Tryout Time

It's tryout time again and soccer moms and dads all over the country are shuttling their offspring from club to club trying to find a home for their young prodigies. Clubs are also at work making phone calls, sending letters, networking and generally begging and pleading, hoping that the latest young superstar will show up at their tryout and eventually join their club.

But I wonder if we as parents or coaches actually give thought as to what we really should be doing with tryouts. I'm not talking about how a tryout should be run. Thats another topic entirely. What I'm getting at is, do parents have an idea of what they are looking for in a club? Do club managers and coaches know what they are looking for in a player and their family? How do we know when a club and a player really fit one another. The soccer scene is littered with tales of players who burned out or parents who dropped out of a club in frustration, so this is an important question.

So how should parents evaluate a club? While there are as many ideas out there as there are parents and families, here are some questions you might want to consider when evaluating a club.

1. Are the coaches qualified? - Soccer coaches should be licensed by the USSF or NSCAA. Like any skill, coaching requires a desire to continually improve and develop. A license by itself does not make a coach great, but it is an indicator of a coach's desire to learn and improve.

2. Will my child grow as a player? - Is the club dedicated to player development or are they focused on just winning tournaments? Ask the coach or team manager what they consider their greatest accomplishment of the past season. How they answer that question speaks volumes. Teams that define success by winning games may tend to shortchange the less talented players on their roster. Good coaches focus on player improvement not just player recruiting.

3. Does the coach's values match my own? - Coaches have a tremendous influence with young people. Make sure that you know what, how, and especially why the coach teaches the game. Is he or she coaching to feed their own ego, make money or are they really have a passion for the game and a love for young people. Watch how the coach interacts with the players. Does the coach berate or show disrespect to the players while demanding respect? If something doesn't feel right, you are probably in the wrong place. Trust your instinct.

4. Do you share the values of the parents? - The parents often are instrumental in creating the culture of a team. You'll be traveling with these folks allot and spending weekends with them. Do you really enjoy the time you spend with them or do their values turn you off?

5. Will your kids have friends on the team? - This may seem trivial or blindingly obvious depending on your point of view, but kids enjoy being with their friends. Some clubs shuffle players from team to team without regard for who the kids want to play with. The idea is that players should be placed based on skill level or need of the team or coach. But to ignore the social needs of the player is to neglect the reality that kids are people and kids play the game to have fun. Part of having fun is being with your friends. Too often, coaches and managers forget that their players are people young people first and soccer players second.

6. What are the requirements of your time and money? - Clubs should be up front about their costs and time requirements. You shouldn't be caught by a surprise "assessment" in the middle of the season or a fund-raiser that you weren't aware of. Many clubs have separate fees for club dues, field fees, coach's travel fees, referee fees, etc. It can get very complicated. Ask about travel expenses, and other items that may not be covered by the team fees. Also, find out what is expected as far as weekly practices, fund raising, and volunteer time. Find out when and where the team will be traveling. You don't want to commit to obligations you cannot meet. Again, know what you are getting into before you commit.

7. Is the team well managed? - Every soccer team will have a manager who keeps things running smoothly. Meet with the team manager and ask about their responsibilities and how they go about organizing the team's books and documentation. Ask about the team schedule for the next season. Does the manager wait till the last minute to select tournaments and book hotel rooms for the team? Will you be traveling every weekend for a month with no breaks in between? Make sure the manager knows what they are doing. Also ask how the team manager communicates with the parents. Ask how they answer questions from the parents about practice cancellations, directions to games etc.

While this list isn't comprehensive, perhaps it will start you down the path to evaluating clubs at tryouts. If you have any other criteria for evaluating a team, please post a comment.