1) You don’t know the coaches or other players but you need to be bold and show you can play. Talk, be visible, engage in conversation.

2) Hustle, create opportunities for yourself and other players, stay in the middle of play! DO NOT DISAPPEAR on the field. I have seen very good players show the assessors nothing. You are putting on a show.

3) Don’t try to pull off fancy moves that you cannot pull off but be creative and stick with the tried and true.

4) Be a leader – talk on the field, tell the other players what you want them to do. This is an excellent quality prized by coaches so bring it and sing it!

5) Practice before the tryouts. Be sharp and you will be more comfortable and confident with the ball. Show mental alertness. Work on your conditioning as tryouts are short but intense. If you are out of shape you will go down a few notches no matter what you have shown.

6) Take advice from the coaches. They are looking for coach-ability or a willingness to learn and improve.

7) Look at the tryout setup. Are they evaluating you on attacking or defending skill? Shooting? Movement off the ball? Reading the game? Tactical play?

Most of all enjoy the experience, have fun. You’re playing right?

I strongly suggest you observe your team and see what is breaking down. This is obvious right? Well I see a lot of coaches yelling but not too many observing so I bet many of us coaches could do a better job in this area. Now, identify one key problem area.

Is it attacking? Was it the shooting or lack of shooting? Was it good crossing or were your numbers less than the other team’s defense? Did the midfield not connect with the forwards?

Was it your midfields control, passing, transition play?

Was your defense up or back or disconnected? Did they defend high up and have support?

How were your set plays, corners, throw-ins?

Break it all down and work on one area per practice using the proper drills and you will get better use from all of that information you have collected.

Wambach shot a glorious header in minute 122 in one of the most amazing games I have witnessed but it was a team effort as Rapinoe sent a beautiful cross into the box.

The moral? Never give up and outplay calls that go against you.

That epiphany hit me hard. Let’s take the focus off W/L and develop our youth’s skills and winning will take care of itself. This discussion is also going on in England as they watch Spain, Brazil, France and the Netherlands produce players they covet for the EPL.

We need to take a long term view and let the kids have fun without coaches continually telling them what they are doing wrong.

If your win / loss record determines your opinion of yourself then it will be a long tortuous experience. It took a long time but it has come down to “sometimes you win and sometimes you lose and sometimes you just tie but are my kids playing better?” If that’s the way you gauge yourself you will really enjoy coaching. You don’t buy it do you? It’s gotta be that win loss record. No doubt winning is more fun and everyone is happier but more development and effort comes from a humbling loss. You gotta keep the players up and motivated to practice harder but that is coaching. You may develop your character more than your players but that’s all part of the coaching experience.

Recently in a tournament we came to a draw and faced a shootout. The referee said, “coaches, please leave the field.” I handed the captain my kicking order and walked off and watched. The won the shootout and piled on top of each other celebrating. I was ecstatic but it was their moment. They did it without me. My work was pretty much done before the match and now they were facing their test as a team. My role was to prepare them – their role was to suceed as a group and be part of something they will fondly look back on.

To watch kids work and to work hard while keeping them engaged can take time and patience but when they play well you feel, well, incredible. Why do you coach?