Tryout Season: How Players and Parents Can Prepare for Success

Player Placement Tips for Parents & Players

Tryouts can feel intimidating for players and parents alike. New environments, new coaches, new teammates, and limited time to make an impression all add to the pressure. At BRSC, we believe tryouts should be viewed not as a test to fear, but as an opportunity to grow, compete, and learn.

Here are some practical ways players and parents can prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally for the tryout experience.

For Players: Control What You Can

1. Prepare Your Game

Preparation doesn’t require anything fancy just time with the ball.

In the weeks leading up to tryouts:

Get outside and play with the ball most days, even if it’s just 20–30 minutes.
Juggle, dribble, pass against a wall, or play small pickup games.
Focus on sharp touches and comfort on the ball.

Tryouts move quickly. Players who arrive already confident in their touches can spend less time “finding their feet” and more time showing who they are as players.

2. Prepare Your Mind

Flexibility matters.

Be open to playing different positions. Strong players can adapt.
Don’t focus on where you are playing focus on how you are playing.
Coaches understand that players are being moved around and evaluated in unfamiliar roles.

A positive mindset and willingness to adapt often stand out just as much as technical ability.

3. Respond Well to Mistakes

Mistakes will happen. They happen to everyone.

What coaches look for is how you respond:

Take a breath.
Win the ball back.
Make the next simple play.
Stay engaged and positive.

You can’t control every situation but you can always control your response.

4. Take Care of Your Body

Your body is your tool treat it well.

Eat balanced meals and stay hydrated.
Get a good night’s sleep.
Avoid overexerting yourself the day of tryouts.

Arriving rested and fueled makes a real difference.

5. Show Who You Are Within the Team

Showcase your strengths, but stay connected to the game.

If you’re creative, be brave with the ball.
If you’re athletic, compete for every 50/50.
If you read the game well, communicate and help others.

Playing hard, playing smart, and playing for the team always stands out.

6. Enjoy the Experience

Carry yourself with confidence.
Smile. Compete. Have fun.

The players who love the game (and show it) leave a lasting impression.

For Parents: Support the Process

1. Set the Right Expectations

Tryouts are evaluations, not judgments of your child’s worth.

Your child may not be the biggest, fastest, or most dominant player anymore and that’s okay.
Coaches may see your child in a different role than they’ve played before.
Development is not linear.

Approach the process with realism and an open mind.

2. Be Supportive Not Stressful

Before tryouts:

Keep conversations positive and encouraging.
Let your child know you’re proud of them, regardless of outcome.

During tryouts:

Go sit in your car or go run errands. We often find parents hovering around the field hinders their child more than it helps.
If you decide to stay and watch, do so from a distance.
Positive body language matters.
Do not coach from the sidelines.
Let the coaches do their job.

After tryouts:

Skip the post-game analysis in the car.
Ask if they had fun.
Talk about anything but soccer if they want to.

Sometimes the best support is simply being present and calm.

3. Keep Perspective

Your child’s soccer journey is their journey not yours.

Making or not making a team they wanted does not define:

Their character
Their potential
Their future in the game or in life

These years go by quickly. Enjoy watching them play, learn, struggle, grow, and succeed.

Final Thought

Tryouts are just one moment in a much longer development pathway. When players prepare well, stay positive, and embrace the challenge (and when parents support without pressure) the experience becomes what it should be:

A chance to compete, learn, and love the game.