Soccer parents - question about making a team

[mefordis]

Okay, so my 8 year old finally has chosen an activity she wants to do - soccer. I signed her up for a skills class but it looks like she will need to try out for a team. I know the kids around here have been playing since they were walking. I am hoping she gets chosen! She is not going to be that good, but she is in 2nd grade and the size of a 4th grader. I hope that helps. Not sure how it is useful to be bigger for soccer. I don't care if she is good, just want her to be good enough to land a team and stay interested.

My main goal is for her to get exercise and make some friends, also to build her confidence.

Any advice?

EDIT: I'm looking at the information and I was wrong - they hold evaluations, not try outs. There is a wait list because the program is popular. She may not get in because there are people ahead of her on that list. I"m sorry for the confusion! They do call it travel, though.

 

[soccerdad72]

Most rec programs will take anyone for teams, no tryouts necessary.

And, truth be told, a lot of travel and even some club soccer teams will take anyone who will write a check. If you look around, you should be able to find a team for her to play on without too much trouble.

 

[mefordis]

Most rec programs will take anyone for teams, no tryouts necessary.

And, truth be told, a lot of travel and even some club soccer teams will take anyone who will write a check. If you look around, you should be able to find a team for her to play on without too much trouble.

Thanks for answering! Our community has a club that will also enable her to play with people in her school (which will help her socially - she is very shy). I paid I think $180 and they say she needs to try out and if she isn't placed I'll get my money back. That is why I am nervous! I really want to stay in my town for the reasons stated. Plus it is close by. I guess I can only hope the coaches see potential, because she doesn't have the skills at this point!

I want to add that soccer is a big deal in this town. Not a big deal in our family, though. I just want her to get exercise.

 

[soccerdad72]

A lot of clubs have multiple levels of teams, so it's possible that the tryout is merely to determine her skill level and where to place her to start out.

One of the clubs my boys have played with had both rec/travel level teams as well as premier teams within the same age groups - in fact, my older son's first year with the club, he started on their travel team and was 'promoted' up to the premier team as they saw more of his skills, so there was opportunity for growth,

 

[mjkacmom]

Effort counts. DH has been coaching multiple soccer teams for 15 year. Tell her not to be the first one to raise her hand when coach asks who needs a break. Have her be the first one to put her hand up when coach asks who wants to play defense. Make sure her cleats are double knotted, and she follows instructions, pays attention. At this age, these are the most important skills.

 

[cvjw]

My son was on an academy team by age 8, having started club level soccer at 4. Around here, soccer is huge. But, there are also non-club leagues that accept all players. Maybe you need to start off in a recreation league.

With my son's team at age 8, a player who had no experience with soccer at all would not have made a team. Maybe you need to do some research on this team beforehand so that your daughter doesn't end up heartbroken if she doesn't make it.

Also, I am not sure I would want my daughter on an advanced team as a newbie if she did end up making it. She will most likely end up very frustrated with her lack of soccer skills in relation to the other players. I know that even at the age of 8, the kids on the team knew who was good and who should be sitting on the bench.

 

[mamamary]

My kids started out in rec leagues so everyone who signed up played. Good luck to your daughter.

 

[mefordis]

Effort counts. DH has been coaching multiple soccer teams for 15 year. Tell her not to be the first one to raise her hand when coach asks who needs a break. Have her be the first one to put her hand up when coach asks who wants to play defense. Make sure her cleats are double knotted, and she follows instructions, pays attention. At this age, these are the most important skills.

Thank you so much for such helpful advice! Where do I get her gear? I want to make sure she looks like a legit player. For example, where do you buy cleats and shin guards?

Thanks again!!!

 

[mjkacmom]

Thank you so much for such helpful advice! Where do I get her gear? I want to make sure she looks like a legit player. For example, where do you buy cleats and shin guards?

Thanks again!!!

Modells or Dicks, cleats, socks, shin guards, thats all she needs. The store will have everything together. Good luck!

 

[mefordis]

Thanks for all of the responses. The problem with recreation teams around here that are non competitive, at least at her age, is that they only play maybe once a week, maybe on Saturdays. I want her doing something active at least twice a week. Also if she wants to stick with soccer she will need to eventually get good enough to make a try out. Kids either age out or make a try out team, around here at least.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thanks for all of the responses. The problem with recreation teams around here that are non competitive, at least at her age, is that they only play maybe once a week, maybe on Saturdays. I want her doing something active at least twice a week. Also if she wants to stick with soccer she will need to eventually get good enough to make a try out. Kids either age out or make a try out team, around here at least.

I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY suggest you do some more research on this "try out" team. At the very least find out:

1. What the $180 covers (is it the full fee? A deposit?)
2. Will there be other fees (uniforms, assessments, tournaments, etc)?
3. What's the furthest you'll travel for a game?
4. Do they enter in tournaments?
5. How many kids on the team?
6. How is playing time determined? (If there's not a 50% guarantee, RUN AWAY)*.

I would sign up your DD for the rec team. Find out if they have a practice during the week. Take her yourself to the park/backyard and you can kick a ball around. I would not put a lot of money into a team when you don't even know if she'll like the sport (sure, a skills class she might like, but what about when competition starts?) "Non-competitive" does not mean "bad".

*NOTE: My 50% guarantee is not suggesting there should be a guarantee to play on a travel team, but playing time is what someone new to the sport needs. It won't do the child any good to sit on the bench until the last two minutes of a game.

 

[mom2rtk]

If you signed up in a league that requires her to "make the team" then you signed up in the wrong league for your child.

You need a nice rec team where the emphasis is on fun and skills development. Something like the YMCA.

If I recall properly, your were sort of nudging your child to try something active to participate. It needs to be fun. And too much pressure to "make the cut" can suck out the fun.

 

[Hikergirl]

Okay, so my 8 year old finally has chosen an activity she wants to do - soccer. I signed her up for a skills class but it looks like she will need to try out for a team. I know the kids around here have been playing since they were walking. I am hoping she gets chosen! She is not going to be that good, but she is in 2nd grade and the size of a 4th grader. I hope that helps. Not sure how it is useful to be bigger for soccer. I don't care if she is good, just want her to be good enough to land a team and stay interested.

My main goal is for her to get exercise and make some friends, also to build her confidence.

Any advice?

If one of your main goals is to build her confidence I would sign her up for the rec league. While it may not be competitive it will meet all your goals for your dd, she will make friends, she will get exercise and she will build her soccer skills and in turn build her confidence.

 

[cvjw]

Thank you so much for such helpful advice! Where do I get her gear? I want to make sure she looks like a legit player. For example, where do you buy cleats and shin guards?

Thanks again!!!

You need to go and see what the other kids are wearing. The kids on my son's team always wore expensive cleats - they were all serious about soccer, even at age 8.

I will also add that if you want your daughter to build up her confidence, putting her in a league with kids who have been playing soccer since they could walk doesn't sound like the best idea.

Put her in a league with kids who have similar skill levels as she has. That way she can build up some confidence and THEN move up to the more advanced league when she can hang with them.

 

[declansdad]

Holy crap! What is wrong with this club? Try-outs for 8 year olds is so wrong.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Don't you have AYSO in your area? I'd start with that, or something like that.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Another vote for starting her on a rec team. You can always move to a more competitive league later, if it's appropriate. We used to live in an area where the HS had no football team--soccer was the religion of choice. While we started our kids younger, there were still plenty of playing opportunities for 8yos who weren't super serious. Even if a rec team is a little further away, it sounds like it would be a better fit for your child. My kids never got past the "rec" stage, but they had a lot of fun, made friends, and developed other skills--my oldest realized she liked running around the field more than she liked actually playing soccer, and ended up running cross country grades 6-12.

 

[sam_gordon]

Holy crap! What is wrong with this club? Try-outs for 8 year olds is so wrong.

My club has tryouts for their U8/U9 Academy program, but everyone automatically makes the team. I think having tryouts is part of the charter or something.

 

[design_mom]

My club has tryouts for their U8/U9 Academy program, but everyone automatically makes the team. I think having tryouts is part of the charter or something.

Our rec league has "evaluations" (which some people call "try outs") before teams are formed. Everyone gets placed on a team, but they try to spread out the talent to create balanced teams. It's weird that the OP's info said that her registration would be refunded if her child wasn't placed. (Unless that's just a stipulation in case they can't find enough coaches to place all the kids who signed up.)

 

[sam_gordon]

Our rec league has "evaluations" (which some people call "try outs") before teams are formed. Everyone gets placed on a team, but they try to spread out the talent to create balanced teams. It's weird that the OP's info said that her registration would be refunded if her child wasn't placed. (Unless that's just a stipulation in case they can't find enough coaches to place all the kids who signed up.)

The OP also mentioned a non-competitive rec league, so I think her DD is actually trying out for a select/travel team.