For many young soccer players, soccer tryouts are opportunities for them to get some spotlight and shine in front of scouts and coaches. For some, it is an opportunity to switch to a better club or even to a team.
Irrespective of the group you fall into, standing out from the group should be your priority.
Tryouts are opportunities for those who have the aspiration to play elite soccer or competitive soccer.
There are various ways that the performance of soccer players is evaluated in the series of training. For example, it could be through a training camp, a one-time identification event, or even pre-seasons that last several weeks.
Irrespective of your soccer level or your environment, there are various actions that you can commit yourself to, which would increase your chance of getting success.
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How to stand out during soccer tryouts?
For most soccer players, tryouts are very intimidating. Various factors are capable of causing unrest, including what the coaches are looking for, the number of players the teams are searching for, your soccer game level.
Also, the number of participants in the tryouts and what happens when you are not selected could also be intimidating.
Questions like the above would be on your mind when you get involved in soccer tryouts. However, you have to ensure that you prepare beforehand, as this would give you an edge over your competitors trying to get into the team.
Most times, in soccer tryouts, scouts and coaches might be searching for some of the strongest players to make their team. However, sometimes they might just be looking for a select few players to add to their core team.
A lot of variables are usually part of soccer tryouts. What is essential is to know what the scouts or coaches are looking for and then show your personality, skills, and others to ensure you make the team.
To stand out in soccer tryouts, you do not have to be confused, as most soccer players are when they first attend tryouts. However, ensure that you are prepared and know what you do so you can increase your chances of getting noticed by coaches or scouts.
Below are some of the methods that you can follow that would ensure you get noticed and stand out in soccer tryouts.
Show your Skill and Talent
In most soccer tryouts, what scouts and coaches look for in players is their skill in playing soccer. So, to stand out, you have to show to coaches and scouts that you have the skill to be among their team.
When you are unable to perform the necessary skills during soccer tryouts, you would not be able to stand out since it would be assumed that you have nothing to offer.
Master the fundamental soccer skills such as controlling the ball, passing, tapping and touches, heading, and shooting.
These are some of the fundamental skills that coaches and scouts search for in a player. In addition to these, you have to have knowledge of soccer and its technicality.
On the other hand, talent is how well you understand these skills and can utilize them in a soccer game.
One of the significant aims of tryouts is for soccer players to showcase their talents. Scouts and coaches want to see very talented players and recruit them. Therefore if you wish to stand out, you have to show your talents for coaches and scouts alike to see.
In tryouts, coaches and scouts expect you to have a rudimentary level of tactics and technical capability. In addition, you should be ready to show them how well you can utilize the skills that you possess.
Some of the fundamental soccer skills that you should use in displaying your talent include shooting, passing, turning correctly, crossing, receiving, dribbling, shielding, ball control, and running with the ball. You should be competent in some of these skills.
Even though you can’t be an expert in all of them, you have to show scouts and coaches that you have the talent to utilize the skills properly and are capable of improving them also.
Show your ability to attack or defend. You should be able to pass the ball to your teammates properly. Also, show your ability to deal with pressure. How well do you select skills and execute them? What about movements, reactions, and support plays.
Those are the talents that scouts and coaches need to see. They can help you stand out from the average player. Therefore, you should ensure that you develop and work on these skills to build an outstanding talent for the game.
Another area of your talent the coaches will love to see is how naturally you’re able to show your strength at the right moment.
Whenever you are on the pitch, your strengths should be shown. Coaches and scouts look for these qualities since they would bring value to the team. Therefore, the more you show your qualities, the better. You don’t need to be someone you are not or be fancy to stand out.
You should do what you do best, just show your goal-scoring abilities, work ethics, dribbling skills, passing, positioning, and leadership.
Take Instructions, Be Coachable and Show Respect
To be noticed in tryouts, you have to listen, pay attention, and be ready to be coached. In addition, you have to listen and be able to apply what you have been taught.
You might not always succeed, but your willingness to apply what you have been taught in games will be seen by coaches, and they will have a good impression of you.
Ask questions about drills, ask coaches to show you ways to improve, also ask about the role that you should play. These are things that should be established at the start of every tryout.
When tryouts ensure that you take responsibility for your actions, avoid excuses for errors and mistakes, everyone makes mistakes.
This is an essential quality in players. Coaches and scouts love to see these qualities in players. Responsibility can be taken when you show the willingness to learn, accept deadlocks given, listen, and seek support from teammates.
Try out new things in tryouts. Tryouts are good occasions to discover yourself. You can volunteer to pay in a new position. Try using your weaker foot in the drill or even showing off new skills that you learned.
Doing the above shows scouts and coaches that you are open to learning, and you would be appreciated.
Also, Soccer is not a perfect game since there are areas that still need revisions. From the crowds that watch, the players who play the game, the officials who manage the game, and the coaches who coach, they all can make mistakes.
Players could mess up; referees would also make wrong calls. You have to be respectful of their actions and effort in the game. Be calm and show support in an encouraging manner in the face of such activities.
Showing respect is a reflection of your team, parents, and coaches. Show respect to even your opponents. Your actions should show your stance. Doing such would show your positive sides to scouts and coaches.
Be Intense throughout the Tryout and Condition Yourself
If you wish to be noticed or stand out among every player in tryouts, you have to be intense. Therefore, play matches to the best of your abilities and try to show your max potential.
Close spaces faster, change paces when playing, ensure that you properly position yourself. Not only physically but also be intense in your mentality to play.
Play soccer freely and to the best of your ability. Tryouts are not a time to hold back; instead, it is a time to show off. Be creative in your play so that the scouts and coaches can take note of you.
Ensure that you are able to act early and anticipate the gameplay. Pay close attention to communicating with your teammates, your teammate’s movements, and their body language. It ensures that you can act early and anticipate your team’s gameplay.
Act on your anticipation, be proactive. For example, if your team loses ball possession, you have to be proactive to make counterattacks, turnovers and make specific defensive interventions.
Making quick movements helps your team to advance when they have ball possession quickly. In addition, moving swiftly with the ball ensures that your opponents are unbalanced and are unprepared.
Also, scouts and coaches would always look at you favorably if you are properly conditioned. Conditioning yourself is one of the ways to stand out in tryouts. Coaches or scouts won’t look favorably at players that start gasping for air just 20 minutes into the soccer tryout.
It would show the coach that you are not ready since you did not bother to get in shape before the tryout. Being out of shape in soccer tryouts is detrimental as it shows scouts and coaches that you are not yet ready for the big play.
To stand out, keep up your shape. This is where preparedness before tryouts comes into play. When you are properly conditioned, you will not let yourself and your teammates down.
Be Confident and Showcase Leadership Qualities
In soccer, you have to be confident in yourself, since if you lack confidence, your team might lose their morale. When playing at tryouts, be confident, so the scouts and coaches can take notice of you. This would help you to stand out among your peers.
Play like you are sure of what you are doing, even when your soccer skills or ability are lacking. Mistakes can be fixed, but lacking confidence in yourself is a severe problem, and scouts or coaches would not want to work with an unconfident player.
Also, every soccer team needs a leader. You could volunteer for the leadership mantle in tryouts if you feel up to the task. Being a leader means you are the backbone of the team, and you would be thought highly of by the coaches.
It also increases your chances of being a team captain, which many players look forward to being one.
Be Dedicated and Hardworking
At tryouts, the aim of the coach is to build up a team. This means that he needs to choose from players who would show up for every game in the tournament. Therefore, you always have to be present, show your dedication, and stick to the team rules.
Always show up for practice no matter the circumstance. Be concerned about your teammates. Doing these would show your coach that you are dedicated to the game. Coaches need players who will always be on the team and not let down.
Also, scouts and coaches love when players have a good work ethic more than others at tryouts. Coaches and scouts believe that players who are hard-working can be taught to play better.
At tryouts, you have to show that you are working hard so you would stand out and the coach would notice. Your chances of being called to make the team would increase.
Show Commitment and Effort
In tryouts, you should show these two qualities to your coaches. In addition, demonstrating commitment and effort would help stand out and give you a chance to be selected.
Scouts or coaches want to see you willing to work for the team. At times you might be up against fitter, stronger or quicker opponents; what you should do is keep showing your competitive nature.
When you do not put your best, coaches would know. It could be making poor attempts at winning the ball or making half-hearted passes. Whatever you do, the scouts and coaches can see how much effort you put into the game.
Always react quickly. Show that even when you fail or make mistakes, you are still committed and would put in more effort.
Also, show commitment and effort towards learning. Show coaches that you can implement what has been learned on the pitch. When you learn fast and implement what you learn, you will stand out from others.
Ensure that you do not learn the same thing over and over again. Instead, attempt assignments given by coaches; even when you make mistakes, you would be corrected and given a chance to try again.
Have Good Reputation
Most people think that the soccer community is enormous; hence things won’t travel far. However, this might not be the case. Most coaches are usually friends with one another, so they often discuss their teams and players together.
If you have had problems with your team in the past, the chances are that other coaches might have heard about you, and this would inevitably reduce your chances of standing out or even being selected.
Therefore ensure that your reputation is clean and not blemished. Have a good reputation among coaches. This is so that when you try out for clubs or teams, your reputation would speak for you even before you get on the pitch to showcase your skills and talents.
Be a team Player
At tryouts, there are two types of players; the give-away players that are always ready to pass the ball when they can dribble or make runs and the ball holders who always try to show off by sticking to the ball even when they ought to pass the ball.
You should try and find a balance between these two types of play. When playing in tryouts, ensure that you show the coaches you can play as a team while also being a good passer and scorer.
It would be best if you showed your confidence in your skills to your coach.
Be Positive
At tryouts, when coaches evaluate players, they do so on the basis of the ability of the player and also how they can contribute to the team both on the field and off the field.
You might not feel good about your performance on the pitch, or things might not even go your way; instead of dwelling on this, show your positive side and let your presence be seen on the pitch by the coach or scouts.
Ensure that you show positiveness when you are on the pitch; you might never know when your coach will notice you.
Conclusion
The game of soccer requires both tactical and technical understanding to achieve success. Therefore, you have to put time into improving these aspects of yourself if you wish to achieve success, whether in tryouts or in your team.
Show your commitment and efforts. You should show good impression to the coaches and scouts by showing your passion for soccer. Also, show leadership qualities are attractive to scouts and coaches. When they see such, they are often happy.
You can stand out at tryouts by showing your commitment, enthusiasm, and passion for the game. When playing at tryouts, you should enjoy the game and not be bothered by pressure.
Though there might be pressure, embrace them and try to put the pressure on your opposition rather than yourself.
Enjoy the opportunity you have at tryouts, be confident, learn as much as you can, keep on improving while at a tryout. You just might stand out to coaches when you show these qualities.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!