TryoutsFAQ

Tryouts

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do I do if I am age eligible for more than one team?

Answer:
Our suggestion to players who are age-eligible to tryout for more than one team is always the same: Tryout for BOTH teams. If a player "makes" both teams the NorthStar coaches will place her on the team that is best for HER. This is important to understand. We do NOT place players on teams based on what is best for the team - We will sacrifice the soccer strength of a team to place a player where we believe she should be. Our criteria is simple: Where (which team) will this player advance and grow and develop and learn the best.

Please understand that if you are trying out for an older age group team as well as a team within your age group, and you are selected for the older age group team, that will be the only spot you are offered. A spot on the age appropriate team will not be offered. If you do not make the older age group team and make the age appropriate team, then you will be offered a spot on that team.

2. Do I need to pre register?

Answer:
We would like to know our numbers ahead of time- but it is not necessary -

Simply visit our tryout page (Click to go to tryout page) and see the instructions on what to bring with you for tryouts.

3. Are there cost for tryouts?

Answer:
No- all NorthStar tryouts are free- However if you are not a registered player- then there is a fee to get you registered for insurance reasons. See the tryout page for details (Click to go to tryout page)

4. When do I find out if I have been selected for the team?

Answer:
We understand that tryouts are a little nerve racking, so we try to reduce this as much as possible. We make every effort to make acceptance phone calls immediately after the last Friday of the last tryout week.

Please understand that there is a natural cascading effect when we call players. Do NOT read anything into the situation. If you have not had a phone call and some of your friends have it most likely has more to do with the time it takes to make calls and find people than your selection to the team.

Calls have a cascading order to them because not all selected players accept a spot on the team. Therefore, we typically call in the following order;

1. Current players that are selected to the next year’s team

2. New Players that have been selected

3. Current players that have not been selected.

If you get an acceptance call, we will expect a “Yes, I accept” or “No, I decline” answer immediately. You and your parents SHOULD have had all the information that you need to make an informed decision prior to your attending tryouts.

(Unfortunately, we will have to interpret "I want to think about it" as a “No, I decline” answer. This is a critical point. If we had to wait for players and families to decide after the offer, it could make it impossible for the coaches to continue our calling and significantly prolong the process. It could even stop the whole process for ALL the teams because of the oldest-to-youngest selection order.)

5. What if I am injured before or during the tryouts?

Answer:
We understand injuries do occur and we will do our best to accommodate players who are hurt.

Please make SURE you contact the coach(es) for the team(s) for which you would like to be considered and TELL us about your situation.

In many cases your being hurt during the tryout period will NOT impact your chance of selection. NorthStar has reserved the right to expand the definition of tryouts to include the following situations when extenuating circumstances exist:

Current team players who wish to be chosen may have their most recent season performance used as the basis for their selection. NorthStar selection criteria will apply.
New players who are known to the coaches via observation of club or High School matches or participation in NorthStar training may have that performance used as the basis for their selection.
New players who have been evaluated by others whose experience and judgment we respect and we have found to be consistently accurate when evaluating players performance may have that performance used as the basis for their selection.

If your injury will impact your performance for a long period of time – into Fall league season for example – you may be offered a reserve position. This option would give you a place on the team but not eliminate opportunity for other players.

The key to injuries and tryout is COMMUNICATION. Please tell us early and in detail about any restrictions you may have due to injury. If we know, we can help.

6. I am currently playing for a TBAYS team but we are done, Do I register for this TBAYS team again and still tryout for a NorthStar team, or do I wait to sign up?

Answer:
Our suggestion is to submit your registration to TBAYS and note on it that you are trying out for NorthStar- that way you save your spot on the TBAYS team should you not be selected for NorthStar- So get your registration in to TBAYS to get your name on their team- its a first come first serve basis from what we understand.

7. What are some of the major things that you look for in your players?

Answer:
We look for the following player attributes;
Commitment to Excellence - Understanding and modeling of the NorthStar definition of success,
Dedication-Work Ethic-Attutide-Team Chemistry-Ability to sacrifice personally for the betterment of the team.
Coachability - does the player listen & grasp the concept or correction being given and attempts to apply it.

We also look for the "four pillars" of the game - in each player.

1. Technical Ability - the ability to pass-receive- and shoot the ball with and with out pressure.

2. Tactical Ability - or better put...The decision making of the player.

3. Physical - how fit or in shape the player is- how hard do they go into challenges..etc.

4. Psychological - how emotionally tough is this player.

Tryout Facts and Fiction

There are many common beliefs about tryouts that are simply wrong.

Fiction: The purpose of tryouts is to find the most competitive players.

Fact: A series of successful tryouts actually sort out the players and teams so that players are lined up with teams with other players of similar skills, similar competitiveness, and a similar commitment to training.

Fiction: Coaches can easily recognize all the best players.

Fact: Most experienced coaches have attributes that they look for in a candidate, sometimes it’s very difficult to reliably distinguish between players with slightly varying ability levels. It’s also difficult to quickly recognize promising project players, or perhaps overlooking gifted players who have crucial abilities to read the game or make clever attacking passes in favor of larger and faster players, or players who use the ball a great deal.

Fiction: The best players are selected.

Fact: An assortment of the best and not-so-best players are selected.

Fiction: Many players got their position through politics.

Fact: A few players get their position through politics. The coach's daughter, the board member's son, these are common. In some cases average players make a better team because they provide transportation for the star player who has no ride to practice and matches. It happens.

Fiction: Good teams don't have vacancies.

Fact: Healthy teams change a few players each year. Job relocations, injury, and commitments to other sports take a few players away every year, even from the best teams.

Fiction: Coaches will always want the star players.

Fact: Some star players have an entitlement mindset or poor attitude, in addition they also seem to have parents who are never happy and who annoy and disturb most of the other team parents. Better coaches avoid these "stars" for the sake of protecting team chemistry.

Fiction: Players who aren't on the best teams by U14 will never make it.

Fact: U16 is more like it. Many U14 stars disappear by U18. Some who depended on athleticism are passed by those who develop skill and tactical speed. Others fall to injury, bad home situations, and interest in other activities.

Fiction: There is nothing that a player can do to improve at tryouts.

Fact: There are many effective steps to follow in preparing for a tryout. All other things equal, better skilled and more athletic players do better at tryouts.

Fiction: The best players should try out for the best team.

Fact: Below U16, it is more important to get excellent training than to be on the best team. Parents and players should seek out the very finest trainers available, even if the trainers don't yet have killer teams. Many early "killer teams" are built by enthusiastic parent coaches with limited training ability but great organizational and recruiting ability. These teams fade away during the high school years, overshadowed by teams that gained their playing ability through extensive training and player development.