Tryouts stink.
Let’s not kid ourselves and pretend. Reducing children to numbers and putting them in artificial playing environments is not a fun thing to do.
As the “Hey, He Knows Soccer” person in my circle of friends, I get inundated at this time of year with people asking questions. Some are legitimate — we’re new to travel, we’re considering a couple of different clubs with different philosophies, etc. Some are simply a product of deeply flawed systems for selecting players. Every situation is different. The college prospect has different needs than the 8-year-old just looking for a new challenge. Some families don’t mind the occasional four-hour drive for a league game; some do. Some kids are athletes who need to learn soccer skills; some kids are fluent in soccer and need coaches who’ll be patient while they catch up in terms of speed and strength.