There are many ways through which football players are discovered. Some are groomed in academies, others in soccer tournaments, while a good chunk of them are found during tryouts. First, what are tryouts? Tryouts are informal training or football practice sessions where players are accessed by coaches. Coaches deploy special training drills to judge the talent and suitability of a player. So what attributes are coaches looking for in players during these tryouts?
1. Physical Fitness
The first thing most if not all coaches look out for is the level of fitness of a said player. Ensuring that you are in great physical shape one of the important things to do before soccer tryouts. A player who is physically strong and fit is desired by most coaches because a game of football usually lasts 90 minutes, which will require endurance to last throughout. A player would also need to be energetic to be able to run the length and breadth of the football field sometimes at a high pace.
2. Talent or Skill
Coaches also always look for players who are naturally gifted on the ball. Footballers who are technically superb on the ball and able to dribble. The ability to read the game and make wise decisions in split seconds are what coaches look for in soccer tryouts. Coaches like to identify these kinds of natural-born talents, because with adequate training and nurturing they will develop into world-class players.
3. Attitude and Personality
Coaches also like to assess the attitude and general psychological makeup of a player. Is he quiet or loud? Is he sociable? Does he have a violent streak? How does he react to adversity? Is he friendly? These and other personality markers are gauged by the coach to determine how suitable a player will be for their team.
4. Ability to learn
Coaches tend to also judge players by how teachable they are. Does the player understand and carry out your tactical instructions to the letter? Can he take the initiative when required? Is he tactically disciplined to always stick to the game plan for the duration of a match? Does he quickly absorb and understand coaches’ instructions or does it take time for him to learn? These questions are some of the issues running through a trainer’s mind when observing different players during tryouts.
5. Tactical Suitability
Every manager has an idea of how he wants his team to play. Coaches, when choosing players, look for those, who fit the tactical vision he has for his team. Not every player flourishes under every formation, so the coach will as much as possible try to select footballers who can play any tactical formation he will want to deploy.
