Soccer tryouts are a vital part of every soccer player. Whether it is your first tryout or you have already attended multiple tryouts, there is always a sense of unknown. The most important thing you can do as a soccer player is to be prepared.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about soccer tryouts and how to make the most out of the opportunity.
How do you stand out at a soccer tryout?
1. Arrive early to the tryouts
Nothing will stand out more than arriving late to the tryouts. If you arrive late, you will immediately have a bad first impression with the coaching staff. They are searching for players who not only have skills but also players who will follow the rules.
2. Focus on your strengths
Don’t go to the soccer tryouts trying to do more than you are capable. If you know you don’t have very good skills to take a defender 1v1, don’t think you have to do everything on the field. If your strength is playing defensive midfield, play that position how you always play it. Doing too much might leave the coaching staff confused on where you play. If you focus on your main strengths, it will immediately show the coaching staff where you belong on the field.
3. Interact with other players
Soccer skills and technique are very important but so is the personality of players. Many coaches want players who not only can play but who can get along with the rest of the team and build chemistry.
4. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind
There is always a time and place for giving feedback but sometimes a player has to step up and let the coaches know how he/she feels. During a tryout, there could be many players who attended the event. You might be placed in a position that you rarely play. The coaching staff has many people to observe and take notes on so they might forget you are playing in the wrong position. During a break, bring the concern to the coach’s attention and politely request if you can alternate positions to play your natural position.
5. Show leadership skills
Leadership skills are something that you will continue to learn throughout your career and life. Make it a habit to consistently improve upon being a leader. There are many natural leaders who naturally enjoy being the leader and are very good at it. If you are in a position where you naturally don’t have those skills, don’t worry, this is a skill you can learn. Focus on observing people who naturally take charge and take note of their actions and the type of words they use. Also, focus on reading specific books on leadership.
What does a soccer tryout consist of?
There are generally three types of soccer tryouts. Depending on the type of organization or club goals, the tryouts can be broken down into three different types.
- 1. Full Field Soccer Tryouts
- 2. Drill Based Soccer Tryouts
- 3. Mixed Soccer Tryouts
Full Field Soccer Tryouts
Some soccer tryouts will generally only have game-based soccer tryouts. This means that when you arrive at the soccer tryout, each player will be assigned a t-shirt with a specific number on the back that they will use to track their performance.
In full-field soccer tryouts, you will be playing an actual soccer game. Typically the games will be 11 versus 11 but depending on the number of players. Games could also be broken down into smaller groups such as 8 versus 8.
Drill Based Soccer Tryouts
Generally, only drill-based soccer tryouts are less common. These types of tryouts will have players performing specific drills such as passing, taking shots, dribbling around cones, agility maneuvers around speed cones, and many more.
The reason they are less common is that clubs want to see the players perform in real game action. Although drill-based soccer tryouts are less common, they still do show up from time to time. Typically, some players will be invited to additional tryouts if performances went well and the following tryout will usually be full-field games.
Mixed Soccer Tryouts
Mixed soccer tryouts are a combination of drill-based tryouts and full-field game tryouts. These types of tryouts are the most common when coaches and clubs are trying to fully evaluate players in depth.
These soccer tryouts are longer than others and might be split into a full day with breaks in between.
In conclusion, you should never go into a tryout feeling intimidated. All the hard work you’ve put into training will show here. This is why it is important to not just depend on playing games, you should also be very comfortable performing all types of different soccer drills.
How do you tryout for soccer?
Trying out for soccer is something many players need to do in order to take their game to the next level. Thousands of soccer clubs are operating at all times of the year so it is important to always be physically and mentally ready for when a tryout is going to happen.
Generally, soccer clubs will post that they are having tryouts but they do not give much time notice to the players. They will usually publicly announce they are having tryouts in advance within a week or two.
To tryout for soccer, you should always actively be on the lookout for club announcements. These announcements are made through the club’s news web page or in some cases they will post the soccer tryout information on their social media.
We know it can be tough to stay on top of checking all the club’s news pages, which is why we created this website called fcscout.com. On our web page, we actively monitor clubs who are looking for players and we update their profile page on our website. All of the club pages will link to the official clubs website so you can see further details. We cover most major countries and their leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga, Major League Soccer, and many more.
What should I do before soccer tryouts?
Soccer tryouts can have you overthinking and the best possible thing you should do to combat this feeling is to create an actionable plan. By having a plan, you will already be a step ahead of other players mentally and physically.
The plan should consist of actional things you should be doing in order to be full prepared and worry free on the day of the tryout. This involves filling out any paperwork ahead of time before the tryout. Also, it is very important to also go and check the location out before the tryout day. The reason for this is that you don’t want to get lost on the day of the tryout and arrive late.
Another actional item you should work on is staying relaxed. One of the best ways to stay relaxed is by feeling confident in yourself. All those hours of training day and night should be at the forefront of your mind. The reason for this is because you need to feel confident you put the work in already and the tryout part should be the easy part. All those long days of training is what is really tough and you should be confident in your abilities knowing you already put the hard work in action.
How do you stand out in soccer tryouts?
Many clubs around the world have dedicated staff members who solely focus on scouting and recruitment. Scouts attend many games throughout their communities, which is why it is important to join clubs and consistently stay active and play throughout the year.
Also, many soccer clubs will tell you which local clubs scouts go watch and you can find these details from clubs on our website fcscout.com. If you live in an area that has a professional soccer team, make sure you join local clubs that are affiliated with that professional soccer team to increase your chances of being scouted. Some professional soccer clubs will also allow players to submit applications for their scouts to review your video reels. For more information on specific scouting for each club, browse around our website.