Questions about Tryouts

Tryouts take place each spring, and allow teams to replace players who have dropped off or who have moved on to other teams. Tryouts also allow hardworking and ambitious players who have improved their playing ability to join stronger or more competitive teams. 

Tryouts are successful if players and teams are sorted out so that every player finds a team that has a training and competitive plan that fits the player's interests and needs, with a budget and time commitment that matches the parent's willingness to support the player.

Many of the questions below have been asked often, so we share answers for your convenience. Additional questions can be sent to tryouts@tophatsoccerclub.com. 

Q:  Are tryouts open to all girls?

A:  Yes, tryouts for each team are open to all girls of the correct age.

Q:  What travel obligations will we have?

A:  Each team's coach outlines a training and competitive schedule at the beginning of the calendar year. There are some required events for Gold, Navy or White teams, but, outside of this, each coach, working with a team manager, parents, and players, will organize an annual plan for the team.  See the coach at tryouts to evaluate the basic plan for the team.

Q: My daughter wants to tryout for (name deleted) Gold. Does she have to attend all tryout dates?  There are 3 other teams she likes.  If she comes to 3 Tophat tryout days, how can she tryout for at least one other team?   - Mom

A:  The public tryout dates are important because they give your player the best opportunity to be seen playing with the current team or the core portion of the current team that will continue in the year ahead. Each year at tryouts, there are some players who arrive during the week following the public tryout and, in some cases, these players train with the team and eventually join these teams. This is a little less advantageous because some decisions might already have been made, and, secondly, some players from the core team may have headed out for after school summer vacation activity.

Q:  So what can I do about it now, before Tophat can call?

A: You could email the coaches you are interested in and ask them to come watch your player in any remaining league play or Memorial Day tournament play. You would want to provide them with your player's name, date of birth, team, shirt number, grade in school, and name of current team and coach. By making known your interest, you may get one or two of the potential coaches to come see your player, enabling them to give you a better idea on contact day whether or not they can offer a role for your player with their team.

Q:  What about on or after the date when contact is allowed?

A:  On contact day, you can certainly call the coaches and talk with them about their tryouts and discuss your player's interests with them. If they have read your email or had the chance to see your player, you may get useful feedback then. Stay after the first tryout date with any team, greet the coach and find out how your player stands. If it's not looking good, then you can certainly let the coach know that you are still interested but have to move on. If the news is good, stay.

Q:  How soon will my daughter start with her new team?

A:  Technically, players are bound to their old teams until 31 August, after their June tryout. In practice, most players and families prefer to move on to their new team immediately where possible. If summer tournaments are planned for the new team, the new coach can contact the old coach to request the use of the player as a guest player with the new team.  Generally, players will be able to start training with their new team right away.

Q: Can any player from Tophat try out for Gold teams?

A:  Yes. At Tophat, all players in the club have the opportunity to tryout for the Gold team in their age group, theoretically the most competitive team in the age, without sacrificing a position on their current team. Gold, Navy and White teams will try-out at the same time allowing all players within an age group to be seen together.

Q:  Which team does my daughter tryout for?

A:  First, decide which age group corresponds to your player's date of birth and school grade. A player born on 10 January 1997 would play in the U14 age group, according to the following chart. This player would normally attend 8th grade during the 2010-2011 school year. If the player is ahead one year in school, the player is eligible and would be encouraged to play in the U15 age group. This exception aids in maintaining the integrity of teams, as the players enter high school and graduate together. It also assists those college bound student athletes who wish to be seen playing with others who graduate at the same time.

Q:  How can I send my name in to be contacted when coaches can call players?

A:  Players and parents can send information at any time, it is just not permitted for coaches or club officials to make a formal contact with the player or parent until the GASA official contact date (See Calendar).  Information can be sent to tryouts@tophatsoccerclub.com. When contact is permitted, coaches will want to know the basics, including:

     • your date of birth

     • your grade in school

     • your phone number

     • your parent's names and mailing address

     • your e-mail address if you have one

     • the positions you play

     • your current team