​GUIDANCE : Tryouts & Competitive Clubs

Each year we’re asked for information and guidance regarding tryouts, especially as the number of Clubs and options continue to grow. One recurring question from parents is “...when is the right time to consider a move to travel?”

The short answer is there is no right time, as many families find that between the recreational level and local competitive leagues, there is a broad spectrum of competition and years of development opportunities for their child.

Crucially, it's important to focus on your player's needs, not some elusive "should" out there. Players who love the game that are in a good environment where they are challenged but still having fun will keep playing and keep getting better. Over time, it often makes sense to move between teams/clubs to accommodate that growth - but there is no set path or timeline for this transition. 

Landscape : Competitive Leagues 

The competitive soccer landscape in recent years has changed drastically:

• NorCal and CCSL used to be considered competitive "Travel Leagues" because they are regional leagues vs. local leagues. It used to be that a team had to be gold or better, demonstrate lack of adequate local competition, or win out of SFYS Competitive Upper House in order to participate in those leagues, because the City was adamant about fairly balancing field usage and keeping competitive players in San Francisco vs. having to travel out of SF for competitive play.
  
  

• Since Covid, there are no more restrictions on league of play, which has resulted in some soccer clubs looking to privatise competitive soccer in San Francisco by moving their competitive teams out of SFYS Upper House to this restrictive private league, in which only member clubs may participate - despite the fact that there are more than enough local teams at the lower competitive levels.
  
  

• Why the shift to private leagues? Most member clubs will tell you that it’s because that’s where the competition is. Which in some flights is absolutely true: because these clubs *made* it true by pulling their teams, which left non-member clubs and independent competitive teams without multiple Upper House flight options. In some flights (most notably on the girls’ side), the consequence has been that independent and non-NorCal competitive level teams/clubs must be willing to travel regionally + sacrifice their autonomy, their club/team name, uniform, identity and in most cases their players to participate via a member club in order to have access to robust NorCal flights in their age group instead of just being able to play in Upper House in San Francisco against local San Francisco teams.
  Some member clubs will also tell you that from an administrative perspective, being a NorCal team is “easier”: for example, US Club has no coach licensing requirements (so staffing is more flexible - can literally hire anyone) and no volunteer Team STAR is required. SFYS stands by our decision that each of these participation requirements are critical to the success of our leagues and the support ecosystem that keeps players and youth refs in the game. From a business perspective, some clubs are wary of asking for volunteers given how expensive their programs are - however, others offer registration discounts for those volunteers' players.
  
  

• Parents *do* have a say - and most of the NorCal member clubs are very thoughtful about team placement between all the leagues based on player skill and interest. So be sure to ask the club/coach your player accepts an offer for what league they intend to place the competitive team your player is trying out for and what the implications are for that decision (in cost, coaching, commitment, travel, playing time, additional opportunities, etc. as noted below).

Cup play opportunities 

Participation in regional "state cups" do not require participation in that soccer association's league of play - Cup play is not subject to city validation for residency, etc. and teams and club must purchase fields for their home matches. That means that Upper House teams can play in CalNorth Cups by directly registering with CalNorth or via SFYS (for example, beginning Fall 2023, Upper House teams that win their bracket will be SFYS-sponsored to CalNorth regional cups). Upper House teams (or a unique roster with a combination of players across teams) which are already in NorCal clubs may participate in the NorCal State Cup tournament. In nearly all cases, participation in these supplemental cups is at an additional charge.

A word about “poaching”

A reminder: The governing bodies of US youth soccer state that players are free to move, without restriction, from soccer year to year (each Fall). Additionally, local associations like US Club & CalNorth prohibit offers prior to the end of the current soccer year. They also require an environment in which families can explore their options free of intimidation. The tryout window exists to ensure that families have the necessary time to explore and consider these options.

Tryouts 

Dedicated San Francisco Competitive Tryouts are scheduled by the clubs. Please see the SFYS website and SEASON page for Information on specific dates. Sadly, the impact is that there are no SF Upper House games scheduled for that weekend, though participation in tryouts is completely optional. It’s also not the only time your player can consider an alternate team - so don’t worry if your player wants to move up but isn’t available that weekend.

BEFORE TRYOUTS

Note that tryouts give coaches a chance to evaluate players, but they are not generally good for players or families to evaluate clubs or teams for fit. Also, it is not possible to attend all the tryouts during the tryout weekend, so: Do Your Research. One of the challenges and benefits of playing soccer in San Francisco is that we all share City resources, and it’s possible to see a nice cross-section of clubs and teams at any field complex for both practices and games. (It's also why SFYS can't host competitive games on tryout weekend.)

We HIGHLY recommend attending team practices or games in advance of tryouts to get a sense of coaching and playing styles - and so that your player only attends tryout(s) that make sense for them.

Where are teams practicing? 

>>> SFRPD Spotery Public View of Team Practice Allocations

• ANY Player may OBSERVE a practice or a game!

• ONLY Recreational Players moving to Competitive Teams may participate in a practice by appointment. Ask the Team or Club you’re interested in to secure a practice participation appt.

There is no centralized calendar to find tryout times and locations, or see a complete listing of all teams and clubs that are looking for players. Refer to the SFRPD-Approved Competitive Soccer Team and Club Flyers for Tryout Weekend (bottom) for more information and confirm with the team or club you are interested in trying out for when and where tryouts are.

Clarifications: 

• SFYS does not endorse any club. If you see our logo on a flyer, it is because that club has teams that participate in one of our SF Youth Soccer Leagues. 
  

• For budgeting purposes, SFYS Player Registration costs for SFYS house league Recreational and Competitive (Upper House & Varsity) play is roughly $100-$150 per player per season (Financial Aid available). Any team or club charges above that are for team or club benefits (coaching, administration, uniforms, tournaments, etc.), which vary by team and club. 
  

• Players are not required to attend tryouts, nor is there any requirement to move to competitive soccer by a certain age.

That said, many players do want to! And in San Francisco there are more than 20 soccer clubs to choose from - and some awesome independent competitive teams as well. So do your research so you can find the team or club that's best for your player.

• Fun fact: Most clubs will accept most players that try out for them. The logic is that there is a team in the club that will be appropriate (or that has space on the roster). So it is VERY important for your player's experience and development that the team or club and coaching style match the way your player learns, that the culture of the team and club match your family's in terms of expectations, time and travel commitment, etc.
  

Though SF Youth Soccer does not endorse any club or team, we do have some strong recommendations re: considerations for how to determine which team or club to try out for if the move makes sense for your player.

Factors to consider when looking at a competitive soccer club

Cost: Competitive club soccer in San Francisco can routinely cost over $2,000 per year, per child, with some being considerably more or less. You will need to contact prospective clubs for prices / financial aid. Consider what you’re paying for when you choose your team/club - and whether the extra $thousand(s) will get your player a true player development curriculum, a dedicated, licensed and experienced coach, any guarantees of playing time or positive supplemental activities/opportunities that are worth the investment, particularly at the Copper and Bronze levels, when players are still learning and growing as they get better and more competitive. Here are some questions to ask regarding cost to play:

What does the registration cost include?

• Licensed and experienced coach? (Note that NorCal does not require coach licensing of any kind)
• Dedicated coach? (some clubs don’t assign a coach to a rec or lower level competitive team, but rather rotate coaches through based on availability)
• Uniforms/gear, such as bags, training kit, etc.?
• Minimum Playing time?
• Tournaments and Travel (and if not, what are the additional costs/expectations?)
• Is supplemental programming included, such as summer / winter / futsal / camps? If not, what is the expectation for participation/cost?

New team or Existing team?

You may be interested to know if your child is being offered a spot on a team with a lot of returning players or if it’s a new team with many players new to the club. If you have a team and are considering joining a club to play in a regional competitive league, make sure to get a commitment from the club about whether your team will be able to maintain its integrity, or if your players will essentially go into a player pool. 

Practice Location(s)

While it’d be great to have a consistent practice location, SF Rec & Park utilizes a lottery system which results in teams being located at a variety of fields from season to season. It’s important to realize that only teams U12 and older are scheduled on full-sized pitches. Teams U11 and younger often practice either on the small side areas of complexes or on small field areas around the city. While teams may frequently practice at the same location over a period of time, this is never guaranteed.

Practice Frequency

We recommend clarifying how often the team will practice. Typically it’s one or two days. Some teams that have secured access to non-city fields may offer a third day. Is your player participating in multiple activities other than soccer? Is the amount of practice conducive to your player's interest and commitment to the sport? 

Playing League

Where will the team participate? There are two competitive local leagues run by SFYS (Upper House and Varsity) as well as regional travel leagues (CalNorth CCSL and US Club NorCal). There are also supplemental tournaments, some over the course of a season, some over a weekend. Each varies in cost and commitment. Travel leagues are best when there isn't enough local competition. There are some clubs who prefer not to play locally with their competitive teams, for a variety of reasons, including that there is great marketing around "travel" play and as such they can charge more. If the team your player is considering joining is not already successfully playing at gold level or above, consider whether the coaching and cost are worth it, or ask if they field local competitive teams as well.

Who is the coach?

Some players will be made offers on teams with longstanding coaches, others onto teams where the coach is likely known. In some cases, it will be determined later. If this is an important factor in your decision, feel free to inquire as to if a coach has been assigned to your child’s team.

• • Does it matter to you if there is a dedicated coach for your player's team? (some clubs don’t assign a coach to a recreational or lower level competitive team, but rather rotate coaches through based on availability)
    
    

Coach Licensing

You should feel comfortable asking what a coach's license is if it is not listed on the club’s website. In a few cases, coach or DOC licensing is a factor in whether a club or team qualifies to play in a specific league. It's up to you whether (and how much) licensing and experience are important for your player's development.

• • SFYS requires each team to have a head coach with a minimum Grassroots coaching license + field training. NorCal does not require coach licensing of any kind, except for the Club DOC (Director of Coaching), though even those requirements have been relaxed in recent seasons.

  • This means that NorCal clubs can hire anyone at any time to step in as a coach. In a best case scenario example, Club A hires a local college player (who happens to be great communicator and trainer) to help at practices and stand in on game day. In the most egregious (real-life) example, Club B hires random person from Indeed stating "No experience necessary" (!!). For parents (literally) buying into a competitive coaching environment, the disconnect here can result in little to no player development at 2-10x the cost of a non-club environment. Again, perhaps credentials aren't a priority to you or your player - but if it does, confirm the licensing before committing.
    

Team Management

Does the club handle all of the administration? Many clubs have administrators while others use team managers (parents) to handle some of the administration. One of the most underrated considerations in sport is how much logistical coordination goes on behind the scenes. Make sure that you are clear what your family is responsible for and what the team or club will handle for your player AND the team they join.

Goalkeeper / Supplemental Training

Most clubs do offer specialized keeper training or supplemental training, such as injury prevention support, so you should feel comfortable to ask "what else are you offering my child?"

Teams and Clubs participating in tryouts submitted the following flyers to SF Rec & Park for approval. Ideally most of the questions above are answered, but if not, contact information is provided so you can follow up with the team/club directly.

• SFRPD-Approved Competitive Soccer Team and Club Flyers for Tryout Weeken

>>> City Schedule for Fall Team Offers (2024 link pending)

>>> TIPS FOR TRYOUTS: PARENTS DO YOUR RESEARCH 

>>> Tips on finding the right club – Jimmy Obleda of Fullerton Rangers (CA-S)