Bay Area Youth Soccer (BAYS)
Division 1 & Division 2 Team Selection Process FAQ
Who Manages the Selection Process?
The age group coordinator manages the selection process. Since BAYS stratifies the level of play, WUSC holds tryouts to select players for teams to play in BAYS Division 1 and Division 2. The remaining pool of players enter a draft to form balanced teams that play in BAYS Division 3. The age group coordinator is an independent (no child in the age group) person selected by the WUSC Board. The coordinator is tasked with managing a tryout and selection process designed to eliminate as much coach and parent bias as possible. This individual holds tryouts, collects the player evaluation forms, reviews prior coach’s ratings and makes a recommendation on the rosters for the D-1 and D-2 teams. He/she also runs a team pick meeting with the coaches from the particular age group to confirm the D-1 and D-2 rosters and manage the draft for the balanced teams playing in BAYS D-3 or D-4. While the goal of the team selection process is to achieve consensus, in the absence of consensus the coordinator will make the final decision.
How are Tryout Participants Selected?
Wellesley transitions from its in town league to the Bay Area Youth Soccer (BAYS) league for players who have turned 9 before August 1 of a given year (usually children moving from 3rd to 4th grade). In the spring before this transition, the age group coordinator holds an open tryout for all other players interested in trying out for a Division 1 or Division 2 BAYS team. Any child may participate in the open tryout; however, to avoid unnecessary disappointment and to make sure the tryout process is manageable, we ask you to only send your child if you feel he or she is legitimately in contention for a D-1 or D-2 spot. To achieve a more thorough evaluation of the players at the open tryout, the age group coordinator in coordination with the spring coaches, can select a maximum of two players who will be exempt from the first or open tryout. Players related to the coaching staff on any team are not allowed an exemption to avoid parent/coach bias. The two players exempt from the open tryout must attend the remaining two tryouts in order to be eligible for a position on a Division 1 or Division 2 team.
After the first year in BAYS, tryouts occur every spring to select teams for the upcoming fall season. All players who did not play on a Division 2 or Division 2 team that spring are eligible to attend tho open tryout. The age group coordinator selects the best players from this open tryout to compete head-to-head with current D-1 and D-2 players for positions on both teams. Players currently on a Division 1 and Division 2 team must tryout again along side those players chosen from an open tryout.
What Happens in Tryouts?
After the open tryout, team tryouts are held on one or two separate days. The coordinator does not rate players but manages a group of professional evaluators WUSC pays (Mass Premier Soccer,
How are the D-1 and D-2 Teams Selected after the Tryouts?
The independent age group coordinator uses the results from the tryout, combined with coach’s ratings from previous seasons, to develop a recommendation as to who should be placed on the D-1 or D-2 team. Typically, for 4 th Grade (6 vs 6 teams) the Division 1 team will be made up of the 11 strongest players while the Division 2 team will have the next 11 strongest players based on these inputs. In the final step in the process, the coordinator hosts a team pick meeting involving all the coaches for the upcoming season to discuss the tryout results, coach's ratings and the coordinators' recommendation for the D-1 and D-2 rosters. Input from the coaches with direct knowledge of certain players can result in adjustments to team placements. Those players invited to the D-1/D-2 tryout, but whose skills did not warrant placement on one of these two teams, plus all other registered players not invited to tryout, are then placed on balanced teams through a draft process managed by the coordinator. These teams are "balanced" in terms of overall skill level and play in BAYS Division 3 and 4 traveling to and competing with local towns just like the D-1 and D-2 teams.
What are the expectations if your child is selected to a stratified team?
While we fully expect that soccer will not be a child's only activity, it is expected that, if selected, the child will make a commitment to that team, both for practices and games. While conflicts with other sports are sometimes unavoidable, especially in the spring, we ask that your child place a game priority on his/her BAYS soccer team (practice conflicts should be shared 50/50 with other sports practices). Additionally,
