By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching, Eastern New York Youth Soccer
Association
I realize this is maybe a month late and wished I could keep track of all the teams, clubs and leagues and when they had tryout dates. Perhaps what I wish more is that both kids and parents believed once they had tried out and committed to one team, they felt the ethical need to stand by that decision.
I typically and consistently insist that youth coaches involve parents in the sacred soccer triangle of kid-parent-coach as all three are needed for players to fulfill their potential. But to be honest, tryouts and consequent behavior challenge all that truly matters.
So to try and help, I offer the following advice for parents’ reaction to any tryout that is professionally run.
Perhaps the best place to start is to help parents understand what a professionally-run tryout looks like. To help, I offer the following criteria as good things to consider.