2024 Tryout Information
Tryouts are the period each year when any Player, regardless of Club affiliation, may try out with any NorCal Club, without requiring permission from their current Club. The NorCal Tryout Window applies to all teams within all NorCal member Clubs of which WSC is one. All players regardless of status on a team must sign up and attend tryouts.
To calculate your player’s soccer age, you subtract your child’s birth year, from the end of the seasonal year. For Example: In the 2024-2025 seasonal year, If your child is born in 2010 and the seasonal year ends in 2025, the calculation is 2025 – 2010 = 15. Your child’s soccer age is U15.
See the tryout age matrix page for additional help
When you join a team, your committing to that team for the entire registration year, June through May. The club hasn’t voted on dues for the 2024-2025 registration year yet, but you can view the prior year’s registration dues as a starting place. The club will continue to offer more means of payment like this year including Credit Cards and Checks and a 10-month payment plan.
Starting in 2023, Woodland Soccer Club began to formalize the process of player to team assignments post tryouts, with the goal of producing the most competitive teams and to provide players with the best match of skill level to competition. Woodland Soccer Club Coordinators created ranked teams in each age group and assigned a ‘Orange’, ‘White’, and ‘Black’ team ordering. During tryouts selection of players to join a team will be conducted in the order of the team rank. The coach of the ‘Orange’ team will be granted first rights to offer a squad position on their team to any player in the age group, coach of the ‘White’ team is granted second rights, and so on depending on how many teams are present in that age group.
A player/parent may reject an offer to join a team from a coach to play on a higher ranked team, in which case the coach from the next lower ranked team can then offer a position on their team to that player. Players and family should have candid and open discussions with the Director of Coaching, Coordinator and the coaches about what is best for their player’s development.
- Introduction of team coaches to players.
- Introduction of Coaches running the tryout.
- Dynamic stretches.
- 4 Vs. 2 Rondos
- Scrimmage
- Younger age groups: 2 halves of 25 minutes.
- Older age groups: 2 halves of 35 minutes.
Tryouts run for 3 or 4 days and in order to provide the coaches with the best opportunity to evaluate the player and their skill level it is best to attend all tryout days, however the minimum is 1 tryout day.
Woodland Soccer Club cannot guarantee a spot on a team to every player who attends tryouts. Unlike recreational soccer, a competitive soccer club seeks to produce the most competitive team(s) possible given the available player pool. The following situations may result in your player not being asked to join a team.
- The available player pool exceeds the number of spots available amongst all the teams in that age group. This number can be different for different age groups and for teams as the age group and coach determine how many players they need for their team.
- There is no team (Coach) available for a specific age group, this is particularly an issue for the youngest age groups if a team has yet to be formed.
- The player’s skill level does not match the competitive level of the team(s) at that age group. For example; if all teams in a particular age group are playing in the Gold and above divisions and the player trying out is a novice/beginner player, the competition level of the team is much higher than the skill level of the player and would be a poor fit.
Every effort will be made to provide each player during tryouts with the best option that matches their skill level with a WSC team, some new teams may attempt to form out of the process and new coaches being sought. Every family however will receive some form of notification and explanation.
Every player is required to tryout in their own age group at least 1 day of tryouts, this is mandatory. Players may then attend tryouts for older age groups, however this may mean they will not be properly evaluated for the teams in their age group. Players who do not try out for their age-eligible team may not be selected for that team.
Each year a new Playing Up Request and Consent Form must be filled out by the parent, c0ach and club after tryouts and agreeing to play for the older age group team.
For the benefit of the player’s development regards players playing up for an older age group when a more competitive team is available in their respective age group. Specifically, if a player is playing up for a team which is playing in the silver or below divisions and a team in their respective age group that player will be placed on a team in their respective age group.
Please wear all clothing appropriate for tryouts including a white shirt, soccer cleats, shin guards. Bring a soccer ball and always bring plenty of fluids! Your player will be provided a soccer pinnie and a number for the coaches to identify them.