hello everyone!
We wandered into our current club and situation in late July, when my 06 GK son decided to play soccer full time. I had no idea how the process worked.
So, what is the "try-out" season like for GK? Is it substantially different from that of a field player. From what I've been told, try-outs really begin after State Cup, and all of the ads I see up on the 06 announcement page are to scoop up players who are maybe unhappy with their current club. Does this sound correct? If we want to go test the waters, we start calling clubs in March? I could benefit from your collective wisdom on this topic. Thanks so much!
The other posters have covered most of the basics. I'll add the points of emphasis from my DD's experience from U11-U17.
1. Do your homework. Get familiar with all the teams in your son's age group (and one year up) that are within an easy driving range for you. Do this by studying the league standings, rankings, and talking to other parents and here on the forum. FYI, use the DM function to get the most open and honest answers from posters here. Most of the leagues allow you to see prior season histories and rosters on their websites, so you can sort of determine the stability of a team/coach/club with a little research. I spent a long time familiarizing myself with the lay of the land for my kids' age group.
2. Don't go to the open "try-outs." EVER. They are a colossal waste of time for everyone except the clubs looking to stuff their entry level rosters with local rec players. If you are curious about a club/coach/team, contact them directly and have your son practice with them. SO much more effective. Guest playing is another highly valuable practice.
3. Club keeper training is usually pretty weak, even at the biggest brand name clubs and even if the trainer is a good trainer. That's because the club training sessions usually have too many kids from different ages/abilities. So, while it's nice if a club has a dedicated keeper training schedule, it's not necessary if you have a private trainer. Focus on finding a private trainer your kid loves and stick with it through every club change. Best thing we ever did for my kid's ability.
4. Until your kid turns 16 or 17,
never go by the club's name or the league or level they play in. Always go by the coach. If you find a good one that works well with your child, everything else will work out in the end. The big clubs give you the sense that if your kid develops with them on a lower team, they will have a chance to be moved to a higher level team eventually. Don't buy it. None of that matters until later anyway, and if he's good enough at 17, there will be a top level team that needs a good keeper and they won't care what club he was at before or what level he played at U14. Guaranteed.
5. Don't be afraid of putting your keeper on an older team or one with a weak defense. Both can be hugely valuable in his development. Playing for a powerhouse team often means no shots and little growth. If you think your kid is good enough to play at high levels, be patient and those opportunities will come later. Right now, he needs as much game experience as he can get and he's not going to get that splitting time on a super team.
6. Try to find a coach who insists on playing out of the back, and uses the keeper's feet for distribution.
Good luck! It's a crazy scene out there.