Try outs

[BigG]

Well, the boards are BORING so far, so I thought I might try to start a topic to see if we could generate any interest, since the season starts in less than 2 weeks!

 

How do your teams do try outs? Do you have time trials? Fitness tests? Juggling? How many days are your try outs?

 

Just curious.

 

This is most likely our last year for doing distance for time trials. Looking at research and talking to the conditioning coaches, intervals or sprints are a much better running test for soccer.

[akula21]

yeah, we do a combination of sprint tests with short distance, no longer than an 800 m run to test for recovery times. always thought it was better to try to simulate the sport that athlete was participating in when I was still training them. I know the standard used to be the cooper test but seemed like we were training for cross country rather than soccer.

 

as for the rest of tryouts, we do some skills assessments, but mostly a lot of small sided games so that all the players are getting lots of touches and can't hide in a big game setting.

[HFSteeler]

We will have several activities to sort the team. There will be some running drills that Akula mentioned. Also, many small sided games. I will try to keep all of the results of the small sided games, rotate players into many different groups and keep each players individulal won-loss record. Also goals and keep track of any errors and great individual plays. (keep each players' and try and spot trends.

 

The biggest hurdles to tryouts remain that Hume Fogg has several good players in Winter sports and also the unfortunate problem of more players coming out than there are spots. Especially the guys who attend the off-season conditioning daily but who won't make it.

 

This season I am going to use the first 2 days to determine the varsity. Use Wed. as a varsity only practice then on Thursday and Friday focus on those who are interested in the JV.

 

Big G mentioned juggling number. I like that may include it. I think the guys like having hard data, then again other things are not possible to measure (heart).

 

The NSCAA has a tactical skills test online (they can also be printed out) that isn't bad if a coach wants to use that, perhaps on a day where the weather is bad and you have no gym.

[BigG]

Try outs are tough. The hardest part of the job. I'd like to say that is has gotten easier over the past 15 years, but that would be untrue.

 

For CAK we combine objective and subjective qualities. Just because you are a good runner, doesn't mean you are a good soccer player. So running has a place, but isn't the "make it or break it" point. You can make the time, but still not make the team. You also can not make the time, and make the team, but are required to attend "fitness sessions" before school 3 times and then re-take the time trials before you put on a uniform for any scrimmage or game (which ends up being about 15 miles of extra work outs). If you don't want to do that, fine. Thanks for showing up. See you next season.

 

We have changed our running this season to be a combined 2 mile and 1 mile time of 19 minutes (with a 15 minute rest in between). Before, it was a 13 and 6 minute cut off. While it might seem the same, we found guys might rock in one time trial, and only be over a few seconds in the other. To be fair, we are combining them into one time, so you could run a 13:30 2 mile, and run a 5:30 1 mile and still make the times.

 

Juggling is important, too, but ironically, one of my best players from the past (I won't say his name, but it rhymes with "Landon Barr" ) couldn't juggle worth squat. I still think it was wise to have him on the squad.

 

Heart and passion have a big place. How badly do you want to make it? How hard can you push yourself? All of those weigh into it.

 

I think the biggest factor, however, is skill in the sport. First touch, field awareness, basic technical skills. Those are the big 3 for me.

 

We play a lot of small sided games. Thinking games (if this happens, then your run goes here, if this happens, then your run goes there) to see how they react during a game. I like smart players.

 

Coach-ability is also in the mix. How often do I have to teach a principle in order for you to get it?

 

Looking forward to getting started!

[pride8]

At this point at White House we don't have try outs. Any one who can make it thru these 5 weeks of conditioning deserves to be on a high school team. If the numbers are too great, the running gets tougher. We may never make a state tournament again, but a certain standard of play (not skill) is what should always be represented at our school. One day we may have the skill to match with the attitude, but for now we train to make boys into men. I have seen so many average players become great young men because they trained to be the best they culd be; even if they weren't very good players, they were winners. Because of the fine job many in White House have done to build a division III travel club, we may see the need for try outs/cuts one day. For now, we take what we have and mold them into what the program expects. Those who stay will be Champions. Good luck to all this Spring.

[pride8]

Well, the boards are BORING so far, so I thought I might try to start a topic to see if we could generate any interest, since the season starts in less than 2 weeks!

 

How do your teams do try outs? Do you have time trials? Fitness tests? Juggling? How many days are your try outs?

 

Just curious.

 

This is most likely our last year for doing distance for time trials. Looking at research and talking to the conditioning coaches, intervals or sprints are a much better running test for soccer.

16 110yd sprints at 16 seconds each with a 45 second rest between will weed out those who train and those who don't. Most will make 10; some 12; those who train 16

[gchunn]

At this point at White House we don't have try outs. Any one who can make it thru these 5 weeks of conditioning deserves to be on a high school team. If the numbers are too great, the running gets tougher. We may never make a state tournament again, but a certain standard of play (not skill) is what should always be represented at our school. One day we may have the skill to match with the attitude, but for now we train to make boys into men. I have seen so many average players become great young men because they trained to be the best they culd be; even if they weren't very good players, they were winners. Because of the fine job many in White House have done to build a division III travel club, we may see the need for try outs/cuts one day. For now, we take what we have and mold them into what the program expects. Those who stay will be Champions. Good luck to all this Spring.

 

 

Great point! Our job is to have a positive impact on young men.

[reaction]

Try outs are tough. The hardest part of the job. I'd like to say that is has gotten easier over the past 15 years, but that would be untrue.

 

For CAK we combine objective and subjective qualities. Just because you are a good runner, doesn't mean you are a good soccer player. So running has a place, but isn't the "make it or break it" point. You can make the time, but still not make the team. You also can not make the time, and make the team, but are required to attend "fitness sessions" before school 3 times and then re-take the time trials before you put on a uniform for any scrimmage or game (which ends up being about 15 miles of extra work outs). If you don't want to do that, fine. Thanks for showing up. See you next season.

 

We have changed our running this season to be a combined 2 mile and 1 mile time of 19 minutes (with a 15 minute rest in between). Before, it was a 13 and 6 minute cut off. While it might seem the same, we found guys might rock in one time trial, and only be over a few seconds in the other. To be fair, we are combining them into one time, so you could run a 13:30 2 mile, and run a 5:30 1 mile and still make the times.

 

Juggling is important, too, but ironically, one of my best players from the past (I won't say his name, but it rhymes with "Landon Barr" ) couldn't juggle worth squat. I still think it was wise to have him on the squad.

 

Heart and passion have a big place. How badly do you want to make it? How hard can you push yourself? All of those weigh into it.

 

I think the biggest factor, however, is skill in the sport. First touch, field awareness, basic technical skills. Those are the big 3 for me.

 

We play a lot of small sided games. Thinking games (if this happens, then your run goes here, if this happens, then your run goes there) to see how they react during a game. I like smart players.

 

Coach-ability is also in the mix. How often do I have to teach a principle in order for you to get it?

 

Looking forward to getting started!

 

Juggling is def. overrated. I couldn't juggle worth a crap either. I'm not sure how try outs are done at Boyd now. When I was in high school, pretty much everyone made the team. We didn't have enough people try out to cut lol.

[DeKalbsCoachK]

DeKalb has 5 weeks of conditioning before tryouts. That usually weeds out the ones who don't really want to be there. Like other rural schools we don't have a great deal of soccer outside of the high school team, so we look for dedicated, goal-minded, hard working, young men that want to be successful. Generally, we have to cut a few that just don't have the ability to help the team, but like others have said, we feel the important thing for us to do is build strong, hard working, dedicated young men that are going to be successful in whatever they do. On a side note, we have an athelete that has moved to our school from DB, and he said that you have to make 3 miles in 15 min. to make their team.... WOW!!!

[BigG]

On a side note, we have an athelete that has moved to our school from DB, and he said that you have to make 3 miles in 15 min. to make their team.... WOW!!!

If this is accurate, they will have a roster of 3. Not too many high school soccer players (at least that I know) could make that time.

[akula21]

3 miles in 15 mins? Think someone is using some creative thinking here. Plus, what would be the point? Pretty sure coach woods has a much more functional way of determining his players fitness.

 

But I agree with the comments that tryouts/cuts are the worst part of the season. Most years, we haven't had to cut any b/c we don't have the numbers come out, but on the years we have (including this one) I just dread that day that you have to sit down with a player and explain why they didn't make the team. But at the same time, I explain in the first parent/player meeting in the fall that we will not keep a player that we don't feel can have success and contribute during their career. I know not everyone will be a starter or major contributor, but if we think that a player is better off having fun in ayso or somewhere else, i don't want to waste their time with all the work they have to do for us and never set foot on the field. I also don't believe in just letting a player show up to get all the free gear and get to claim they played for us.

[BigG]

Also curious on how teams say who makes the varsity team or gets cut...

 

We sit down with every player and let them know where they stand. While this is a lot harder on the coaches, I think each player deserves to know why we are making the decision that we are making, instead of seeing a name on a list.

 

Anyone else?