What a summer! The exciting news is that interest in Green Mountain Soccer is way up, and many of the boys spent the summer coming together as a team. The challenging news is that we will not have spots on the roster for all of the players who try out August 12th through 15th. As a coaching staff, we want to set expectations so all players and supporters understand the tryouts process.
Tryouts will start at 4pm Monday and Wednesday, and at 6:30pm Tuesday and Thursday. All sessions will be on our turf field and last 90 minutes. Players who are not ready with shin guards in at the start of tryouts will not be permitted to participate (arrive early). Only players who are registered and cleared are permitted by CHSAA and Jeffco Public Schools to try out. Click here for a list of cleared players.
Players who earn a spot on the roster will train on Friday from 4pm to 5:30pm, and will scrimmage all day Saturday, at Mullen High School. There will also be a players and parents meeting on Friday evening at 5:30pm in the library. To say this is a busy week is an understatement. It is also an incredibly important week if we are to get off to a good start to the season, so please block space on your calendars.
Tryouts Criteria
Players will be evaluated on the following criteria, with recorded numerical metrics:
- Conditioning (3 fitness tests)
- 1v1 Skills (defensive and attack)
- Impact in team play
Players will also be evaluated subjectively by all three coaches with attention paid to on-the-ball skill, coachability, communication and energy.
Opportunities to Impact the Program
Players who are not offered a roster spot are encouraged to stay connected to the program in one of a variety of ways. We need at least one additional team manager to help with keeping stats during games. We are working with Band Director Ed Wellman to put together a drum line for our home varsity games, and we could probably use some more drummers to help keep our energy high. And of course, any underclassmen who are not offered a roster spot are encouraged to work on your game in the off-season, join us for summer workouts in July and tryout again next August.
Your coaches don’t expect any sympathy, but please do know that this is the hardest week of the season for us all. We really care for each one of these boys, and we don’t take these decisions lightly as we coach soccer because we believe it helps develop character and resilience that goes far beyond the pitch.
Please direct any and all questions about tryouts and roster decisions to Coach Matt Salis (click here).