Tryouts can feel like a big deal, for kids and for parents. The good news: coaches aren’t looking for perfect players. They’re looking for players they can help grow. Here’s what really happens and how to get ready.
What happens at a tryout
Most youth soccer tryouts last one to two hours and include:
- ✓A warm-up, so coaches can see how players move.
- ✓Skill stations: dribbling, passing, receiving and shooting.
- ✓Small-sided games, where coaches watch how players think and play with others.
- ✓Players grouped by age, so everyone is compared with peers.
What coaches really look for
Skill matters, but it’s not the only thing. Coaches also watch for:
- ✓Effort: does the player keep working when they lose the ball?
- ✓Coachability: do they listen and try what the coach asks?
- ✓Attitude: how do they treat teammates and react to mistakes?
- ✓Love for the game: do they want the ball?
How to prepare in the weeks before
- ✓Get extra touches at home: ball mastery, wall passes and juggling.
- ✓Play pickup games with friends or siblings.
- ✓Make sure cleats fit and have been worn a few times.
- ✓Get good sleep the week of the tryout, not only the night before.
On tryout day
- ✓Arrive 15 minutes early to check in and warm up.
- ✓Bring cleats, shin guards, a ball, water and a snack.
- ✓Remind them: “Work hard, be a good teammate, and have fun.”
- ✓Let the coaches coach. Watch from the sideline and smile.
If the news isn’t what you hoped
Not making a team, or being placed on a different team than expected, is hard. It’s also a chance to grow. Ask the coach what your child can work on, and make a plan together. Many great players were cut or placed lower at some point.
Tryouts at Peace Soccer School
PSS holds tryouts for boys and girls ages 5 to 13 before each season. Our tryouts are welcoming: we want to see each player’s effort and character, not just their skill, and every family gets clear communication about placement. Join our list and we’ll send you tryout dates as soon as they’re set.
