PHILOSOPHY

Our goal at Soccer Blast is to give kids the skills and confidence to enjoy a team sport that will provide them with fitness and love of activity for the rest of their lives.  Soccer is one of the few sports that anyone can enjoy at any age, from 3 to 103!  Childhood obesity has soared from 11% in 1994 to 16% in 2002.  Only the tiniest percentage of kids turn into professional players in any sport.  While our mission is not to turn out Olympic level players, we know that when kids learn the skills that make exercise fun, they continue to play because they want to, rather than because they have to. 

What are tryouts?

· Soccer is a team sport.  While the personal skills and abilities of each player are important, it takes a whole team to play a game, not several individual players.

· The aim of tryouts is to select kids to play on teams that are well suited to their abilities and understanding of the game.  Soccer Blast’s objective is to form teams that allow players to grow with the sport and enjoy the playing experience. 

· Generally, kids who are playing on teams in divisions requiring skills much higher than those they possess do not develop the self-esteem they need to continue playing and exercising.  Kids who have substantially more skill than their teammates likely are not learning as much as they could on a team with other players of a similar level.  Individual playing skill is an important factor in team formation, but it is not the only factor.  For example, leadership, team camaraderie, and motivation to learn may make a player with developing skills one of the most valuable players on a team.  All of this is taken into account during the selection process.

Will my child be cut from his or her team?

· There is a commonly held belief that tryouts are for “cutting” kids from teams.  Not true at Soccer Blast!  Tryouts are held so that coaches can find the best fit for both the player and the team.  Coaches need to see kids playing together so that they can select a team that has players who complement each other and can play together as a team. 

· Once the coaches have looked at the available players they work to form teams that will best fit players with teammates.  Many aspects of player ability and team dynamics are taken into account.  This means that your child may be offered a place on a team that has different players than the team he plays on this season. 

· At Soccer Blast we strive to offer a place to all players for whom we have age and level appropriate teams.  For this reason, some refer to this process as a “try-in”, to find out which team your child will be on.

If my child is already on a team does he have to come to tryouts?

· YES!  If your child’s team is looking to fill even one spot, coaches will want to see potential players interacting with teammates.  It is very difficult to assess players’ abilities without seeing them on the field with other players!

How can I help my child perform without anxiety, to his best potential?

· Tell your child to go out on the field, HAVE FUN, and play hard, just as he would in any game!  Soccer is fun.  If your child focuses on the game, he or she will demonstrate his or her aptitude for play.  Our coaches are very experienced in estimating playing ability.  They are looking at coordination, speed, skills, not at accomplishment during the tryout scrimmage.  Score is not kept during tryouts.  :-)

· Follow usual game rules for apparel (shin guards, uniform, cleats or turf shoes), food (no heavy meals within a couple of hours of playing hard), large water or sport drink container, sunscreen.

· This is one case where it’s generally easier for your child to play as he or she would play for fun, out in the yard with friends, without a cheering section.  You will be asked to fill out paperwork on the field, but to avoid cheering and commenting on your child’s and other children’s performance during the tryout.

Soccer Blast is about kids.  Kids who play on our teams must want first to play soccer, second to work hard, and third to have fun.  We believe that any child who meets those three criteria will enjoy and grow with this sport, and that’s how we build our teams. 

We keep in mind the statistics stating that people who do not learn to enjoy exercise early in life do not likely ever learn to enjoy it.   We teach the skills necessary to make soccer fun.  And, when it’s fun, kids will keep playing.  We emphasize international soccer skills training with a core of professional coaches from soccer nations including Brazil, France, Portugal,  and USA.  Our coaches grew up with soccer balls at their feet, and their infectious enthusiasm shows.   They teach soccer with the passion of the only country to win the World Cup five times:  Brazil.   Soccer Blast coaches teach the skills necessary to anyone who wants to play soccer and work hard. 

Winning both on and off the field is the result of our philosophy.   Soccer Blast is about personal development and teamwork, love and vision of the game, and the self-esteem that comes with playing soccer, working hard, and having fun.

We look forward to seeing you at Soccer Blast tryouts.  Please feel free to contact any of us prior to tryouts regarding questions, concerns, or comments.  We are happy to help.

For more information on team sports and parenting, please read and enjoy this article at www.sportsmanship.org.

If you have questions, please contact us at 734 709-5034 or info@soccerblast.net.