Tryout FAQ

South County Travel Soccer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Tryouts for Travel and Elite programs is just around the corner, so we asked parents to send in questions related to the assessment process. SCYSC Director of Coaching and Player Development, David Newbery, has responded to each question with a short video message. We hope you find this page helpful - please send additional questions to Communications Director Sam Healy and we will be sure to respond: [email protected]

What is the South County YSC Pre-tryout Event and should my child attend?

The pre-tryout orientation event is designed to offer players and parents a preview of the activities and methods implemented at the tryout.
We want to maximize the opportunity for all the players to be at their best and knowing the answers to the test will surely help them to be successful.
All too often a young player will be overwhelmed by the tryout process and will not demonstrate their best performances. To alleviate some of the stress we will reveal the activities the players will be asked to perform.
South County wants every player to be confident and to demonstrate all their attacking and defending strengths.
Players and parents can meet coaches and potential teammates and learn more about South County YSC and our approach to the game.
Players attending the pre-tryout event will receive a limited-edition gift.

What is a South County YSC Tryout?

A tryout is a traditional method used by youth sports clubs to evaluate players and to make selections based on ability to form a team or teams.
South County offers two tryout opportunities for travel teams (June and November) and one tryout opportunity for elite teams (June).
The travel tryout in June is used to form teams for the Fall Superliga season and the November tryout adds players to spring Superliga teams.
Children selected in June will have an opportunity to register for just the fall season or a year-round commitment. A child committing to a year-round commitment is guaranteed a place on a team in the spring.
If a child is unable to attend a tryout to illness, vacation or other reason, they must contact [email protected] and request a tryout waiver prior to tryouts.

What teams and age groups are formed?

The number of teams offered in any age group is determined by the number of 'travel' and 'elite' ready players attending tryouts and number of players excepting offers.
Due to the middle school and high school soccer seasons coinciding with the fall season, we form teams for middle school and high school age groups if we have sufficient interest.
Our travel teams start at U8 and are offered through to U19.
In some age groups we will offer single age groups (i.e. U8/U9/U10/U11 etc.) and multiple teams (A, B, C).
All our travel teams are gender specific (Boys or Girls) and on occasion a female player may play on a boys’ team if it is deemed to be developmentally appropriate.

What is South County YSC looking for from a player?

There are three different tryout protocols used to evaluate the players.
Each protocol is designed to focus on the important competencies expected for the academies: Junior (U8), Blue (U9-U12) and Gold (U13+).
Parents and players interested to know what specifically we are looking for should attend the pre-tryout orientation (June 2nd, 2017). At this event we will be demonstrating the activities and evaluative methods.
We want to see players playing their natural game, not trying too hard to impress the elevators.
Often a travel or elite player plays simply, at a high tempo and moves around the field to get into support positions. Defensively the player recovers into a goal-side position and forces an opponent to make mistakes by applying intense pressure.

Who should participate in tryouts and what is the selection process?

All players registering and attending the try out will be fairly assessed by a combination of volunteers and professional evaluators.
Players currently participating on a South County team, the coach will complete and evaluation for all players.
If a player is new to South County the assessment will be based on their performance at the tryout event.
Players from all over Rhode Island, nor the Massachusetts and Eastern Connecticut are participating on South County travel and elite teams.
We wish to see players that have developed through the South County system to receive every opportunity to play on a travel or elite team and we certainly do not actively recruit players from other towns to travel teams.
Often a prime reason for players wishing to play for South County is the standard of coaching and the quality of our teams.
The professional staff will lead the evaluating team and will present the club with a final ranking and selection recommendation.
Many of our players participate in both the travel program and the elite program, representing South County.
We certainly encourage committed and enthusiastic players to register for both tryouts.

How will we be notified and what are our options if our child is not selected for elite or travel?

All players will be notified by email to parents within seven days of the tryout. In some situations parents will hear from the club within 48 hours.
Details about the offer will be included in the email including a required response date.
In the event a player has been selected for a South County travel or elite team, the parents will be asked to make a commitment by registering and paying online.
Payment options will be offered and an individual will have an opportunity to apply for financial aid or scholarship.
Unfortunately, not all players attending the try out will be successful in gaining a place on a travel or elite team. If a player does not make an elite team, we recommend a player trys-out out for a travel team. If a player does not make a travel team, we recommend the parent registers the child for the South County house program.
As disappointing as this will be for some, we will certainly encourage a player try again at the future try out.
We hope the tryout process is a positive experience in the lives of the players and we will readily accept comments and suggestions that can make this process more enjoyable for all individuals concerned – email [email protected].