Three mistakes to avoid when trialing for an ECNL youth soccer team: not getting a roster decision within three sessions, assuming you can't contact other clubs during tryouts, and failing to follow up professionally if you get an offer elsewhere. Ask coaches for timelines, reach out to other teams, and be honest about your status.
If you're on trial with an ECNL team, do not make these 3 mistakes. Know that they should be able to tell you whether or not you're going to be on the team within 3 sessions. If after the 3rd training session you don't get a clear answer, you need to have a discussion with the coach and say, coach, where do you see me? How many more times would you like to see me? We can help you communicate that when the time comes. Do not not email other teams. So you may say, well, I'm on trial with this team, I won't email anybody else. That's not really what we recommend because you may not make it. Now, how you email the teams depends, because if you email another team and they say, yeah, we'd like to have you on trial, but you're still on trial with one team, you don't I missed that one, and then all of a sudden you're going to each club only once, that defeats the purpose. So you should still email other teams, but you want to explain like, I'm looking to come try out for your team in 2 weeks' time, is that possible? Then if you end up making your team, you just message the team that you asked for a tryout 2 weeks later and go, I'm so sorry, I really was looking forward to an opportunity, I have since been made an offer by this team, I look forward to staying in touch in the future. And now that other club is like, wow, you must be really good. In case something happens at your new ECNL team that you're not playing minutes or you don't like it, you can now reinvigorate the conversation you had before. And if they say to you, why do you want to switch? You go, look, I wasn't playing as much. You can be honest. Or you can say, look, I— it's not an environment I like anymore, you know. Was it possible I could be with your team? And they'll be like, well, we know you're pretty good because you made the other ECNL team, so let's at least see you. If you want more help, give me a call. Links in the bio. Bye.
