About South Kitsap Soccer Club Select Tryouts

South Kitsap Soccer Club Select is a competitive program with a focus on family, school, church, and the club as part of our community team approach that has endured for over 37 years. We are willing to give all our spare time and energy to provide the kids (child/teenager) in our community with a level of competition higher than that of recreational soccer.

We believe in teaching great sportsmanship, boosting self-esteem, and having fun!
Commitments to family, church, and school come first. School grades are more important than soccer. When it comes to other sports, please respect the time commitment involved in being a part of your Club Select team; practices, fundraising events, tournaments and games.

Since this is a "competitive" team, playing time will NOT be equal
It is important for players and parents to know that playing time will be based on talent, commitment to the team, attitude, player safety and determined by Coaches during the game.

South Kitsap Soccer Club Select uses a player selection process called a tryout to find the right set of players to form teams that can compete at the highest possible levels. We will seek to form one team, but if there are enough players we may form two teams within the same age group and create a pool.

Technical skills on the field are obviously an important factor, but attitude, commitment, vision, work-ethic, and other less quantitative factors are also considered. We will look for insight, personality and speed to create, build and develop our teams in each age group.

We will be using a system and philosophy for training and developing strong competitive teams in an environment where talent and creativity can thrive to encourage teenagers to stay active and continue to develop and enjoy the game as they grow older.

The purpose of the tryout, and the job of the tryout evaluators, is to incorporate all of these factors and find the right combination of skills, attitudes and roles to build competitive select teams that can play and win at the right competitive levels.

Why choose Select over Premier
The decision to play Select soccer should be one that is made primarily by the child/teenager IF and WHEN they are ready for a more challenging experience. Parents need to understand that the child is developing and consider their mindset towards changing the game environment from easy and simple (if it is for them) to harder, a lot faster and more physical.

For some kids and adults the change in speed and the very physical level of competitiveness may be a shock, so please attend higher level tournaments with your son/daughter and have them observe.Then ask them what they want to do.

If you child says "No" or "Not yet" please listen to them and do not push.

NOTE TO PARENTS:
Coaches and the team members will benefit from the support that is provided during practice, at the games and at home.
This can range from proper rest to nutrition and more practice handling the ball. Managers will benefit from being able to share the load of their responsibilities with other parents. Please keep in mind that our club is made up of volunteers, from the board to the person maintaining the fields and obtaining bids for our uniforms and equipment (frequently the same people). All are volunteering many hours and making personal sacrifices to help provide organized soccer to our/your local community.

What we seek going forward is to develop character and camaraderie in our youth while learning and playing a team sport. Therefore, we as adults need to make sure that our words and actions, throughout the process and experience, remain positive and encouraging. We set the example and positive tone that can influence the dynamics of the team and impact their performance.

It will also help to benefit the soccer community in and outside our District IV and in the Puget Sound Premier League.

Tryout Registration

Players register for a single age group within their gender. Players are permitted to tryout for an older age group, to play one year up, but may not tryout for a younger age group. Trying out for multiple age groups may require multiple independent registrations. Please see the age chart below to find the appropriate age group for your player. Look across to the month in which the prospective player was born, then down to find the year in which they were born. Then follow that row to the far left to find the age appropriate group for that player.

What To Wear

Players must be properly dressed for the tryout in BLACK shorts with WHITE T-shirt (NO GRAPHICS) and WHITE socks. Specifically, they must wear appropriate footwear and shin guards for play on grass. Shin guards must be worn under the sock (proper footwear and shin guards are mandatory). Tryouts are held rain or shine. Player must not wear any jewelry - this includes necklaces, rings and earrings of any kind, and bracelets of any kind. Player must not wear local, regional, national or international club clothing. Players doing so may be asked to remove these items during tryouts.

What To Bring
Players must also bring an adequate supply of water and a copy of their birth certificate if your son or daughter is new to SKSC. Forms will need to be completed at the field so please come at least 20-30 minutes early. We will make registration forms available online to help expedite the sign-in process. While the parent is registering the kids can warm-up for the session.

Time And Duration
Each tryout consists of two sessions - please see the schedule. Players are not required to attend both days, but being there both days significantly improves a player's chance of being selected to a team. In some instances, players may be called back for a third day of tryouts (time and place to be determined by the coaches). If you cannot make both days then you must notify the tryout coordinator(s) who will in turn notify the tryout evaluator(s) and coaches. Each session lasts for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Players need to be properly hydrated before each tryout session, and will be given multiple water breaks during the tryout sessions. Tryouts are held rain or shine.

Check-In
Upon arrival, players must check-in with the tryout coordinators. On the first day players will receive a jersey bearing their tryout number. On subsequent days, after checking in, players must wear that same jersey bearing that same tryout number. This is very important. Players must then wear their jersey and move onto the tryout field to warm-up. Warm-ups are typically informal. Player's warm-up with their own ball, and work with other players who are there for the tryout. Parents are not permitted on the tryout field and should refrain from engaging with the coaches/evaluators during this time as everyone will be focused on facilitating and evaluating the performance of your child/teenager during the tryout session.

The Tryout
The tryout itself is very much like a typical practice. Players will be divided into groups and run through some individual exercises, move to small sided games, and possibly on to larger full sided games. Players will be given water breaks and stay in the tryout area during breaks. Parents are to remain OUTSIDE of the tryout area at all times. Please respect the process so that our coaches and evaluators can focus spending every minute on the kids.

There will be multiple tryout evaluators managing the tryout. Some of the evaluators are coaches of the teams in the specific age group and gender that is being evaluated. Other evaluators include other SKSC coaches, Premier coaches, and soccer professionals from partner clubs, schools and organizations in the area who are assisting in the selection process. All are volunteers.

The tryout evaluators are looking for the right combination of players to form the most competitive teams possible. They will be watching the players and taking notes on individuals and associating those comments with the jersey number worn by that player.

Evaluators will then exchange information and point out certain players to other evaluators who they may want to take a closer (second) look at. All the feedback is then gathered and given to the coaches. After final review and consideration the club committee and coaches will decide which players are selected for each team based on the criteria mentioned earlier.

Player Notification
Notification of selection to a given team will be done by the respective coach. Players can then choose to accept or decline the invitation.

As we rebuild our SKSC Select program we will do our best to create an opportunity for all kids. This may include, playing up a year. Right now all options are being explored and evaluated.