Evaluators look for four areas of skill when evaluating players: tactical, technical, physical, and psychological.

• Qualified, experienced professional coaches from the Club will observe and assess the players. They will watch players in skills sessions and in small-sided game situations. Small-sided games allow each player to have plenty of opportunity to touch the ball. Small-sided games (4v4) will have no set positions but will work from positional themes. Within this structure, a player’s positional sense will be observed. Players will be encouraged to rotate positions throughout the game.

• Evaluators look for not only individual skills, but where, when why and how they use them. This is the true measure of a soccer player. The format is clear and concise and each player will be rated by each evaluator.

• The team’s coach will complete a player-by-player assessment using the same format as additional input into the final team assessment and the positioning of the players.

• The evaluation process will attempt to place the top 10 players on the team, with the coach having discretion over the final roster spots. Some assessments may continue throughout the winter and spring training seasons.

• Evaluation results will be announced two weeks after the last day of player evaluations. The players will have one week to decide if they would like to play on that specific team.

• Players who are not interested in playing at the premier/C1/maroon level should notify the lead evaluator prior to the evaluation session.

In other words...

The coaches and evaluators are looking for player with good soccer skills, some tactical understanding of the game, awareness of the game, good attention and listening skills, and overall athletic ability.

The evaluation process consists of a series of drills, exercises, and game situations in which skills such as ball handling, endurance, decision-making, understanding of position, and qualities such as desire, drive, and attitude are assessed. In addition, the player’s and parents’ commitment, attendance, and attitude displayed in past season will be taken into account. The coaches will be able to decide the last group of players for their specific team. Team selections will be posted on the Club’s website.

History suggests that skills testing rankings combined with situational evaluations are a good predictor of players’ abilities and skill levels. The coach’s evaluation completes the needed information about the player’s attendance, commitment and attitude.

"Do I need to attend both evaluation sessions?"

Players should attend both evaluation sessions, as each session has a distinct purpose. At the first evaluation session, players are rated on athletic ability and various soccer skills (passing, dribbling, shooting, etc.). At the second evaluation session, the master coach, evaluators and team coaches assess each player’s playing ability by observing 1v1 situations and small-sided games.

After the last evaluation session, the team is selected. The Club’s intent is to place as many players as possible on teams while ensuring the team will remain competitive at their playing level. Not every player who goes through evaluation process will qualify for a team.
 

Team Formation

The St. Croix Soccer Club is a member of the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association (MYSA), and the Club’s teams play in the MYSA’s leagues in the appropriate divisions. The MYSA defines the various divisions as follows:

U9 to U10
Maroon: Most competitive level
Gold: Skill-building level

U11
Classic 2: Competitive and possessing good skills
Classic 3: Skill-building level

U12 to U13
Classic 1: Highly competitive
Classic 2: Competitive and possessing good skills
Classic 3: Skill-building level

U14 to U19
Premier: Most competitive level; usually an elite or select group (starts at U14)
Classic 1: Highly competitive
Classic 2: Competitive and possessing good skills
Classic 3: Skill-building level

The number of teams the Club offers in each age group is determined by the number of players who try out. Each year, the U9 to U13 teams level is selected by the Director of Coaching.

Beginning at U14 the MYSA determines Premier and Classic levels based on the Club’s previous year performance. For example: A C2 team that wins its division will move up to the C1 level the following year, whereas a C2 team that finishes last in its division will drop down to the C3 level the following year.