Wellesley United Soccer Club Tryout Policy
Schedule for Fall 2008 Tryouts for fall grades 5-8
Schedule for Grade 4 Tryouts for Spring 2009
Girls: Sat Oct 18 & 25, 3:30 - 5:30 pm at Bates School
Boys: Sun Oct 19 & 26, 3:30 - 5:30 pm at Perrin Field
This page contains the details on the Wellesley United Soccer Club's (WUSC) policy for team selection and tryout policy. We would like to move to a new tryout format for this upcoming Spring 2006 season. Since this our first time through a more extensive tryout process, we are implementing this policy on a trial basis and may change aspects of it based on our experience this spring.
Note that although this page details a tryout policy, implementing it requires a lot of detailed planning. These aspects of the tryouts as well as any case-by-case assessments will be left to the discretion of the age group coordinator.
Teams
The policy of WUSC is to have no more than two selected or stratified teams per age group. All remaining players not selected for the Div. 1 and Div. 2 stratified teams will play on “Balanced” teams, meaning teams with equal distribution of talent, i.e., balanced.
• Division 1 team (top rated players)
• Division 2 team (next group of top-rated players)
• Balanced teams (remaining players with equal distribution of talent across all teams)
Note that the number of players on each team depends on the age group since each team needs an appropriate number of players for the size of the field team (6v6, 8v8 or 11v 11). The exact number assigned to each team is the decision of the age group coordinator and will be decided based on the interests of all teams. For example, balanced teams will not be left with too few players in order to have more players on the Div. 1 or Div. 2 teams.
Team Selection Philosophy
Before giving specifics, it is worth stating our primary objectives with team selection and player placement:
• Every player shall be given the opportunity to tryout for any selected or stratified team
• No player is guaranteed a position on the stratified teams
• Any player can be moved up from balanced to stratified teams
• Any player can be moved down from a stratified team to a balanced team (Div. 1 to Div. 2, Div. 2 to Balanced team)
• Every player interested in playing on the stratified teams must tryout (including current stratified team players)
• Team selection and player placement decisions will be made by the age group coordinator in a coach's meeting (with D1 and D2 coaches and all balanced coaches)
• Tryouts will be held with impartial evaluators (including independent paid evaluators, coaches, board members, others with extensive soccer experience)
• Full tryouts will be held in the spring for next fall season for Grades 5-8 teams (the 4-7 Grade spring teams)
• 4 th Grade which will be held in the fall for 4 th Grade spring season.
• Teams will stay in tact from fall to spring if possible. Limited tryouts may be necessary based on players not returning for the spring season or other special circumstances.
Team Selection Process (5th Grade-8th Grade) Spring Season (for Fall season teams):
• All teams will be newly selected at the end of the spring season for the upcoming fall season (e.g., Spring of 6 th Grade for 7 th Grade Fall teams)
• Spring tryouts will be open to all players interested in playing on the stratified teams. It should be stressed that these tryouts are voluntary and only players interested in playing on stratified teams need to attend.
• Age group coordinators will inform parents of the approximate total number of “net” slots available on the stratified team (number of players not returning) at the beginning of each spring season. Again, stratified players are not guaranteed a spot but the “net” number of slots gives other players an assessment of how many slots are in play.
• Format/time table for spring tryouts:
? Early May: Balanced team tryout/evaluation open to all balanced players (date TBD). Top balanced players are invited to tryout for stratified teams (Div. 1 and Div. 2 teams).
? Mid May and late May: 2 tryouts for the Div. 1 and Div. 2 teams. Players invited to tryout will be current Div. 1 and Div. 2 players and the players selected from the balanced team tryout and coach's evaluations.
? Age group coordinator will set dates for tryouts.
Team Selection Process (5th Grade-8th Grade) Fall Season (for upcoming Spring season):
• Teams to stay as much in tact as possible
• Limited tryouts will be held during the fall season if warranted/necessary due to open slots on stratified teams for the upcoming spring season (players not returning for spring season)
? If player slots are available on the Div. 1 and Div. 2 stratified teams, player selection for open slots will be left to the age group coordinator's discretion and will be based upon
? Coach's evaluations (fall and spring seasons)
? Results from the previous spring's tryouts
? Smaller, limited fall tryouts (if held)
Team Selection Process (4th Grade) Fall Season (for upcoming Spring season):
• Players under consideration for the 4 th Grade stratified teams (Div. 1 and 2) will be invited to a tryout in late October
• Players will be invited to tryout based on coach's evaluations over the past few seasons (3rd Grade Fall and Spring, 4th Grade Fall)
• Two tryout sessions will be held with independent evaluators