Parent and Coaching Tryout Perspective

[@amirsyoutube9518]

I’ve seen a trend at our club (at least on the girls side) to select the fast, tall kids for the top teams over the kids with strong technical skill and good attitudes. Coaches think that they can shape the raw materials better, but what you usually end up with is a team that plays a lot of hero ball and gets picked apart by teams whose players actually play fundamentally sound soccer.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Happens all the time.

[@jarhead_jr]

I fully agree with what you mentioned about asking to go to a practice prior to tryouts. I think parents should consider going to training sessions at multiple clubs and ask to talk with coaches. If the coaches don't want to talk to you, I'd be very cautious of that club....especially at the youth level. You also mention are the kids enjoying soccer...I think there's an element that the parents need to see do the coaches enjoy coaching and working with the kids. Watch their relationship with the kids that are there. Your kid's coaches are adults you really don't know that much about and you want to trust they are strong positive relationship in your child's life. For that matter...what's the relationship between the kids. Are they having fun with each other and building each other up or are they getting in each others face if mistakes are made. Lastly...talk to as many parents that are there as you can. As a parent you're going to get to know them well on the sidelines....its nice when its people you can get along with. One thing that parents don't think about is style of play. Some clubs just want to win at all cost at every age group, others focus on development and equal playing time and don't care about the score of games.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Fantastic additions.

[@AkilStokes]

Just wanted to say that I love your channel. Was talking to a parent the other day at practice (We do PA Classics Summer Select) and I was telling him how I've been using your videos to help be a supportive parent for my sons and he mentioned that you were his kids coach and was the main reason he transferred to your club. Keep up the good work. You're helping a lot of people!!!

[@CoachRorySoccer]

That is awesome! Thanks. I have a summer team (new this year) so we might play you if you're a 2014. Called FreeFC. Got 100% corporate sponsors so its"Free". A little project I have been working on for a while. Hope to expand it in the future.

[@AkilStokes]

@@CoachRorySoccer That's awesome and yes my oldest is 2014. ALso love the idea, especially after seeing your videos on the US "Pay for Play" models in comparison to overseas. Good luck this summer!

[@jackie_boyila]

Thanks for the great video/info. My club used a company to run tryouts and I wasn't too happy with the way the individual ran it, so I asked a couple of the kids to come to a training session or two, and it helped.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

They hired a company to run tryouts? I’ve honestly never heard of that. Do you recall the name of the company?

[@jackie_boyila]

@CoachRorySoccer yes, but I rather not disclose that info publicly. They do camps and team training. So, the club asked to help with tryouts. I did see another person from the same training company do another teams tryout, and they did a much better job. So it was probably more the individual that ran my team, rather than the company.

[@JasonCotting]

This would have been helpful a couple of months ago. I will have to pull this up again next year. Both of my kids did not have good outcomes at their tryouts. Despite them both having supplement training from outside trainers, I was surprised to learn that politics have a big say in what happens to 11 and 9 year olds outcome. This year we will be on the lookout for other clubs while watching games.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Sorry to hear that! Hope you find the right fit.

[@tommymorris7]

Just discovered the channel! Thanks for the great information. I’ve back yard coached my son for years and he is really good. He has played travel for one season at a local club, but we can’t afford to continue with it. If we keep him playing in rec, do you think it will hinder his development? He is 8. Check the channel for his videos. Thanks again!

[@CoachRorySoccer]

It will be difficult to continue to develop at the rec level. TBH. Do you mind emailing me privately? [e-mail] I’d like to help you guys out. Give me some more info. We’ll make it work for your son.

[@The_Futbol_Kid_02]

Need HELP... what are your thoughts on guest-playing? Happy at our current club but need/want more opportunities. Is the club obligated to allow it? Justified if they dont?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Your club certainly shouldn’t block it unless it directly interferes with your current clubs schedule. I think it’s a great way to get new experiences with different coaches and players.

[@CyberXShinobi]

Coach, how do you handle coaching kids that are weak in all areas of the game (run slow, lack dribbling control, lack passing strength, lack of aggression, and low soccer iq)? Where would you position them in a team formation for 7v7 (2-3-1) or 9v9 (4-3-1)? What would you do if you have more than one on the team?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

I would focus highly on technical skills. There are definitely kids who don’t have the technical ability and doing a lot of 2v2, 1v1 training is where I would focus. I’d also do isolated technical work. In terms of positioning I would put them out wide or up top. But honestly it sounds like a player who would benefit from a very different session.

[@carlosH535]

Hi I found your channel today and hopefully you can answer my question. I am setting up a u6 team and I have 7/8 players atm two of the players (my son and his best mate) have brothers in u7 now going to u8 and have been playing and training with the there team for almost a year and can hold there own with the higher age group. My question is what do I with them? As the other players I now have can’t pass and can’t really dribble I’m playing games and trying to get the new ones to at least be able to pass but the two that have been playing a while I fill I getting are getting bored and then go on to mess about with the Easier drills for the new ones it’s like I’m holding them back and they are getting bored. Any advice please as me telling my boy and his mate that they are more experienced and should be helping the others seems to have no affect.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

At that age it all about touches on the ball. Check out my video on how I run recreational sessions. I’d play 1v1 or 2v2 at the most. They usually like that and it can be competitive. Plus you can put the higher level kids together as well as the lower level ones.

[@dougp7934]

Do you have a network of coaches who follow Coach Rory? :) Looking for a club like that in So Cal.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Anybody out there in SoCal? I’m on east coast and don’t have any connections there.

[@theticoboy]

Hi coach, do you know much about college soccer scholarships?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Sorry can’t say I do. My experience is in the youth game, mostly U15 and below.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Not much. I coach mostly U15 and below and don’t have much experience in college or college recruiting.

[@Nolan.Gurule]

Why do MLS teams use scrimmaging as the bases of looking for players?

[@CoachRorySoccer]

Many teams do this. I don’t get it either.

[@Kaulana478]

Professional teams have already scouted players prior to observing in a scrimmage. I would assume they already passed from a technical perspective.

[@MrStuartp]

MLS teams are not really looking to develop players, it's a pro team. Their academy is where they build up their potential young talent and if good enough go to reserves or first team on a contract. It's assumed at that level you already know how to play, It's now about business decisions.

[@CoachRorySoccer]

@@MrStuartp I think he's asking about MLSNext teams. At least that was my assumption.