Club directors should all go check out how AYSO Ladera Ranch run their Extra tryouts. Strikers, are you listening? Picking on the strikers because last year they said in the end of the tryout "we will sign everyone". Don't waste of our time. Make some effort to evaluate every kid that shows up.
AYSO Ladera. This is how you run a proper tryout.
- Thread starter Jamisfoes
- Start date
Can you describe? Is it the standard tryout template ayso hq recommends? At least in our day, that consisted of a variety of stations/drills: running, dribbling cones, 1v1, passing drills, shooting, 3v3 in pugs, rondos
my main issue with it is that not being in a game/scrimmage situation the player can’t check out the coach and the coach can’t check out the player in team conditions (this favors the bigger more mature v those with more advanced technical or tactical knowledge). The other issue isthat sometimes the extras team has already been picked in the mind of the coach (if selected) who goes in with an idea in mind the coach is willing to tweak but the basic outline is already there.
There were about 40 kids there. There were stations. When kids were not in those stations, they were scrimmaging. And there were coaches with clip boards taking notes for both scrimmages and stations.
I think for Strikers, at least have some clip boards for your coaches, so they can write down notes. Because if they don't have clip boards, and you tell parents you will sign everyone. Than, we are wondering if you were watching at all.
I think for Strikers, at least have some clip boards for your coaches, so they can write down notes. Because if they don't have clip boards, and you tell parents you will sign everyone. Than, we are wondering if you were watching at all.
Well for the recruitment/larger clubs, the point that "they will sign everyone" is that they have so many teams it doesn't matter if they put the hold overs in a lower class 3 team. The key is there's a place for everyone, but not everyone on the first team. The other issue is that assignment may take place for a variety of reasons other than merit (coach's relationship with parents, trying to keep squads together that already gel, the B team needs a decent striker keeper or CB to make a run of it so you don't put all the top players on the a team). The "Bad Parents" soccer movie does a good job of hitting all the trophs.
The problem with the AYSO system, at least in my experience, is that none of that necessarily translates into the game and player's can't evaluate the coaches. It's also hard to evaluate player's positionally, such as defenders since it's hard to do a "defenders stations" and goalkeepers. Finally, a lot of those evaluators are not the actual coaches of the team and don't have skin the game, so their opinions while given some weight are not definitive. Favors the early bloomer over the tactical/technical players. Favors strikers over defensive players.
I know what you are saying with the big clubs approach. But if you call it a tryout, you better have pen and paper and take notes.
My kid played AYSO before club and I am just amazed that volunteers are doing a better job than these so called professionals.
I agree. My son had a blast with extras. One of his best soccer experiences. Most of the teams, though, are 1 year and done and kids afterwards look for a club soccer experience. United was a bit more of a mixed bag: love some of the stuff they are doing there, am not thrilled about a lot of it either.
One of the earliest pieces of advice I got on these boards is don't go to those big club cattle calls. They are worthless and usually just used for recruitment and don't tell you anything about the team your kid will be placed on.
As for the volunteer bit, I disagree. AYSO has a lot of really great volunteers but it's kind of like a box of chocolates: you don't know what you are going to get. At the younger ages, there are a lot of them so you can get a coach that has no idea unless you are plugged into the org and work the system to get a good coach (my kid's first core coach had them lining up in the football three point stance on the kick off....funny thing is it "worked" at they got the win because the other kids were too intimidated to see a pack of kids yelling and charging at them to stop the ball). At the middle school ages the best coaches have been recruited into United leaving the rest of the programs with also rans unless you get a dad whose kid is on the team and its a passion project of theirs.
My point is not AYSO is better. My point is just AYSO Ladera seems to know how to run a tryout and big clubs need to learn from these guys.
These big club cattle calls are actually not too bad if you have no intention of switching teams. It's an opportunity to play free soccer and check out the competition. I have fun side bets with my son to see how they will place him. He enjoys it. It's no different than playing pick up games.
These big club cattle calls are actually not too bad if you have no intention of switching teams. It's an opportunity to play free soccer and check out the competition. I have fun side bets with my son to see how they will place him. He enjoys it. It's no different than playing pick up games.
I've heard versions of this a number of times and have always wanted to see it in action. Would be fun to watch. Especially if the other team knew anything about how to play the game.
WonderWoman
BRONZE
Just because it looks good visually does not mean the guys in the clip boards are experts on player selection.
Before AYSO United the AYSO Extra program was fine. There used to be a handful of quality regions playing competitive teams locally - Ventura had its own circuit, as did LA proper and Inland Empire. OC had two divisions. Quality was not at club level, but more or less competitive. Now it is dying out, with mostly extremely low quality teams traveling an hour across So Cal to play against the one competent team per division. Very unclear why it exists any more, except due to the low cost. If cost is your thing, and having a coach that is a dad who knows little about soccer doesn't bother you, it fine, but then you're still traveling all over for low quality play.
Not to defend club coaches, DOCs, and big clubs - I think some are good and some are bad - but I think most of them have seen enough kids over the years that clip board or not, they can tell, or AT LEAST they know what they're looking for and can tell right away.
Between multiple kids, I've seen drill station based tryouts with clip boards and also just small sided scrimmage tryouts. In most cases, kids who stood out to everyone got picked. I'm no expert and it's very possible club coaches and the parents on the sideline alike are all just too predictable and safe in evaluating "talent" but it's usually the fast kid, the big kid, and the good dribbler.
"Oh shoot that kid is lightning fast." - offered a striker position
"Oh man no one can go around that kid. He's so big and physical." - offered a center back position
"That kid's so good on the ball. Great first touch." - offered center mid position
In tryouts, I think it's better to stand out greatly in one thing vs being above average in many things. It's much easier to rationalize the pick.
Between multiple kids, I've seen drill station based tryouts with clip boards and also just small sided scrimmage tryouts. In most cases, kids who stood out to everyone got picked. I'm no expert and it's very possible club coaches and the parents on the sideline alike are all just too predictable and safe in evaluating "talent" but it's usually the fast kid, the big kid, and the good dribbler.
"Oh shoot that kid is lightning fast." - offered a striker position
"Oh man no one can go around that kid. He's so big and physical." - offered a center back position
"That kid's so good on the ball. Great first touch." - offered center mid position
In tryouts, I think it's better to stand out greatly in one thing vs being above average in many things. It's much easier to rationalize the pick.
Tryout is also a time parents evaluate the club. I think a little more effort from the coaches to actually evaluate the kids goes a long way to convince people to join the club. I tell my kid, it's very easy to succeed in this world. Most people are lazy, and if you just work a little harder you will stand out.
Its niche was filling the gap between core and club ball for kids that weren’t sure they wanted to commit to 1 sport. But with club ball going as young as 7 years old now it no longer serves that function. There was an effort a decade back to limit club to u10 or above but that seems to have failed.
it’s not just a us thing either. In Europe academy ball starts at 8 or 9. Also it used to be that gks weren’t slotted into their roles full time until 12 but in the us I see kids as young as 6 in gk camps and they are recruited into the European academies in those roles as young as 8 or 9.
Or it's a place to park your club kid for the spring season to get extra game time. Regular AYSO is too easy so they do select.
There were a few flight 2 level kids there.
Wait did it change??? As recently as 2019 extras was a fall thing (you could do extras or core but not both). I cut my teeth reffing in extras prepandemic
select and all stars were a spring thing to continue core. I didn’t like all stars. The selection was always very political with the coach-parent usually pushing their kid for selection, almost always a team of all strikers.
Ahhh....that's changed a bit then.
Sad to say that it looks like my region didn't do extras this year. Small data point supporting Topeswin that Extras is not what it once was. Seems they struggled to get a coordinator, good coaches and players especially since the region is heavily mined by clubs, both big and local. :-( That's sad...back in the day my kid wasn't ready for club ball but was bored with core...though it would have made me happy, he probably would have given up soccer if it hadn't been for the extras option.
If your kid is pretty good and just needs to get noticed, just tell him/her to find the best player at the tryout and then guard that kid. As long as you're not too far below the best kid's level it generally works most every time.