Freetown Lakeville United complete guide explaining our tryout process can be downloaded via the links section on the right.

Order of Events

Prior to placing players on a travel soccer team, coaches will first be selected. This will help ensure that the head coach is responsible for determining the final roster. However, prior to the coach being selected players must be evaluated. If a coach is requesting a position coaching a team that his or her player may not be suited for, it will be taken into consideration during the coach selection process.
1.  Tryouts
2.  Coach evaluations from parents
3.  Coach profile from coaches
4.  Player selection
5.  Player exception process
6.  Coach selection
7.  Coach exception process
8.  Team formation and communication to players & parents

Coach Evaluation Process

The following process will be used to determine how coaches are assigned a team.
Each year we face two dilemmas.
1. The first is that there are more travel players than interested coaches. This condition happens only rarely but requires us to reach out to prospective parents to help coach.
a. When interested parents are found, we require that they take the Mass Youth Soccer Association Level G course which provides a solid overall background in coaching youth soccer.
b. We also require all coaches to complete the CORI form on the MYSA web site.
2. The second dilemma is that we have more than one interested coach for each available head coaching slot. When this happens we use the evaluation process below to determine who will be the head coach. We don’t recommend co-coaching to avoid confusion for both players and parents. Co coaching must be approved by the head of coaching and president of the club.

Coaches are evaluated using a 4-1 ranking system with 4 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Each category is weighted to emphasize the values and priorities of the club. We use 4 basic criteria to objectively determine the coach. In the event there is a tie, an anonymous vote is taken by the FLSC board.
1. Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association Certification Level
a. Rating: 4-1
i. 4-Level D, C, B or A Certification
ii. 3-Level E Certification
iii. 2-Level F Certification
iv. 1-Level G Certification*
*G is the Minimum Certification for travel coaches. There is no minimum level for assistant coaches. However all coaches must complete a CORI on the Mass Youth Soccer Association web site.
b. Weight: We will weigh certification levels higher than other factors.
c. Weighting Rationale: To achieve a high level of certification a coach must have completed classroom and on field training by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association. This training prepares coaches with the latest techniques and teaching methods to best teach and coach emerging soccer players. Higher levels of certification also indicate a coach’s commitment to the sport and help the FLSC establish consistent processes and methods across our coaching staff.
2. Results of yearly Coach Evaluation Survey from player parents.
a. Rating: 4-1
i. 4-All Positive Comments
ii. 3-Mostly Positive Comments
iii. 2-Mixed Comments
iv. 1-Mostly or All Negative Comments
b. Weight: Average
c. Weighting Rationale: Parents attend many games and practices and are in the best position to gauge the overall happiness of their player. If parents and players are not happy, no matter how successful the team, it reflects poorly on the primary principles of fun and learning that the club was built on. This must also be kept in context as most parents are not certified coaches and many might not fully understand the sport or techniques being leveraged by the coach. One unhappy parent doesn’t always indicate a bad coach.
3. Team success in SCSL across all divisions, age groups and genders.
a. Rating: 4-1
i. 4: Placed #1 in SCSL division multiple times
ii. 3: Placed top 3 in SCSL division multiple times
iii. 2: Placed top 3 in SCSL division at least once
iv. 1: No top 3 finishes or never coached SCSL
b. Weight: Average
c. Weighting Rationale: Travel coaches are expected to work hard and win games. Coaches with a proven track record of success have clearly found ways to train players and motivate their teams. This must be kept in context however, especially at younger ages where the
4. Years of experience as a soccer coach
a. Rating: 4-1
i. 4: >6 years
ii. 3: 5-6 years
iii. 2: 3-4 years
iv. 1: 0-2 years
b. Weight: Average
c. Weighting Rationale: It stands to reason that the longer one spends practicing the more accomplished they will become. This rationale is also true for coaching soccer. If coaches have spent years coaching soccer with kids of different ages then they will likely have developed many strategies for communicating with and motivating players. They will be familiar with the laws of the game and can link training strategy to specific deficiencies observed on the field. However, experience is a single data point and more time behind the whistle doesn’t always equate to better, happier players, superior teams and a better overall experience. It must be balanced alongside the other criteria above.
5. Years of experience coaching non soccer sports
a. Rating: 4-1
i. 4: >6 years
ii. 3: 5-6 years
iii. 2: 3-4 years
iv. 1: 0-2 years
b. Weight: Average
c. Weighting Rationale: It stands to reason that the longer one spends practicing the more accomplished they will become. This rationale is also true for coaching. If coaches have spent years coaching kids of different ages, in a multitude of sports then they will likely have developed many strategies for communicating with and motivating players. However, experience is a single data point and more time behind the whistle doesn’t always equate to better, happier players, superior teams and a better overall experience. It must be balanced alongside the other criteria above.

Coach Tie Breaker Policy
If there are two coaches seeking the head coach spot for the same team and there is no material difference in their overall scores after taking the above criteria into consideration. The FLSC Board Of Directors will be required to vote. During this process the director of coaching will provide a verbal summary to the board of all information collected in the evaluation process including certification levels coach evaluations, and experience. The director of coaching may also offer additional information not collected during the evaluation that may help the board make a decision.

Player Evaluation Process

1. Coaches for Division 1 and Division 2 teams will be determined using the coach selection process identified above prior to team formation. This is done prior so that head coaches can make all final decisions on team make up.
2. Prior season travel coaches must submit a player evaluation (see details below) form prior to team selection date. All existing players must have an up to date evaluation form completed by his/her coach in order to be placed on a team for the following season.
3. The coach evaluation counts for 60% of the overall evaluation score. The other 40% comes from tryout results.
4. If there is no player evaluation for a player who played Travel Soccer in the prior year, a zero will be averaged in for 60% of the player’s overall evaluation. This will significantly impact the player’s ability to qualify for a Division 1 team.
5. If there is no player evaluation for a player who is new to FLSC then we will compare the player’s tryout score to similar scores from those of the same gender and age group and use the average player evaluation.
6. If there is no tryout score due to sickness or injury we will compare the player’s coach evaluation to similar scores from those of the same gender and age group and use the average tryout score.

Tryouts

1. Kids are not yet out of school and summer vacations have not yet started. This makes it easier to notify parents through school communication and ensures that we get higher participation by not conflicting with summer vacation.
2. Spring travel has completed and fields and players are available. During the Fall season, field and player availability on weekends is limited due to our Fall recreational in-town program, fall Travel program and other activities.
3. With the Spring travel season having just ended, player’s form and fitness are at their peak.
4. Teams can be formed early allowing coaches to start practices, play in tournaments or enter fall leagues with their Spring Travel team.
5. Ratings can be used to help balance teams during our Fall recreational league.

Groupings

• U08 – turns 8 on or after July 31^st of the current year*
• U09 – turns 9 on or after July 31 of the current year
• U10 –turns 10 on or after July 31 of the current year
• U11 – turns 11 or after July 31 of the current year
• U12 – turns 12 on or after July 31 of the current year
• U13 – turns 13 on or after July 31 of the current year
• U14 – turns 14 on or after July 31 of the current year
• U15 – turns 15 on or after July 31 of the current year 
• U16 – turns 16 on or after July 31 of the current year 

*U8 teams will be made up of ONLY U8 players per the SCSL rules. It is the only division whereby players are not allowed to “play up”. However, there is one exception. If your player is a U7, but in 2^nd grade, SCSL will allow this player to play with a waiver from the league. This must be requested by the parent and presented by the coach to the FLSC Board.All other divisions will be made up by combining players of different ages. For example the U10 teams will consist of U9 and U10 players, U12 will have U11 and U12 players and so on.This will have the following benefits

1. Ensure that we have enough players to form competitive teams throughout all divisions
2. Ensure that kids from different grades learn how to play alongside older kids from the area. This needs to happen well before walking on to their high school soccer field for the first time.
3. Create better learning opportunities for the younger kids playing alongside older kids
4. Helps eliminate politics associated with coaches keeping “their” teams for their entire time playing in the Freetown Lakeville Soccer Club. All coaches see the game differently and it is important that kids get different perspectives and learn how to adapt to different coaching and teaching styles. This also needs to happen before they enter high school.

Tryout Ratings

Skill

Game play

Tryout Evaluators

1. Coaches cannot evaluate any player they are related to
2. Coaches cannot evaluate players in their upcoming age grouping. For example, if a coach is likely to coach a U12 team then she or he cannot evaluate any prospective U12 players. 
3. We will seek 10 coaches to perform evaluations including 2 from an outside club soccer organization to help provide additional objectivity. One will evaluate boys the other girls.
4. We will strive to have boys coaches evaluating girls teams and the girls coaches evaluating boys teams.

Team Selection Process

1. Once results are finalized they will be tallied by the director of coaching
2. The director of coaching will then add the tryout evaluation score for each player to the coach evaluation score to arrive at a total evaluation score. Exception process below will be used for any player who is either new (and missing a coach evaluation) or has a coach evaluation but missed one or more days of tryouts.
3. Players from each age group will be sorted by their total score.
4. The Division 1 coach will have first selection, then D2 and so on
5. Tryout results will not be made available to coaches. Evaluations will be kept confidential. However, the FLSC Director of Coaching, President and Vice President will be able to answer specific questions on rankings/coach ratings to assist coaches with potential changes. However, we are making an effort to keep this information as confidential as possible.
6. Coaches will be provided a roster that the BOD believes best positions the club and the players to be successful in the SCSL and qualify for the MTOC in 2012. This takes into account tryout results, coach evaluation, team sizes, across age groups and divisions.
7. The top 8 players in 8v8 teams (U10/U12) and top 11 players in 11v11 teams (U14, U16, U18) will automatically be assigned to the division 1 team. The coach cannot swap these players.
8. Change requests can be made but must be justified by the coach and approved by the club's Director of Coaching, President and Vice President. These requests can only be made for players not covered in section 7 above.
9. Limited team top tier changes will be allowed. Division 1 teams will be able to make changes to their roster if they can make a compelling argument using the exception process below as to why a player who scored high enough to be on the division 1 team should not be there.  These reasons could be, but are not limited to, team dedication (practice/game attendance), attitude (disruptive nature/bad for team), mis-evaluated based on achievement history, etc.   Conversely, a player not rated high enough to place on the division 1 team and thought deserving by the coach may be placed on a Division 1 team using the exception process below. Reasons for this might include one missed tryout day, illness, injury, no coach evaluation, etc.
10. Once rosters are formed, coaches will have approximately one week to communicate with parents. Coaches are strongly encouraged to discuss the travel soccer requirements with parents to ensure that the players on their roster are able to make the commitment. If parents cannot commit to the requirements of a particular coach or division, changes can be made within approximately one week.. These changes must also be approved by the Club's Director of Coaching, President and Vice President. Thereafter, rosters will become permanent.
11. Only temporary hard copies of tryout results and coach evaluations will be made available at the meeting. These will be re collected once the team has been selected and will be treated as confidential by the director of coaching.
12. All exceptions must be presented to the President, Director of Coaching and Vice President who will make final approval. Final rosters must be approved by the head of coaching and director of Spring travel.
13. Tryout Exceptions
1. U10-U12 Top 8 players based on evaluations and tryout results must be taken
2. U14-U18 Top 11 players based on evaluations and tryout results must be taken
3. If there is a compelling reason why the a top rated player should not be considered for a division 1 team then coaches can present a case to the director of coaching, president and VP. The President, Director of Coaching and Vice President will make the final decision.
14. Target Roster Sizes
1. U8 – 11 players
2. U10 - 13 players
3. U12 - 13 players
4. U14 and U16 - 18 players
5. In the event that there are not enough players to form two teams, up to we will use the maximum team size allowed by the SCSL. Remaining players will be notified by the head of coaching that they did not qualify for a travel team.
15. Any player with a total rating below a 2.0 will not qualify for travel soccer

Exception Process

1. Player was unable to try out. When this happens the player can be placed on a Division 2 team without further action. If there are more than one Division 2 teams then the player will be placed on the one with fewer players. If this player would like to be considered for a Division 1 team they must attend the makeup date (process makeup/secondary tryout process described below).
2. Player tried out but missed one day. In this case the average tryout for the entire age division for the missing day will be used.
3. New player with no coach evaluation. Average coach evaluation for same gender players with a similar tryout score in this age group will be used.
4. No tryout or coach evaluation – Player is only eligible for Division 2.
5. Injured players. players with a previous history on a Division 1 team but injured during the tryout period can be assigned to the team by the head coach. This requires the approval of the Director of Coaching, President and Vice President.

Make Up Date & Secondary Tryouts

(THIS SECTION IS OUTDATED AND WILL BE UPDATED SHORTLY. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO 2014 TRYOUTS)

Makeup Dates:

Secondary Tryouts