Youth Soccer Tryouts Guide

When tryouts happen

Most clubs hold their main tryouts after the spring season ends, roughly May to June, to build teams for a season that starts in August or September. Some hold a second round in July or August to fill open spots. A handful of clubs start earlier, with sessions in March or April, and clubs in warmer states sometimes run their calendar a little differently.

It varies by state and by league, so don't count on a date from last year. Clubs usually post tryout dates and a registration link on their own website a few weeks before. If you can't find them, email the club's registrar and ask. Put the dates for your top two or three clubs on one calendar so you can see conflicts early. Tryouts for different age groups at the same club are often on different days, so check the date for your child's group, and for any sibling's, before you plan the week.

One practical point. Many clubs want an answer within days of an offer, and some want it in 48 hours, so it helps to have your plan before you walk onto the field. Our guide to choosing a club will help you decide ahead of time what matters.

Which age group is your child in for 2026-27

This changed. For years, US Soccer's rule was simple: the age group equals the year the season ends minus the birth year, so a player born in 2014 was U13 in a season ending in 2027. That calendar-year rule is the one in the last column below. But US Youth Soccer, AYSO and US Club Soccer announced in June 2025 that, starting with each organization's 2026-27 season, they would move to an August 1 to July 31 cycle. Under US Soccer's newer policy, each member organization sets the age group rules for the leagues it runs.

So the same child can land in a different group depending on the league. A player born in March 2014 is U13 under either method. A player born in October 2014 is U13 on the calendar-year rule but U12 on the August cycle. Ask each club which method its league uses, because the big national leagues may not all follow the same one. The table shows both.

US Soccer also offers an age group calculator for parents. If your club's answer and the calculator don't match, ask the club which league rule it's applying and get it in writing.

What coaches look for

Ask a dozen club coaches and you'll hear similar things, and almost none of it is about fancy skills. At younger ages they want a kid who's comfortable on the ball, who looks up, and who wants to get involved. Speed and size matter less than most parents think, since kids grow at different times.

• Comfort on the ball under pressure, with both feet where possible.
• Decisions: does the player look before receiving, find space, pass and move.
• Work rate and attitude, including how they react after losing the ball.
• How they listen to a new coach and handle a correction.
• How they play with kids they've never met, which matters more than any single skill.
• Athleticism in the older groups, especially speed and the ability to repeat sprints.

Coaches are also quietly watching parents. A parent who yells from the sideline during tryouts has told the coach a lot about the next year.

Keep in mind that coaches pick teams, and a team needs a balance of positions. A coach with three center backs already may say no to a fourth one who'd have made the team elsewhere. A cut isn't always a verdict on ability.

How to prepare

You can't cram for a tryout, but you can make sure your child shows up at their best. Two weeks out, keep training easy and fun. Spend time on the ball at home, playing against a wall or in the yard, and let your child choose what to work on. Skip the hour-long drill sessions the night before.

• Sleep, a real breakfast and plenty of water, especially for summer sessions.
• Cleats that fit and are broken in, shin guards, a ball, and a water bottle with the child's name on it.
• Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early. Rushing in sets the wrong tone.
• Wear what the club asked for, and check whether they want a certain color.
• Tell your child to play their normal game, speak up on the field, and keep working after a mistake.

For parents, the best preparation is to stay calm. Stand back from the field, don't coach through the fence, and don't ask your child afterward what went wrong. Ask what they enjoyed.

If your child is nervous, they're not alone. Most players are. A short pep talk is better than a long one, and a snack for afterward is better still.

Registering and what to expect on the day

Most clubs ask you to register in advance through their website, sometimes with a small fee. Expect a check-in table, a numbered pinnie, and a session of one to two hours. Sessions usually start with warm-ups, move into small-sided games, and often finish with a scrimmage. Many clubs run two or three sessions over several days, and a coach may invite certain players back for another look.

At the end, the club will either tell you on the field that results come by email, or they'll tell you later. Don't assume silence is bad news. Some clubs take a week, especially when they have several age groups to sort out, and a few send offers in waves, with the top team first and the lower teams a few days later. If you haven't heard anything after the date the club gave you, send a short, polite email to the registrar or the coach and ask where things stand.

What happens after an offer

An offer usually arrives by email or phone and lists the team, the fee, and a deadline for accepting. Read it twice. Check the team level, the coach, the league and the full cost. If it's different from what you expected, say so and ask questions.

You're allowed to try more than one club. Be straight with each of them about your timeline. Most coaches understand a family wanting a day or two. A club that demands a deposit the same day, before you've seen the team, is applying pressure that a good club doesn't need.

Once you accept, expect paperwork. You'll get a player registration through the state association, a medical form, and a payment plan. A birth certificate is often requested to verify the age group. If you decline, a short thank-you email is good manners, and it frees the spot for another family.

If there's no offer

It stings, and it's not the end of anything. Ask for feedback. Many coaches will tell you what to work on if you ask politely, a few days later. Check whether the club has a second team, a developmental program, or a later tryout window. Plenty of players who miss out one year are on the top team the next, since kids develop at different speeds. Our page on club soccer costs can help you compare what a different option would cost.

Where to go from here

Before tryouts, look at the leagues guide so you know what the club's league name means. To find clubs near you, use the clubs by state page. Then pick the sessions that fit your calendar and go in with a plan.