you want to make a list of the Top 3 teams you feel will best meet you and your child’s wants and needs for a Youth Soccer Team on Long Island.  While making this decision you are going to want to consider the location of the team and length of travel for those weekly practices and home games.  In addition, you want to make sure the Competition level is appropriate for your child.  Once you have created your “Top 3 Possible Youth Soccer Team” list, I recommend emailing each coach and tell them  your child’s age, prior team, and position of choice.  I then recommend you asking them a few specific questions about the team.  These questions should address your main determining factors for choosing a team.  This could include amount and cost of training, location of training, number of leagues the team plays in as well as inquiring about the teams Tournament participation and the team’s activity in the off seasons of summer and winter.  There is a possibility the coach may not respond, but it is worth the attempt to help you choose the first tryout you will attend.

**Some parents choose to attend more than one tryout at a time and then make a decision after hearing which teams the youth soccer player has been invited to join.  As a parent I understand that doing things this way increases your options for your child, but as a coach I will never recommend that a player tryout for more than one team at a time.**

As always- COMMUNICATION! COMMUNICATION! COMMUNICATION!  Open and honest can never steer you wrong.

6.            Decide which team you feel would be the first pick for your child and you and attend that tryout

It is most fair for everyone involved to attend one tryout at a time.  This way, if the child is offered a spot on the team they tried out for, when you are notified you can immediately accept the spot.  Each team will do things differently.  Some teams will notify the accepted players at the end of the tryout, but some teams will have multiple tryouts and notify the players anywhere from 1-72 hours (or more) after the tryout.  If you find yourself in a situation where the team notifies you after the tryout ends and your situation has changed in that time frame- it would be appreciated by the coach if you send an email or phone call notifying the prospective team that the player should no longer be considered for the team.  There are no specific rules to tryouts, but there is always the expected common courtesy of open communication.

7.            If your child is chosen for the team, notify both the new coach and the current coach of your child’s decision within 24 hours.  If the child is not chosen, repeat the steps and attend another tryout. I would NEVER suggest attending more than one tryout and then waiting to make a decision.  If the child earns a spot on multiple teams, he may be taking a spot that he does not plan to fill from another player who will commit to the team.

                Step 7 is basically just repeating what I mentioned above.  These last few steps will move very quickly!  Ideally, the child and parent will know their decision to join the new team as soon as the new Coach notifies them that they are offering the soccer player a spot on the team.  In addition, the first phone call/email after the player commits to a new team should be to the previous coach. 

As always, the information provided was a lot and sometimes drier than I wanted, but it is all valuable information for Long Island Soccer players and their parents.  Finding a team that you and your child are comfortable and happy with is very important.  At the end of the day, the most important thing for everyone to consider if the level of FUN and ENJOYMENT the soccer players are having.  Good luck and please- comments and questions below!  Coming soon is a “Coach’s Guide to an Effective and Organized Tryout” and “Momzilla v. Coachra.”