How to Make the Soccer Team

Whether you’re trying out for a professional team or are going out for your high school team, you’ll want to make a good impression at tryouts.

Before you learn how to make the soccer team, you need to find out which team you want to try out for. The soccer team at your high school may have different requirements than a club or a professional league.

How to Make the Soccer Team

If you are unsure which team to try out for, ask your coach or the person in charge of the teams at your school. They can help you figure out which team is best for you.

You might also want to check with your friends and teammates about what they think would be best for you. If they are not on any teams, they might know someone who is on a different team and can tell them what it was like making that team.

Before the Soccer Tryouts

Before you go to the soccer field for tryouts, some tips help prepare your mind and body. We’ll go through the top areas to focus on and prepare before soccer tryouts even start.

Visualize Success

While visualizing might sound a little hokey to you, it is a proven method for helping calm your nerves. It allows your mind to focus on what is most essential and center yourself on how to achieve your goals.

Research has shown that, in some cases, mental visualization is almost just as effective as practicing itself! Visualizing success at your soccer tryouts is almost as important as practicing passing and dribbling a soccer ball!

Think Positively

For many, nerves take over as tryouts get closer, and negative thoughts fill your head. These negative thoughts only cloud your focus and concentration, negatively impacting your ability to perform at the top of your game.

Similar to visualizing success, you must train your mind to think positively about upcoming tryouts.

• Find the positives about the experience you’re about to embark on, and get excited about the opportunity.
• Focus on the areas you know you are good at and think about those more frequently. For example, if you’re good at heading the ball, think about this part of the tryouts as you prepare.

Talk with Others

Don’t just hold onto your nervousness before tryouts. Instead, be open and honest with friends and family. Talk about it in conversations. You don’t necessarily need to have an agenda with the conversations – the important thing is to be talking about it.

Sharing your concerns, fears, and apprehensions helps your mind process them. It will make it easier for you to think positively and visualize success.

Get Knowledgeable

Don’t walk onto the soccer field for tryouts without doing some research ahead of time. Try to figure out the timing and structure of tryouts. How long are the tryouts, and what sort of drills and practices do they do? Is most of your time spent in simulated games, or are there a lot of ball control drills to test individual skills?

The more you know, the more you can prepare for playing soccer. You’ll be able to focus on performing when you’re at tryouts, and the extra preparation ahead of time will allow you to be ready for what’s coming. Before the tryouts, ensure you’re prepared with good soccer cleats for training so you can be at your best and hopefully make the team.

Tips to Make the Soccer Team

All soccer skills aside, the way you present yourself at a tryout not only tells a coach a lot about you as a player but also as a person.

Prepare Your Gear Ahead of Time

Don’t stress out the day of. the tryouts Set out all the gear you need, including your shin guards, top-quality socks, cleats, and goalie gloves (if you’re a goalkeeper). Set your clothing out as well.

Stay Cool, Calm, and Collected

Although this can be a nervous time, being confident in yourself and calming down— especially suitable before you begin tryouts— is extremely important. Otherwise, the nerves will carry onto the field and cause you to make mistakes. Remember to breathe and focus on the task at hand.

Arrive a Bit Earlier

You’ve probably heard the phrase before: early is one time, and one time is late. Instead of getting there right when it starts, come a little earlier. You will be on time for the training, giving you extra time for yourself.

You can warm up on your own, show the coaches you’re responsible, respect their time, and make a good first impression. Also, if something happens to delay you on the way (an accident, you forget something, etc), you’ll have a built-in buffer time.

Just Play Your Game

Don’t worry too much about what the coach does while you’re playing. You’ll want to pay attention while they are giving instructions or directions.

However, looking at a coach too much will show insecurity, and you don’t want them to see that. The focus should be on what you can control – yourself. Since you can’t control the coach or his/her decisions, don’t spend any time worrying about it.

Play to Your Strengths

There is a fine line between playing well and showing off. Contribute to the team but make sure you stand out by portraying your best qualities.

• If you are a hard worker, “show off” by hustling hard.
• If you have a tremendous free kick or cross, “show off” by offering to take one during the game. You don’t want to be domineering, yet you must ensure that the coaches see your strengths.
• Since tryouts can be quick, making the team might depend on you jumping on an opportunity and excelling in it.

This will be the same for your children make sure they come prepared with excellent quality cleats for youth.

Hide Your Weaknesses

We all have aspects of our game that we need to work on. However, tryouts aren’t the time to do it. Don’t use this training to try a new move or take one for the team. You still need to find that balance between not showing off but shining.

Be a Good Teammate

A coach is looking for a good teammate. Players often tend to isolate themselves during a tryout, thinking they have to focus solely on their individual performance.

However, soccer is a team sport, and coaches want to see signs that you are a team player. If you can find someone to work with during scrimmages, it can help you both look good.

Try and Bond with Old Players

Players who were on the team last year may have an influence on the new players for the upcoming season. Although a coach might not ask returning players directly about their opinions, they’ll notice good interactions between new and old players. Plus, it helps to show that you can be a good teammate.

Put Yourself in Your Best Position

You might not be placed in your favorite soccer position the whole tryout. However, you must vocalize where you want to play or place yourself in that position. It’s essential to fight for your position as well as show that you have versatility. It’s always good to have two different positions as your favorite choices.

Be a Leader

That doesn’t mean you have to be a show-off, be bossy or make other players, not like you.

• You can be a leader by being vocal or by leading by example.
• You can portray confidence while you play and support your team with positive feedback.
• You need to gain the respect of your teammates and coach doesn’t mean you have to be a show-off, be bossy or make other players dislike you.
• You can be a leader by being vocal or by leading by example.

You can portray confidence while you play and support your team with positive feedback. You need to gain the respect of your teammates and coach.

Make a Memorable First Impression

If you’re not trying to get into a professional team, come with a professional attitude. Coaches are always looking for the most coachable players. While a player may have a lot of talent, if they are self-centered and don’t listen, a coach will probably not want them on the team.

Work Hard and Give It Your All

Tryouts are usually a day or two. You should not try to coast through training to the next water break. This is the time to give it your all. Leave everything on the field, even if it leaves you exhausted. Coaches love to see hustle and energy, and you’ll be rewarded for giving it your all.

Avoid the Gimmicks

You aren’t going to get on the team by wearing crazy socks or that fluorescent yellow shirt. You will stand out by playing exceptionally well, being vocal and confident, being a coachable player, and being a good teammate. This means to dress appropriately for soccer and watch your body language—it can tell a lot to a coach without even saying a word.

Shoot and Score Goals

This may seem obvious but making yourself stand out means scoring—or taking shots. Every coach wants a player who knows how to score goals; even taking the chance and missing can show a coach a lot. However, don’t get too ambitious and take shots from absurd distances. That’ll do the opposite of leaving a good impression.

Move On from Mistakes

Even the best players make mistakes. A coach doesn’t care about mistakes, they care about how you react to them. Try your best to emulate a positive attitude at all times— don’t be afraid to smile and laugh but don’t goof off too much.

Be Confident

Be confident in your abilities— no matter what that may look like. As long as you have a positive attitude and are contagious with it on the field (and off the field), the coach will think highly of you.

You might not be the best player out there. However, a coach will usually choose a player with potential and a good attitude over a cocky, quality player with a poor attitude.

Related Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about soccer teams.

How Do You Become a Soccer Team Starter?

To become a starter on your team, you must put in a lot of effort inside and outside the field. This means you must work hard when training and respect your diet and sleep schedule.

This way, you will be in good shape, allowing you to grow as a player inside your team.

What Should I Do First in Soccer Practice?

In your first soccer practice, you should get to know your teammates, coaches, mentality, and way of playing. Other than that, you just need to listen and follow the coach’s instructions.

How Long Should I Practice Soccer With My Team?

You should practice with your team for no more than two to three hours. Although practicing allows you to improve, it can also burn you and your muscles. This could make you more prone to injuries.

Conclusion

Be yourself. In soccer, it’s more than speed, skills, and goals. It’s about self-confidence, decision-making, a positive attitude, a hunger to be better, “coachability,” being a team player, and most importantly, giving it your all.

If you emphasize these qualities during a soccer tryout, the coaches won’t just notice you—they’ll love you. You’ll label yourself as a great candidate for their team. Of course, if you don’t make it this season, never give up!