Try-outs

Another soccer season has started and players (children) are being told where they will be playing this coming summer. Some hearts are broken, some dreams are made.

In the old days athletes learned of their fate by lists posted on walls or coaches called out names to divide groups up. It was all public and it is was obvious to all who made the team and who had to move on. Today we have tried to change this, to make it more human, but have we. Now it is line up and receive a sealed envelope and keep going, do not open until you are at your car..... Some coaches try to talk to players and let them know their fate etc but ....

I am thinking there must be more to this process then simply telling the child if they made the team or not. It needs to be more about providing the athlete (child & parent) with information gathered on the child throughout the try-outs. What did the coaches and evaluators see. What was the child's strengths and weaknesses, how did they compare to the other athletes what can they work on if they want to try and make the team next year....

My biggest concern as I watch try-outs or hold try-outs myself is the optics of the try-outs. It really bothers me when I watch evaluators and coaches standing beside each other talking and even with their backs to the athletes. I wonder how can they be making accurate observations. Do they think if they have seen the athlete once they know the abilities of the athlete?!

I, as a parent, who has paid $ to have my child at these try-outs expect that the coaches and evaluators spend as much time watching my child as possible. To see them over the largest time frame as possible! To make a fair educated judgement.

My Solution:

1. This year I decided to implement a new system for try-outs. I decided that I would provide all athletes with a report card on their abilities.
2. First I designed a template (rubric) for each of the skills I was going to evaluate the athletes on. This rubric had four levels for each of the skills.
3. This rubric was used by each evaluator to evaluate the players on each skill.
4. I then entered the data onto the spread sheet, calculated the average and then ranked the players. At the end I had quantified data on each player along with comments on some aspects of the player's ability.
5. I was able to take this info and produce a report card that outlines the level of each each skill, where they ranked amongst all the players trying out and I included some comments on strengths and areas to work on.
6. Then I used this report card as the evidence for our selection.

This information makes it clear to the athlete why we made the decisions we did. It also gives the athlete the opportunity to work on certain parts of their game if they are interested in making the team next year.

To me this was treating the athlete with respect and dignity and it showed that the we did do our homework in choosing the team. In the end I felt that I did the best job possible in selecting my team, I made the try-out process transparent and I provided the athlete with relevant information. It was time consuming but anything is the first time you try it. I strongly encourage coaches and associations to take the next step in try-outs and design a transparent methodology for their athletes. Provide the quality service that one deserves.

Love to hear your thoughts on try-outs.......