Dear DSSC Parents, Players and Families,
We hope that everybody has had an enjoyable spring season with DSSC. It has been very encouraging to see the development that has been made across all levels of our program ranging from Kindergarten through 8th grade.
As we come towards the end of the spring season, we are all starting to think about fall soccer and the player placement process for next year. Please go onto the website link below and double check the time of our relevant age group. PLEASE PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE "RISING" AND "CURRENT" NOTES FOR EACH TIMESLOT!!!
Try-out Reminders:
- Please arrive 15 minutes before the tryout is due to start. You need to allow plenty of time to get checked in.
- All players must be wearing shin guards and cleats. Please do not wear any club uniforms and make sure you bring plenty to drink!
- Parents are NOT permitted to stay and watch the tryouts. (We do provide an exception to this rule if thunderstorms are forecast.)
- All tryouts will go ahead in the rain, however we will be in contact should any thunderstorms be forecast.
- EMT’s will be on site throughout all DSSC tryouts.
- All players must be fully registered before they can attend the tryout – this is for insurance reasons. If you turn up on the day and are not registered, you will not be allowed to participate.
- Volunteer coach evaluations: All head coaches and assistant coaches complete player evaluation forms for every player. Evaluation is centered around the 4 pillars of our player development matrix; technical, tactical, psychological and physical. Coaches are encouraged to assess players more from practice than games as this is a more relaxed environment where all players get plenty of time on the ball.
- Try-outs run by staff from outside of our local region: The DS soccer tryouts are again centered on players technical ability. Throughout the tryout players are evaluated by external coaches. The external evaluators do not know the children and they score them blindly as pinnie numbers only. This process is overseen by the DOC and girls/boys coordinators. Try-outs consist of a series of small sided games allowing all players plenty of opportunity on the ball. The tryout staff rank players on their field throughout the game, at the end some players are moved between the fields. In total there are 5 small sided games throughout which players are evaluated.
- Player Placement is NOT based solely on try-out scores.
Please see below a simple outline of how the player evaluation process is organized and how teams are formed for next year.
The main focus for DS soccer club is to ensure that we are providing the best possible environment for every player to enjoy their soccer and develop their soccer skills. The DSSC evaluation and placement process is designed to ensure players are given the opportunity to be placed in a team that best fits their development.
Player Evaluation Process
DS Soccer runs placement meetings by the end of each season, attended by active coaches of the current season, girls or boys coordinators as appropriate as well as the Director of Coaching (DOC). Active coaches must have submitted player evaluation forms by the deadline to attend. Coaches MUST leave the room if their child is being discussed
Unfortunately, we cannot take into account parent requests of any kind for Grade 3-8 teams, be they social or level-of-team in nature.
Some DS resident players may also play for a for-profit Club soccer at a certain level – please know whatever level that is or whatever team they play on has zero bearing on team formation or player placement for DS Soccer teams. Our volunteer coordinators and coaches form our teams using our process and our data.
Overall this process is designed to ensure that all players are given fair and equal opportunity to be placed on the most appropriate and suitable team for their development. All placement decisions are based solely on the child’s soccer ability.
Roster size – this is driven by a great uncontrollable factor, which is the number of registrations in a particular grade, and is not a discretionary decision by the Club. If we have 60 signups for Grade 7-8 who play 11v11 soccer, the team sizes are either 20,20,20 or 15,15,15,15 (approximately)…one is larger than ideal and one is smaller than ideal. All less than ideal. But we have to form teams nevertheless – please do understand that not all of the parameters are under the Club’s control.
If you have any questions there is further information available on our website: http://www.dssoccer.net/content/player-evaluation or feel free to reach out to us directly.