United Club Announces Tryouts

Teams for Fall 07/Spring 08 to be formed

Players and parents - I'm in the process of contacting the coaches and providing them with roster information.  We may go a day or two past the 20 June date identified below before you're contacted.  Thanks for your patience as we continue the team forming process.  Chris


The St. Mary’s United (SMU) Soccer Club is a growing organization dedicated to both coach and player development.  Presently, SMU has travel teams participating in the Washington Area Girls Soccer League (WAGS), National Capital Soccer League (NCSL) and Baltimore Beltway Soccer League (BBSL).  SMU continually strives to provide quality coaching under the guidance of Mr. Herb Gainey, the St. Mary’s Youth Soccer (SMYS) Director of Coaching and Player Development (DCPD).

The following general information is provided for the awareness of those interested in participating in upcoming SMU Club travel team tryout activity:

Tryout Registration Process for St. Mary’s United (SMU) Travel Teams 

 

Tryouts will be held at Lancaster Park during the weeks of 4-8 and 11-15 June starting at 6:30-PM and completing no later than 8:30-PM.  Pre-registration will start at 6:00-PM in the vicinity of field 2.  SMU will attempt to place teams into the NCSL and WAGS with BBSL as a secondary option.  

 

It’s requested that a parent accompany their child during the registration process.  It is encouraged that the SMU tryout registration form be downloaded, completed and brought with you the night of tryouts to expedite the check in process.  Tryout registration forms will be available at the tryout registration table(s) and will need to be completed prior to completing the check in process.  For those completing forms at the field the following information will be asked for:

a.     Insurance information, company name, and policy number.    

b.     Proof of age for the tryout (new players only).  For purposes of the tryout activity, proof-of-age can be demonstrated using a birth certificate, passport, military dependent ID, or driver’s permit or license.  Age group breakdowns are:

Under   9 - Aug 1, 1998 - July 31, 1999
Under 10 - Aug 1, 1997 - July 31, 1998
Under 11 - Aug 1, 1996 - July 31, 1997
Under 12 - Aug 1, 1995 - July 31, 1996
Under 13 - Aug 1, 1994 - July 31, 1995
Under 14 - Aug 1, 1993 - July 31, 1994
Under 15 - Aug 1, 1992 - July 31, 1993
Under 16 - Aug 1, 1991 - July 31, 1992
Under 17 - Aug 1, 1990 - July 31, 1991 

Players born after July 31, 1999 will not be eligible to participate in tryouts.

c.     Mailing address, home and work phone numbers, and a valid, working and legible email address that can be used for communications between SMU and your child.  We will be using email as the contact tool and if we can’t read your address you will miss tryout updates.   


Identification numbers for each player will be assigned as part of the check in process following receipt of a completed tryout registration form and confirmation of age.

Players need to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled tryout start time and are responsible for bringing the following to each tryout:  

  1. Appropriate footwear.
  2. A ball (size 4 U9-U12, size 5 all others), marked with the player’s name in indelible marker.
  3. Shin guards (required, players will not be allowed to tryout without them).
  4. Player’s outerwear can not be Club or State attire.  Any player showing up wearing Club or State attire will be asked to change, if they can not they will not be allowed to participate in the tryouts.
  5. Personal water or sports drink.   
  6. SMU has a policy of age appropriate play, meaning players will tryout and play on age.  During the tryout process players are evaluated by a panel of coaches and if a player is identified by the coaching panel as having the potential of playing one age group up they will make the appropriate recommendation to the SMU DCPD and SMU President during the evening’s evaluation recap.  If the SMU DCPD and SMU President agree with the recommendation the player will be contacted to determine interest in this opportunity and if interested they will attend the higher age group tryout at the next opportunity.  The player will again be evaluated by a different panel of coaches who will determine if the underage player can play at the higher age or should remain on age.  The panel’s recommendation will be provided to the SMU DCPD and SMU President during the evening’s evaluation recap and the determination of player status will be made.  Once made, the decision is final.

    Tryouts will follow the following schedule (players must check in at the registration table prior to proceeding to tryout location):
    (Field assignments at Lancaster subject to change)    

Field (Lancaster)

Monday
(4 & 11 June)

Tuesday
(5 & 12 June)

Wednesday
(6 & 13 June)

Thursday
(7 & 14 June)

Friday
(8 & 15 June)

Saturday
(9 June)

2

U15B/G

U13B/G

U14B/G

Rain Dates/Callbacks

5

U16B/G

U11B/G

U12B/G

Rain Dates/Callbacks

Common

U17B/G

U9B/G

U10B/G

 

Players are strongly encouraged to attend both tryout sessions.  After the first day of tryouts at the coach’s option, up to 50% of the team’s roster may be offered positions on the team with approval from the SMU DCPD and SMU President.  Players falling into this category are expected to attend the second tryout.  The remaining roster spots will be determined following the second tryout, or any call backs.  At the high school ages only, SMU may find that a decision whether or not to combine age groups to make one team is required and will approach this decision cautiously.  For the U9-U14 age groups, player notification of acceptance to a team will be completed no later than 20 June 2007; all players will be notified one way or the other no later than July 1, 2007.  For the high school age groups, notification will not occur until after the local high schools have completed their tryouts in August.  All notifications will be made via the email address given at registration.

Based on tryout attendance, SMU will attempt to field one team in each of the following age groups.

Age Group Head Coach Potential Coach
U9G Alan Buster  
U9B Larry Branthoover Patrick O’Rear
U10G Bill Oosterink  
U10B TBA  
U11G Shannon Schmidt Theresa Coombs
U11B Rob Young  
U12G TBA Kim Hall
U12B Jack Summers  
U13G Jeff Errington  
U13B Melissa Crispell  
U14G John Kelly  
U14B Patrick O’Rear Chris Garcia
U15G Megan Schmidt  
U15B TBA  
U16G TBA  
U16B TBA  
U17G TBA  
U17B Rick Besore  

If you are a coach with a USSF D-License or equivalent and are interested in coaching one of the available travel teams identified above as TBA please contact Herb Gainey (whgainey@smcm.edu) and Chris Garcia (98fmx642005@gmail.com) with your coaching resume.

Parents are welcome to stay and observe the tryout activity.  However, it’s asked that anyone who decides to stay and observe refrain from directing any comments to the players (either their own child or another) or any evaluation panel member.  This will enable the players to focus on the effort at hand and put their best foot forward.  Only tryout participants, tryout evaluation panel members, and designated SMU Club Officials will be allowed on and around the tryout fields during the tryouts.  During the tryout activity, questions from parents and/or other observers should be directed to the SMU DCPD, SMU President or SMU Club representative(s) located at the registration table.  The SMU Club wants to provide the most effective environment for both the players and evaluation panel, and greatly appreciates your cooperation in accomplishing this.

About the Tryout Process  

There are a few areas of emphasis that all should be aware of upfront:

The tryouts are "open," which means being on a roster previously does not guarantee that you will make the rising season’s roster.  Players must show up and be prepared to show their skills and abilities.  In the younger age groups, if the potential to form two teams in an age group exists and the evaluation panel feels the talent level is sufficient, SMU may decide to field an additional team pending the identification of a coach for the additional team.

At the older ages, we are not openly looking to place players from one particular high school on one roster.  The intent of the open tryout process is to get the best players in St. Mary’s County playing together.  If a team has a heavy roster of one particular high school over another then that’s just the way things have worked out.

Not all players that tryout will be selected.  If you don’t make a select roster it’s encouraged that you continue developing your soccer skills by participating in in-house recreational program and attending camps/clinics.

A panel of experienced SMU coaches will evaluate the players performance, based on their knowledge, experience, and understanding of the particular age group player performance characteristics.

The tryout activities will consist of:        

  1. 1-v-1 games
  2. 4-v-4 games
  3. 8-v-8 games  

 NOTE: Goalkeepers should identify themselves for placement and evaluation of their goalkeeping skill during the 8-v-8 portion of the tryout.  Goalkeepers should understand that their field skills will be evaluated in addition to their goalkeeping skills.

The tryout evaluation panel will meet after each tryout to discuss and document each player’s performance and rank players based on their overall performance.  At the conclusion of the tryout process, the tryout evaluation panel will rank all the players within the age group for which they have tried out, based on the strength of the player’s performance and the knowledge of the requirements of the particular team’s age group and league.  This ranking will then be submitted to the SMU DCPD and SMU President for review.  After the SMU DCPD and SMU President have completed their review of the tryout ranking a meeting will be held with the team coach to finalize the team roster for the 2007-08 seasons.

Should a selected player accept an offer to play on the SMU Club team they must be prepared to commit themselves fully to compliance with SMU club bylaws, team training sessions, matches and any tournaments the team expects to participate in for both the fall and spring seasons.  While it is understood that players have other interests, SMU’s interest is developing competitive players.  This starts at the training sessions.  If a position on a roster is accepted, the player is expected to meet the team’s training/tournament commitments.  If a selected player is not willing to provide this level of commitment, he/she should not accept the SMU Club’s offer.

Any questions regarding this information on SMU club tryout activity should be directed to the SMU Club President, Chris Garcia (98fmx642005@gmail.com) and/or the SMU DCPD Herb Gainey (whgainey@smcm.edu).

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